KU TREE, Tropical Research; Education Unit

The Tropical Forest Conservation and Social Sustainability Research Promotion Project (“KU TREE”) is a field research project—a speciality of Kyoto University—established in 2016. Adopting the tropical forests of Asia, Africa and South and Central America as its fields, the Unit was established as a gathering of scientists active in studying tropical forest ecosystems and the societies that depend critically on them, each from their own regional perspectives.
Certain of modern society’s problems, such as poverty reduction and climate change, are intimately connected to the problems of forests. Research and action to establish frameworks for sustainable conservation and management of tropical forests and socioecological systems are urgently needed. Moreover, as the problems of tropical forests grow ever more severe and complex, an interdisciplinary, cross-disciplinary approach to research is needed, meaning that scientists in the wide variety of fields engaged in tropical-forest research need to work closer together. In view of these concerns, the scientists in this Unit are building a cooperative structure that transcends traditional academic divisions, tackling fresh targets in climate change and sustainability. We aim to advance educational and research activities that integrate diverse scientific fields in creative and unprecedented ways.