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Associate Professor of Animal Ecology

SATO Satoru

Linking the past, present and future through the biodiversity of rice paddies.

I am doing research for linking the past, present and future through the biodiversity of rice paddies.

Mud snails are central to my research. In Japan, there is a close relationship and a history of about 2,000 years between rice cultivation and mud snails.  The number of mud snails decreased rapidly after World War II, and today, there are virtually none.

Mud snails are known as ecological engineers. They remake their environment to make it more favorable for themselves. This actually creates a comfortable living environment for other creatures as well.

Because other creatures increase when the number of mud snails increase, I believe that they will help revive the ecosystems of rice paddies, creating rice paddies like those of the past that are filled with creatures.

I want to utilize in today’s rice paddies the various functions that were served by the paddy field ecosystems of the past.

This laboratory is the only one in the world that is carrying out such homely research on biodiversity with mud snails at the center.

There are many around me who feel doubt, but I believe that people will be surprised and realize how wonderful mud snails are if they come and see what we are doing. From now, I want to spread this wonderment to the world.