Tsuyoshi Kato

Since 2010, Tsuyoshi Kato has been managing two forest plantations located on peatlands in Indonesia’s West Kalimantan region for companies that operate as a joint venture between Sumitomo Forestry Co., Ltd. of Japan and Indonesia’s Alas Kusuma Group. Kato studied forest ecology at Kyoto University, conducting a five-year field survey to understand the recovery process of a tropical forest after commercial logging in the Jambi district of Sumatra in Indonesia. For more than 10 years, he has conducted field research in Sumatra and West Kalimantan regions. Kato is particularly interested in understanding the interconnections between wood productivity and biodiversity in tropical forestry. With his colleagues, Kato has been developing science-based peatland management systems involving integrated technologies to enhance wood productivity while reducing ecological impacts on peatland.