Dr. Atushi Ushimaru is a professor of Human Environmental Science at the Graduate School of Human Development and Environment, Kobe University, Japan. He has been working at Kobe University since 2005.  Main research focus of his lab is on Plant Ecology and Biodiversity in agroecosystems and urban ecosystems. Major research activities focus on uncovering the mechanisms of loss or degradation of biodiversity and ecosystem services and plant adaptive response in human-dominated ecosystems.