Welcome Remarks

"Ecology for a Nature-Positive Future in East Asia"

We live in a world in which biodiversity loss, climate change, and environmental pollution acutely threaten the survival of both nature and humanity. Ecologists, with a wealth of knowledge on how organisms interact with each other and their environment, must work together to halt and reverse this negative trend to aim for a nature-positive future. Land and ocean ecosystems in East Asia have rich and unique biological diversity thanks to its biogeographical history. Traditionally, Asian cultures cherish "harmony with nature". Unfortunately, the ongoing loss of biologically diverse ecosystems makes us more vulnerable to severe storms and flooding expected under the changing climate. Mega cities and their resource demands in China, Japan, and Korea, make large global footprints on climate and biodiversity. Hence, ecologists in East Asia have important roles to tackle critically important questions. How can we stop further loss of nature and achieve a nature-positive future? How can we avoid potential trade-offs between carbon-neutral actions and biodiversity conservation? How can we value ecosystem services, which standard economic indices don't properly account for? For a nature-positive future, we must conserve remaining natural ecosystems rich in biodiversity. In-depth ecological knowledge of populations and communities of plants, animals, and microbes, including the data gathered in long-term monitoring sites, should provide a strong foundation for proper environmental stewardship. Understanding of the coupled social-ecological systems in cities and rural areas also holds a key for a nature-positive future. We must work together across borders and narrow disciplinary boundaries, ensuring gender and cultural diversity. On behalf of the Ecological Society of Japan and the Local Organizing Committee, we sincerely welcome delegates to EAFES2025 in Tokyo, for a rich academic discussion in both basic and applied ecology.

Kaoru Kitajima
President of the Ecological Society of Japan
Tadashi Miyashita
Chair of the Local Organizing Committee, EAFES2025