Memorial article for Professor Emeritus Dr. Akira KOMIYAMA (Gifu University): With special reference to his mangrove studies in Thailand

Professor Komiyama, the Legend of Mangrove Research in Thailand, began his mangrove research in Thailand in 1982 at the pristine Hatsaikhao forest plot in Ranong Province.It was there that his lifelong fascination with the "fill of roots forest" began.At that time, when below-ground biomass remained a "black box" in tropical ecology, he pioneered a study of root biomass distribution of giant Rhizophora trees at the Hatsaikhao plot.It was one of his vivid memories, which he frequently shared with young Thai researchers who had never had the privilege of seeing such untouched and fantastic mangrove ecosystems.I first encountered Professor Komiyama in 1998 at Phang Nga Province, while accompanying my supervisor, Dr. Pipat Pataponpaiboon of Chulalongkorn University, for a collaborative expedition in a mangrove forest.I