Personal Information

Chen-Chia Ku 古鎮嘉

Part-time Assistant Professor, National Chung Cheng University
Post-Doctoral Researcher,  National Chung Hsing University
 

Email:  jjakon11@gmail.com
GitHub: https://github.com/jjakon11
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7419-2282

Education and Academic Appointments

2023 - PresentϮ Post-Doctoral Researcher, International Master Program of Agriculture, National Chung Hsing University, Taiwan

2024 - 2025Ϯ Post-Doctoral Scholar, Wildland Resources, Utah State University, USA

2016 - 2023   PhD., Ph.D. Program of Agriculture Science, National Chiayi University, Taiwan.

2014 - 2016   M.S., Department of Forest and Natural resources, National Chiayi University, Taiwan.

2010 - 2014   B.S., Department of Forest and Natural resources, National Chiayi University, Taiwan.

I am a postdoctoral researcher at National Chung Hsing University, Taiwan, and a part-time assistant professor at National Chung Cheng University, Taiwan. My research focuses on forest ecosystems under global climate change, with particular emphasis on the ecological pathways that drive tree mortality. I investigate how trees die within forest ecosystems by integrating long-term forest dynamics data from temperate forests in the western United States and tropical forests in Taiwan.

In addition, my research examines aboveground biomass dynamics and their implications for forest carbon storage and carbon loss through ecological processes. By linking tree mortality pathways with carbon cycling, I aim to better understand how forests function as carbon sinks or carbon sources under changing environmental conditions.

I have also compiled extensive datasets from the Nanjenshan Forest Dynamics Plot, a long-term research site that provides valuable insights about wind. If you are interested in this plot, please contact with our principal investigator for potential collaboration. The following sections describe my current research projects, which will continue to develop in the future.

1. Mortality process in forest ecosystem:

   • Investigating the mechanisms and ecological pathways of tree mortality in forest ecosystems in the western United States and Taiwan.

   • Examining the conservation biology of tree species through different mortality pathways.

2. Carbon stocks and flux in forest ecosystem:

   • Allometric equations: Developing tree height equations and biomass estimation models. I am also compiling a tree height database for forest tree species in Taiwan to improve the accuracy of aboveground biomass estimation.

   • Spatial and temporal variation in biomass: Investigating biomass variation among trees of different sizes and under different environmental conditions, with particular consideration of topographic influences over time.

   • Litterfall in forest ecosystems: Examining litterfall production, seasonal dynamics, and its contribution to forest carbon and nutrient cycling.

I possess proficiency in R Studio and coding using libraries such as ggplot2, dplyr, and tidyr for data visualization and analysis. I am also familiar with vegetation analysis and spatial pattern analysis. Writing code gives me a sense of achievement born from a solitary struggle. However, I am willing to share and work with the coding team. Please contact me if you are interested in "something". Several public codes that I used to participate in  #30DaysMapChallenge and R class in 2023 and 2024 are for open reference (https://github.com/jjakon11).

Ϯ After 2024, due to the constraints of the research project, I spent two research periods at Utah State University (May–October 2024 and May–October 2025), while the remaining time was based at National Chung Hsing University.