Ecosys temConservat ionSoc ie ty - Japan

7July2 015

No.140

スギ・ヒノキの林が広がる秩父に残された自然の森Remaining natural forests in Chichibu where most areas are covered with cedar and cypress

良い悪いは別にして、今、日本の林は、収穫期を迎えています。スギ、ヒノキなどの単純林から日本本来の美しい森林へ大転換する大切な時です。Many Japanese forests are now approaching their harvest time. It is once- in-a- lifetime opportunity to start converting existing mono-cultural cedar and cypress forests to natural, beautiful Japanese forests. These beautiful forests are the foundation of Japan.

| 森は下流の都市住民も含めた私たちの生活基盤| 持続可能なドイツ林業| 発想の転換に遅れた日本林業| 日本林業に必要なこと| 持続可能な森林に向けて

２０１5年7月１日発行（隔月刊）第140号

美しい森は日本の礎〜持続可能な林業〜

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S u m m a r y o fE c o s y s t e m

N o . 1 4 0

171-0021 東京都豊島区西池袋2-30-20 音羽ビル Tel. 03-5951-0244 Fax. 03-5951-2974 www.ecosys.or.jpOtowa Bldg. 2-30-20 Nishiikebukuro Toshima-ku, Tokyo 171-0021 Japan Phone. +81-3-5951-0244 Fax. +81-3-5951-2974

エコシステム No.140 制作・発行

Beautiful Forests are the Foundation of JapanJapan Needs a Sustainable Forestry

Arich forest nurtured by rich soil can support our daily lives in various ways

by supplying us with clean water, lumber, wild vegetables and mushrooms in addition to holding rain water, preventing mud-slide disasters and sequestering CO2. Economic calculations show that monetary benefits of it for Japan would amount to approximately 56 billion US dollars per year. Currently, however, Japanese forestry can supply only 30% of the domestic demand; the market is weakened by overwhelming and cheap imports. How can we turn this deteriorating domest ic forest industry into a new sustainable forestry?

Amodel of a sustainable forestry is the current German forest industry. German

forestry in the past used a method of clear-cutting natural forests and planting German spruce mono-culturally. After those trees matured, they were harvested. But then, those forests suffered catastrophic damages by borer insects and great storms. Finally, this forced a change in their forestry method and they adopted a new sustainable forestry following nature’s way. Official foresters first made an overall plan by classifying high quality forests worthy of protection and other forests suitable for timber harvesting. Then they made another plan to manage the forests sustainably in order to harmonize economic activities and environmental conservation. To mimic natural forests, they adopted a method of planting various tree species and harvesting only matured trees as they grew, instead of clear-cutting. At the same time, they began connecting forests to form a network that promotes biodiversity and encourages people to use forests for recreational purposes.

On the other hand, what kind of path did Japanese forestry take during

its recent history? Because of tremendous shortages of lumber after World War II, extensive tree harvesting, mostly by clear-cutting, went on throughout Japan on top of the huge amount of lumber imports mostly from tropical rainforests. Also, a new policy was implemented that limited planting of broadleaf trees that had been used for firewood and charcoal, (petroleum was becoming the dominant fuel source at that time) and promoted planting Japanese cedar and cypress that were demanded

as lumber for housing. More and more Japanese mountains were covered with mono-cultural cedar and cypress that do not promote humus. By the second and third generation harvests of cedar and cypress neither species could grow sufficiently any longer. Moreover, cheap imports dominated over the domestic lumber in the market. As a result, the rate of self-sufficiency in lumber plummeted from over 90% in 1955 to the lowest point of 18.2% in the year 2000. It was a situation in which the more one cut trees the more one lost money. Japanese forest industry’s decline was also helped by a shortage of young labor. Forests were unattended as people lost interest in forestry.

But in recent years, people have started to understand the benefits that forests

provide to human society. Gradually, the importance of a forest’s ecological services is being recognized by more citizens. In 2009, Japan’s government made a new plan to revive and promote more efficient forestry, and in 2011 implemented some programs to restore natural forests with the purposes of increasing biodiversity and encouraging people to use them as a place for their recreational enjoyment and environmental education.

It is necessary to implement a few new policies if we want to promote a more

fully sustainable forestry in Japan. First, we must return to natural forests those tree plantations whose owners have no interest in maintaining them as a business. Also, areas with steep slopes should not be cultivated but left alone and returned to nature. Secondly, flood-prevention forests that occupy 30% of national lands are currently covered with cedar and cypress trees and should be converted to more effective broadleaf trees such as beech and oak. Thirdly, a tree plantation with evergreen species should be surrounded by broadleaf trees to nurture soil and only matured trees should be harvested as they grow so that Japanese forestry becomes more sustainable. Finally, it is very important to revitalize local communities utilizing their beautiful forests.

Japanese mountains covered with cedar and cypress are now approaching

harvest time. By implementing the above–mentioned policies, new Japanese forestry can improve global environment and become a sustainable industry full of possibilities that can trigger revitalization of regional communities.

Rich natural forests can produce benefits for humans in the amount of 56 billion US dollars per year

In Germany, new forestry to restore forest ecosystems has been promoted

In Japan, forests were converted to “fields of lumber”, and Japanese forestry has declined

It is necessary to restore Japanese forests with rich soil by creating a new sustainable forestry

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