SPATIAL ARRANGEMENT OF PRIVATE FOREST LANDS AND SPATIAL DIFFUSION OF AFFORESTATION

Abstract

The object of this paper is to clarify the relation between the spatial arrangement of private forest lands and the spatial diffusion of afforestation. This object was drawn from the author's preceding study using simulation analysis of spatial diffusion of afforestation (Geographical Review of Japan, 46-10, 1973).
The study area is a small area which belongs to a hamlet, Bunmaru, of Yusuhara-cho, Kochi Prefecture, in southwestern part of the Shikoku Mountains. In this area, 70.6% of forest lands are owned by land owners of Bunmaru.
The results obtained are as follows
1. Forest land owners can be divided into three classes in terms of size; A and A' class-es own 27 ha or more, B class 12 ha or more and C class less than 12 ha (Fig. 3).
2. Private forest holdings consist of many small ones on one hand, which had been utilized for shifting cultivation before the later introduction of cultivating “mltsumata” (Edgewortia papyrfera) which was traditionally used for the production of Japanese paper (paper bills and others) until about 1955, and many larger holdings having produced grass-es, firewood and charcoal on the other.
3. Most small holdings are located near the houses of forest land owners and larger ones are away from them.
4. C class owners possess small holdings in most cases. A class ones have both small holdings and most of the larger ones, whereas B class ones have small holdings along with some of the larger ones (Fig. 6).
5. Afforestation was tried by some of the A class owners before World War II. Afforestation was started by B class owners in 1935 for the first time, but afforestation reached its peak about 1955 on their small holdings. However, C class owners started afforestion about 1955 and after (Fig. 8) (Fig. 10).
6. Since 1955, a depression in the market price of “mltsumata”, caused by a sharp decline in the demand of Japanese paper for paper bills, changed many fields of “mltsumata” to forest lands. Diminishing demand for fuelwoods and charcoal also caused more afforestation by all classes since 1960.
7. Thus, we can admit the regular land use through the spatial diffusion of affores-tation, and also admit the diverse contents of a small territory belonging to the hamlet of Bunmaru. Analysis of the principles of individual management of forest lands awaits further research.