Abstract
Eco-mixed seeding and planting method are used to restore woodlands to a condition approximating their natural state, by taking advantage of the mechanism whereby forests regenerate places where trees have been uprooted by wind. When trees are uprooted, areas where root systems had spread become de-nuded. The seeds of many tree species that naturally spread into the denuded areas at about the same time germinate and start growing. The trees that grow there form a woodland of pioneer trees, which later undergoes a transition to that of climax trees. The eco-mixed seeding and planting method aims to reproduce this process. This method was initially developed in 1991 to regenerate riparian trees, and the present method was established in 1995. For the last ten years, it has been undergoing trials. The method involves a comprehensive system that covers the setting of objectives, seed collecting, seedling cultivation and planting, record tracking, follow-up survey, and evaluation. During those ten years in Hokkaido, 100,000 trees of 70 species have been planted at about 100 sites including riverbanks, embankments, dams, and road slopes. Data are continuously gathered on these trees. These data show that, as initially aimed, there has been rapid restoration of woodland by pioneer trees and gradual transition from such woodland to that of climax tree species.
