Abstract
A new method for thinning Pinus thunbergii coastal forests was proposed in order to solve the overcrowding problem. We considered the lowering of disaster prevention functions and the vitality of coastal forests caused by thinning, the importance of the first thinning, and the thinning schedule on the basis of existing research. The proposed procedure is as follows. The area where the canopy height is lower than 3.0 m is excluded from thinning. Line thinning consisting of cutting down one out of every four lines in an early stage is proposed. The reference canopy height is 3.0 m for the first thinning, 3.5 m for the second, 4.5 m for the third and 5.5 m for the fourth. For canopy height of 6.5 m or above, trees that prevent the growth of predominant trees which will compose the future forests are cut.
https://ror.org/044bma518 
