The aim of this research is to clarify the actual condition of the farm inn in Germany especially in Baden-Wurttemberg state (BW) in the southern Germany where farm inn has been developed. Two typical farm inns were chosen from each 3 regions, Bodensee-Oberschwaben (BO), Neckarland-Schwaben(NS), Schwarzwald(SW), total 6 farm inns were investigated. Interviews were made to the farmers about management of farm inn, agriculture, and forestry. Most of visitors came from Germany for all 6 farm inns. The number of visitors has slightly increased in 5 inns. In NS, people visited farm inn mainly for enjoying the countryside. Some stayed there in a couple of days for business. On the other hand, in Bo and SW people came for enjoying not only country life but famous scenery. Two types of management attitude were found. One was very active to get more visitors and try to give good and attractive services. The other was not active for they felt they got enough visitors.

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Many studies on the issues of depopulation have been prosecuted from a view point of regional type or sturucture of villages. Recently in the studies of measures for promotion and activation of mountain villages, sometimes the culture of the region is mentioned. In this study, the culture of region is regarded as the methods and system for earring the ceremonial occasions and the events done in the community defined as "MATSURI (the festival)". It was considered by Chizuko Ueno that people in the villages are belonging to the community either in choosable form or in non-choosable form. After investigating 4 examples of villages in Wakayama and Nara prefectures, it can be concluded that the intention of keeping up the village is affected by the elasticity of these types of the form of belongingness to the community at the time of MATSURI.

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Accuracy of positioning with DGPS (Differential GPS) was studied in various forests. Almost all positions of measurements by DGPS affected by SA (Selective Availability) located within a 1m circle. The more DGPS located near the tree stem, the more positioning errors became large. Significant differences were observed in the positioning errors between outside and inside of the evergreen broad-leaved and the evergreen coniferous forests, but not the deciduous forest. These results suggested that it was necessary to use DGPS at a point that was far away from the tree stem and with an open upside canopy, and to use DGPS in winter inside the deciduous forest. In addition, when we use DGPS inside the forest, for example for measuring every tree, we can enhance the accuracy of positioning by offset positioning using a laser range finder from the position that is far away from the tree stem and with an open upside canopy.

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We examined the way of estimating the thinning effect using eye measurement in conventional qualitative thinning and line thinning to utilize the high-performance and cost-effective yarding machine. Trees that have no thinning effects in qualitative thinning were occupied by 5.5% less than 12.8% in line thinning. So, it found that the effect like a qualitative thinning was gotten by cutting additional few trees. Growth rate of basal area during the 5-year period had increased 8.5%〜13.2% in proportion to open space around canopy.

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The objective of this resarch is to study the optimum method of tower yarder yarding from the standpoint of the lateral yarding. The reserch of the lateral yarding was given by the method of the running sky line on a steep and a downward slope. The relation between the difference work methods, the difference obstacle density and the lateral yarding of the tower yarder yarding were studied. The delay generation frequency during the latelal yarding by the fishbone cutting and full tree logging method showed the smallest value in all methods used. The lateral yarding velocity had a tendency to decrease exponentially with increaseing the obstacle density (the remaining tree density in the neighborhood of the working place). The ordinary yarding had a tendency to decrease more slowly with increasing the obstacles than that of full tree logging, the small effect of obstacles on the lateral yarding time is guessed to be until about r = 0.1 of obstacle density.

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In order to make sure the reliability of soil-water extraction (WE) method for chemical composition of forest soil solution, we compared WE method with vacuum lysimeter (VL) method, which was the most popular method in forest soil solution study. Sampling was done once a month from May in 1996 to March in 1997 in Japanese cypress (Chamaecyparis obtusa Endl) and Japanese cedar (Cryptomeria japonica D. Don) forests in Shiga town of Shiga prefecture. The total cation and anion concentrations estimated by the WE method showed always higher value than the VL method. An addition of deionized water to soil in the WE method presumably caused the movement of soluble constituents from the solid phase to the aqueous phase, and consequently cation and anion concentrations became higher in the WE method. Divalent cation concentrations in soil solution, especially Mg^<2+>, estimated by the WE method were lower than that by the VL method, whereas monovalent cations, especially NH_4^+ were higher in the WE method. The result suggested that cation exchange occurred between monovalent cations at the solid phase and divalent cations in the aqueous phase when deionized water was added to soil in the WE method.

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The undisturved forest soil samples, 15.5cm in diameter and 10cm in height, were collected on the slopes where the andosol covered pyroclastic rocks, and their saturated coefficients of permeability in vertical (Kv) and horizontal (Kh) direction were measured, then the pore characteristics were analyzed. As the result, the anisotropy in permeability, mostly Kh > Kv, was confirmed. Layer poorer in macro pores had stronger anisotropy. In the topsoil of andosol and the clayey subsoil, the strength of the anisotropy depended on the quantitative relation between the pores of pF1.5 to 2.0 and the coarser macro pores. It was found that the anisotropy is affected by the orientation structure in the clayey subsoil and also the root system of undergrowth, Sasa Palmata Marliac Nakai, in the andosol topsoiol.

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Census of vegetation (DBH), slope degree and rock material were taken on slopes (141 sites) in 9km × 22km area, west Hiroshima, where a localized torrential downpour on June 29, 1999 caused landslide. 84 slopes of 141 landslide sites were covered with young broad-leaved forests following pine blight, and 41 slopes were with young cedar or cypress plantation. There was no landslide at the slopes covered by more than 30year-old pine forests without the blight. The tensile strength by roots for whole soil layer at landslide slopes, which was estimated by the model based on DBH, were all less than those estimated at these slopes in case blight or fire had not occured, or no plantation. The fact suggests that few landslide might occured without forest decline (pine or fir blight) or degradation (forest fire or clear-cutting for plantation).

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The plate type greening devices originally developed by Okayama Prefecture Forest Experiment Station were applied in Feburary and April 1997 on a road side slope. Two different devices (A and B) which contained different combinations of acorns of oaks with the grass seeds. In the device A vermiculite was used as a material for a germination bed while in the device B a mixture of vermiculite,mountain soils and humous were used. Results were as follows. (1) Germination rates of Quercus variabilis, Quercus serrata, Qurcus glauca, Castanopsis cuspidata were more than 50% except Quercus phylliraeoides on the device B. (2) Mortalities of these oak species on two devices, which included the grass seeds were less than 25% after two growing periods. (3) Height growth of Quercus variabilis on the device B was larger than on the device A. (4) Cover ratio by the device A from April 1997 to December 1998 was more than 80%. These results suggested that even on the slope having more than slant of 45° and soil hardness of 18-25mm, application of these oak species on the device B was effective for an greening.

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"Tawarasibo" is an uneven thickening, specific to Japanese cypress , producing the special undulation of trunk surface which looks like piled-up barrels, or Japanese rice boles ("Tawara" in Japanese). Trees with this special trait had been rarely found in artificial plantation, and prized as an alcove post. Some mutations may be involved in this trait; no systematic observations had been made on the course of the expression of this trait. Xylem anatomy of a "tawarashibo" clone is reported here. Sample blocks were cut out from both abnormally thickened region and normal region. Transverse, tangential, radial sections were observed by photo microscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). At the radial section of the thickening region, conspicuous disturbance of radial arrangement of tracheid, anastomosis of tracheid, trabeculae were observed. However, the irregular arrangement soon calms down at the outer side. At the tangential section, the disturbance of cell arrangement is not so severe as the radical arrangement. These observations may be suggest that the abnormal arrangement occurred in the course of cell maturation and enlargement and the cambial cells are not harmed during the abnormal thickening. This may be suggesting the genetic deficiency, which controls cell enlargement and cell wall construction.

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Dilution plate method is generally used for isolation of basidiospores as well as a soil test. The basidiospore germinations of Matsutake (Tricholoma matsutake S. Ito et Imai Sing.), Amitake (Suillus bovinus (Fr.) O. Kuntze), and Honshimeji (Lyophyllum shimeji (Kawam.) Hongo) were examined using the dilution plate method, i.e., the collected spores were suspended in sterilized water including 0.005% n-butyric acid and inoculated on an agar medium in a petri dish after stepwise dilutions, followed by regular observation with an inverted microscope. Consequently, the spores of Honshimeji began germination 13 days after incubation, and then hyphae elongated and kept on diverging, which grew to colonies with 5-30mm in diameter visible with naked eyes 14 days after the spore germination. The spore germination and elongation of the hyphae of Matsutake and Amitake were confirmed at three months after inoculation, but the further growth and divergence of the hyphae were not observed even though incubation was continued for additional two months.

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The optimum conditions for planter cultivation of Lyophyllum decastes were studied. The planters containing mycelial bed were placed in the pipehouse (65% shading and natural indoor conditions of temperature and humidity) and the air conditioned room (19℃, 500-1000 Lux illumination, 24h light and higher than 40% humidity) respectively, and the development of the fruit bodies was observed. Eight kinds of mycelial beds of different nutrients and basal media. Results were better in the air conditioned room. The significant differences were observed in the following points: the time until the first flash in all treatments, the number of fruit bodies per one bed in five treatments.the number of fruit bodies per one bed in three treatments and the fresh weight of fruit body in seven treatments. The results suggest that the constant culture temperature is important for the planter cultivation of this mushroom.

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Following experiments were conducted to investigate the parasitism of Sderoderma nipponica on Monochamus alternatus and Dastarcus helophoroides on M. alternatus. Pine trees in which larvae of M. alternatus had bored were collected from outdoors cut into bolts of one meter long, and compartmentalized into following four field cages. cage a D. helophoroides released. cage b S. nipponica from Ibaraki prefecture released. cage c S. nipponica from Shiga prefecture released. cage d No parasitoid released (Control) Survival rate of M. alternatus larvae were 38.6% in cage b, 40.0% in cage c, and 52.0% in cage d, respectively. There were not significant differences in the survival rate between cage b and cage d, and between cage c and cage d. And there were no parasitism by S. nipponica detected in cage b and cage c. However, rate of parasitism by D. helophoroides in cage a was 39.6%. The survival rate in cage a was 15.1%, significantly lower than that in cage d.

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The growth and the quality of the trunk of the tall tree species were investigated in the pine forests damaged by pine wilt disease in the eastern part of Tottori Prefecture. Nine investigation plots of 10m×10m were set on the ridge and the versant, and trees more than 2m in height and saplings of tall tree species were investigated. In the tall tree species except Pinus densiflora, eight deciduous broad-leaved tree species such as Quercus serrata and Prunus spp. were found in the lower tree layer and bush layer. The average tree density on the ridge was about 500 trees/ha and that on the versant was about 1,000 trees/ha. However, the saplings of tall species growing below the bush layer were estimated not to become tall because of growth suppression. Thus, it is assumed that the forests on the ridge and the versant will change into broad-leaved forests with a low density of tall tree species. Therefore, in the present situation, it is not possible to expect the increase in the formation of useful wood of Quercus serrata, Prunus spp. and so on. There were many trees with a poor quality of trunk. It seems to be difficult to use trees in this area.

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It has been cleared that pine damage in Japan was caused by the participation of pine wilt disease whose pathogen is pine wood nematode, Bursaphelenchus xylophilus. Its main vector is Monochamus alternatus. However, Okauma et al. (1999) indicated that pines are not damaged by the pine wilt disease, from the result of their outdoor experiment releasing M. alternatus with B. xylophilus to Japanese red pine trees. Then, we did another experiment in almost same condition as that of Okauma et al. (1999). But, we use adult of M. alternatus in which the number of pine wood nematode were estimeted individually. As a result, maturation feeding quantity was no different from experiment of Okauma et al. (1999), and dying occurred only in the release plot. Thus we thought that the participation of Japanese pine sawyer with pine wood nematode was the cause of dying in our experiment.

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It has been suggested that the damage of mass mortality of oak trees that bored by beetles, Platypus quercivorus (Murayama) increase when fallen trees exist. Thus, we carried out field experiments where freshly cut logs were set at the damaged forests. The results showed that P. quercivorus bored into fresh logs, and that this beetle also bored trees around the logs especially those on lower part of slope, and some of the trees were dead. P. quercivorus bred successfully in the logs, and the adults emerged from these logs were thought to carry a fungus that is infectious to oak trees because the fungus was isolated from logs laid on the forest floor for one year. Then, distribution of damaged trees was concentrated around the trees felled by wind in the previous years at the newly damaged forest. Thus, it was indicated that leaving the fallen trees or logs expand damage of mass mortality of oak trees.

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The relationship between mass flights of Platypus quercivorus (Murayama), temperature and sunshine were investigated in a forest of deciduous oaks damaged by the beetle. Flight of this beetle was observed at temperatures over 19℃. Mass flight was thought to begin at temperatures over 20℃ on days with pre-noon sunlight.

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Mass mortality of broad-leaf trees which is accompanied the entrance hole by Platypus quercivorus (Murayama) has been occurred in districts in Japan. The species of trees that are easy to be attacked by P. quercivorus and the influence of damage degree of the previous year that gives those of the following year have been investigated by investigating the entrance holes which bored on the trunks of trees by P. quercivorus. On the other hand, the participation in the damage of the fallen trees has been suggested but its reliability hasn't been investigated. So I carried out field experiment: Cut logs of several broad-leaf tree species were introduced to the damaged forests, then the newly boring by P. quercivorus were counted. The results are as follows. P. quercivorus bored more into the logs of Fagaceae species than those of other species, and tended to bore at first into Fagaceae, then shift to others. P. quercivorus bored less into the logs which were bored into the previous year than those of the same species having no holse.

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