To estimate the amount of available woody biomass resources more precisely, we created a new simulation algorithm that combined two different cycle scenarios: short and long rotations. Using this simulation algorithm, we estimated a centurial transition of utilizable woody biomass resources by final cutting and thinning in the Inabu District of Toyota in Aichi Prefecture, Japan, which is a typical rural mountain region. According to our results, the amount of utilizable lumber from final cutting and thinning, resulting logging residues, and final Biomass to Liquid (BTL) conversion within a 100 m distance from the road is approximately one third of the amount within a 200m distance, and one fifth of the amount within a 300 m distance. As for the cutting period of the short rotation, the utilizable woody biomass resources reached these peaks at a 70-year rotation time within a 100 m distance from the road, and at a 60-year rotation time within both 200 m and 300 m distances from roads. We evaluated the amount of BTL produced by annual consumption of light oil and heating oil in public agencies and standard homes in Inabu District. Consequently, to supply BTL stably to public agencies, we should select the 60-year rotation within a 200 m distance from the road, or every cutting period within a 300 m distance. However, to fuel standard homes, woody biomass should be gathered from forests within 200 m from roads.

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Accident-prevention measures in the forestry industry need to be formulated in the context of safety awareness and organizational climate. I investigated how these organizational factors influence safety levels and found that forestry contractors with low accident rates tended to have high levels of safety awareness, which thus helped to prevent industrial accidents. Five factors were extracted from a factor analysis of safety awareness: a positive attitude toward the future of safety awareness; awareness of the importance of efficiency; overconfidence in safety; self-focused safety awareness; and a serious attitude toward safety. Forestry contractors with low accident rates prioritized the positive future of safety awareness rather than maximizing efficiency. They also tended to work in organizational climates that promoted safely. Five factors were determined from a factor analysis of organizational climate: a relationship involving confiding between bosses and subordinates, communication, a positive attitude toward work, cooperativeness, and awareness of the importance of performance. Forestry contractors with low accident rates engaged in confiding relationships between bosses and subordinates and communicated effectively.

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We dealt with the process of introducing a forest geographic information system (GIS) to Wakayama prefecture as an example of installing a district forest GIS. We interviewed persons about the issues that were discussed during the introduction process, clarified remaining problems in the completed system, and considered the form of future forest GIS. The management system of the forest GIS in Wakayama attaches importance to the sharing of information and system operability, in order to improve the accuracy of basic data. Thus, advanced analysis functions are carried over as a future task. As we currently lag behind in terms of the talent training of personnel who could adequately manage such a system, it is important to cultivate highly skilled foresters. It is also necessary to provide and update line data on forest roads, logging roads, and general roads, in order to conduct extensive cost analysis. We believe that it is useful to nurture experts on forest GIS based on a long-term perspective, and set up a special department. Moreover, inter-prefectural cooperation and that extended between the operators of private and national forests are essential for achieving planned logging production. Then we suggested the mutual use of such systems or unification of the district forest GIS used in neighboring regions, while considering the possibility of expanding forest resource management to cover even wider areas.

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[in Japanese]

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