In order to clarify factors affecting forestry college students’ satisfaction with their education, the researcher conducted a questionnaire survey of students graduating from four forestry colleges in Shizuoka, Nagano, Kyoto and Shimane. The study focused on 4 points established as significant in previous research: factors determining college entrance choice, experience after entry, thoughts on student life, and knowledge and skills attained through the education. It sought to identify characteristics distinguishing satisfied from dissatisfied students. The survey revealed that both the satisfied and dissatisfied groups had placed emphasis upon acquisition of forestry knowledge and skills at the time of entrance. Both reported positive, relationships with staff, as well as acquisition of knowledge and skills related to issues such as occupational safety and workplace technology. However, three areas produced significant differences between the satisfied and dissatisfied groups. These were whether or not a dormitory was available at the time of deciding entrance, whether or not the student was able to undertake learning with classmates outside the classroom, and whether forestry management knowledge and skills were considered to have improved. It may be inferred from the study that attention to the above three points is likely to raise levels of satisfaction among forestry college students. The paper includes discussion of why these factors are especially important and what implications this may have for future forestry education.

We compared shoot growth and root development of sugi cuttings grown in biodegradable paper pots with container-grown cuttings during the 2 years after outplanting. The paper pot-grown cuttings showed similar vigor, shoot growth and root development as the container-grown cutting, indicating their potential of survivorship and early growth equal to that of the container-grown cuttings. The deterioration of the paper pots two years after outplanting was observed only in 23％ of its surface area; however, many roots of the sugi cuttings elongated outside of the pots penetrating the paper material. Further, the number, length and diameter of roots elongated outside the root ball were same or larger than those of the containerized cuttings. We concluded from these results that the sugi cuttings grown in biodegradable paper pots have the same usability as the container-grown cuttings for the practical plantation.

We analyzed the mechanism of the occurrence of timber theft in southern Miyazaki Prefecture by verifying the three essential elements of a routine activity approach, ‘a likely offender’, ‘a suitable target’ and ‘the absence of a capable guardian’, as one of the theories of environmental criminology. As a result, it was suggested that high transaction costs for negotiations with forest owners due to inadequacy of small-scale forest ownership structure and inheritance registration motivated forgery of logging notifications by timberland brokers. It was also confirmed that the timber had become a suitable target due to increased price and demand. In addition, monitoring conditions were also missing due to the lack of forest owners’ awareness, monitoring by the owners and a supervisory function of the forest administration logging notification system. In addition, the division of labor between brokers and the logging company obscured the responsibility to the detriment of forest owners and the logging company did not check the boundaries and ownership of the location before felling. From this study, strengthening the monitoring of the forest owner and the government, and reducing the transaction costs of stumpage trade bargaining by thorough registration of succession were considered to be effective against timber theft crime.

The purpose of this study was to clarify the relationship between the forest and forestry problems and the mountain village problems when viewed from the mountain village’s residents’ point of view. As an example, we took up the Yonekawa Forestry Association, which has developed forest utilization linked to local residents while working on efficient wood production and environmentally friendly forest management. We analyzed the significance of management efficiency, environmental response, and forest experience activities for forest management counselors and the mountain village’s residents. As a result, the mountain village’s residents who engage in forest management recognized that forest and forestry issues and mountain village issues are different. However, without losing sight of the significance of the forest in the development of the mountain village, local promoters had given it a new significance as a magnet for attracting visitors to experience the local culture. An important factor that fosters the significance of these forests is to consider local issues from the transformation of residents’ consciousness and to consider how forests should be used in relation to them.

Preventing invasion and expansion of exotic species into urban forests is an important current issue. In Japan, Ligustrum lucidum Ait., an invasive tree, has escaped into urban forests, and could compete with Ligustrum japonicum Thunb., a congenetic native species. Here, we measured intra- and inter-individual variation (plasticity) of leaf functional traits of the two species to compare their acclimation and adaptation potentials to variable light environments. We found no difference between species in intra-individual plasticity of leaf functional traits (leaf mass per area, chl and N contents per leaf area, and maximum photosynthetic rate). For many traits, inter-individual plasticity was greater for L. lucidum. This difference was due to the low plasticity of L. japonicum trees artificially planted in high-light conditions because, for example, the plasticity of photosynthetic rate of L. japonicum in its native light range was similar to that of L. lucidum. Our study suggested that the high photosynthetic capacity of L. lucidum resulting in fast growth in high-light environments such as the forest edge, may contribute to its invasiveness. In addition, L. lucidum exhibits high acclimation potential of leaf functional traits across a wide range of light environments, which could contribute to its invasion and expansion not only at the forest edge, but also the forest interior, where it could potentially compete with L. japonicum.

To demonstrate the optimal planting method at site of heavy clay soil in heavy snow regions, we planted saplings of Alnus inokumae in an abandoned pasture in Tobestu, Hokkaido, after the site preparation. Mounded- and plowed treatments were conducted for the site preparation in addition to no treatment (control). We investigated the growth of saplings for 6 successive years. Soil of the study site showed typical impermeable heavy clay soil with high solid-phase and low gaseous-phase ratio. We also found a hardpan horizon caused by the passage of vehicles at depth in the soil. Though water contents (pF value) at the mounded 10-20 cm site often proved favorable for plant growth, water contents at the plowed site occasionally showed saturation. Many saplings suffered snow damage during winter, and the number of damaged trees (N_damage,t) increased with an increased maximal depth of snow cover, and decreased with height growth. N_damage,t at the plowed and control sites tended to be greater at the mounded site. No significant difference in height growth was found among the three treatments, whereas a significant difference was found in radial growth. The difference in radial growth effected a difference in the slenderness of the trunk, and it was reflected in the sensitivity to snow damage. These results suggest that the mounded treatment is effective site preparation compared with the plowed treatment at the site of heavy clay soil in heavy snow region.

To examine vegetative regeneration in large-diameter Quercus phillyraeoides trees, we investigated the occurrence of sprouting 1-3 years after logging and their survival after 5-6 years in a clear-cutting area. We surveyed six stands, divided into two groups according to average stump diameter: 1) smaller-diameter stands and 2) large-diameter stands: the former was typical in their size and age for traditional use to make charcoal, and the latter was older than typical stands. The sprouting ratio was high in the typical stands at the beginning and end of the study, whereas the large-diameter stands exhibited a lower sprouting ratio at the end of the study. In the large-diameter stands, the sprouting rate decreased as the stump diameter increased, and as the stump height increased between the beginning and end of the study. No peak in stump diameter was found to maximize the number of sprouts, while a difference in stand age affected sprout regeneration. The number of sprouts increased with age, while the number of sprouting stumps, maximum sprout height, and sprout diameter decreased with increasing age. Therefore, Q. phillyraeoides has high sprouting ability, but the sprouting ability decreases with age and the number of non-sprouting individuals increased. These findings indicate that the conventional management practice of cutting trees 6-12 cm in diameter can benefit greatly from the sprouting ability of Q. phillyraeoides. Our results suggest that when stump diameter is large, reducing the stump height could enhance survival after cutting in this species.

The year 2018 marked the first registration of wood products, Iwate Charcoal followed by the Joboji Urushi under the framework of Geographical Indications (GIs) in Japan. The two products are from similar geographical settings from Iwate Prefecture while their motives, logic and challenges differ. Comparison under similar condition provides us with a unique opportunity to understand the Japanese GI system which has a short history compared to that of Europe. We report the latest information related to the processes and the tentative effects of the registration and characteristics of the GI of wood products which pose different characteristics from agricultural products. In concrete, we analyze the cultural conservational and economic purpose of the framework. As consequences, the two products differed in their logics for building “linkage to the production site” and basis for “tradition.” It became clear that the GI system serves the two purposes of cultural conservational and economic purpose.

The year 2019 marked the first year of introducing the national forest environment transfer tax. The forest environment transfer tax scheme is mainly for the forest management in municipalities but it affects forest policy at the prefectural level, because (1) 37 prefectures having a prefectural forest environment tax need to explain the differences between the national level tax and their prefectural level taxes, and (2) the national level tax is allocated to prefectures to support municipalities. We analyzed the 37 prefectures to identify the influence of introducing the national tax, conducting a questionnaire survey and interview with the staff members of the prefectures. The results show that the policies to support municipalities to implement survey of forest owners’ awareness and expectations will be conducted relatively intensively. Regarding the prefectural ordinances, one prefecture has changed its ordinance to avoid duplication of policies implemented by the revenue of the national tax and its prefectural tax.