This study investigates the realities, roles, and representatives of the education system intended for the forestry labor force in Germany. The Baden-Württemberg's case study yielded the following results: (1) Like other industries in Germany, the Forstwirt curriculum is implemented through a vocational education-based dual system, directed by the federal state. (2) This vocational education system is identified as a part of the hierarchized school education system, and therefore, a fixed number of apprentices are ensured annually, and the number of forestry personnel also remains stable. (3) The dual system established for the Forstwirt assigns states with the undertaking of a large percentage of the on-job-training. Further, states must play a major role in guaranteeing employment to individuals who have completed their apprenticeships and finally aid them in securing jobs in private business organizations. (4) Albstadt, a municipal body in charge of the on-job-training, ensures direct recruitment of forestry personnel for its own forest areas and supplies forestry personnel to regional private business organizations. The abovementioned findings demonstrate that the education system for the forestry labor force in Germany ensures that public organizations, particularly states, safeguard both sides of the dual system; thus, it facilitates the continuous and stable supply of Forstwirt qualified personnel without having to rely on the management of private business organizations.

Scattered populations of pollarded wild sugi (Cryptomeria japonica) trees in Tsunagi and Nakanosawa hamlets, Niigata Prefecture, Japan, have multi-forked trunks that branch more than 2 m above ground level. The objectives of this study were to document historical uses of wild sugi trees, including pollarding, determine why pollarding was practiced, and explain the continued persistence of pollarded trees within the study area. During the Edo era (1630-1868), wild sugi trees were selectively felled for a variety of purposes, including building materials, ship materials, round containers made of wood sheets, and roofing. Building materials were cut exclusively from the upper parts of trees, and the height of cut stems in extant pollarded trees coincides approximately with the depth of snow cover in the region. Until 1965, trees in private forests were felled and removed on sleds when the snowpack was firm and deep. Thus, pollarding may have originated as a result of winter felling on deep snowpacks. The bases of some pollarded trees were harvested for lumber, although only trees with a long and thick base were highly valued. The remaining trees persist in deciduous hardwood forests and sugi plantations due to their low economic value.

As a method for reforestation, the effect of scarification that removes dwarf bamboos by using heavy machinery has widely been confirmed. However, in locations where the use of heavy machinery is restricted (such as steep slopes), appropriate practice based on natural regeneration has not yet been established. In this study, we therefore attempted to conduct scarification using a brush-cutter to enhance natural seed regeneration through disturbing the surface soil layer. In addition, we introduced a practice to cut the rhizome at periphery of the scarified area using a root cutter, expecting to block recovery of dwarf bamboos from their ramet spread around the area. The scarification using brush-cutter was clearly effective to increase the occurrences of tree seedlings. The rhizome cutting could suppress the recovery of dwarf bamboos to about half in the third year after the treatment, and seemed to contribute to higher survival of tree seedlings. The man-powered scarification and rhizome cutting treatment were performed realized by adding respectively 38％ and 24％ of the cost compared with the standard site preparation for seedling-planting. Since the scarification using a brush cutter is for an unintended use, it is necessary to develop equipment that can ensure safety for practical use. However, this study shows the possibility of new options for natural regeneration in a forest having a dwarf bamboo understory.

This study investigated the application of pruning to suppress the trunk rot disease caused by Fomitiporia torreyae in Japanese cedar, Cryptomeria japonica. The number of branch bases with F. torreyae DNA and the effect of fungicide application following pruning was also studied. The mean number of canker caused by this disease in pruned section was significantly lower than that in non-pruned section. The number of branch bases with wood discoloration in non-pruned sections was greater than in pruned sections. Furthermore, F. torreyae, was detected in the wood discoloration zones. The difference in incidence rate in pruned sections with and without application of fungicide was, however, not statistically significant. Our results indicate that pruning, even without the use of fungicide, prevents the invasion of F. torreyae from the bases of branches, and effectively reduces trunk rot disease.

Male sterility in Japanese cedar (Cryptomeria japonica D. Don.) is controlled by a single recessive gene (male sterility gene), and is a recessive trait based on Mendelian inheritance. A recessive homozygous sterile male cedar seedling can be produced by crossbreeding with the pollen of a heterozygous individual. However, since half of the seedlings will be fertile individuals, it is necessary to confirm male sterility in order to produce sterile male seedlings. In this research, a simple screening method was developed to crush male flowers in the field and determine male sterility. This work previously required use of a microscope. This research produced 23,485 male sterile seedlings in Kanagawa Prefecture over 10 years starting in 2010. To verify the validity of this result, all samples judged to be male sterile were confirmed with a stereomicroscope, and the error rate was found to be 1.1％. The seedlings judged to be male sterile were retested one year later and five years later, resulting in a verification of screening precision at 98.1％ and 97.6％, respectively. These results suggest that this is an effective screening method. In terms of work efficiency using this screening method, productivity for screening seedlings in biodegradable containers was significantly improved because the work can now be done while seated inside a greenhouse.

We aimed to elucidate the effect of feeding damage by the Japanese hare and its control methods on survival and growth of 1-year-old Chinese cedar (Cunninghamia lanceolate) seedlings. To achieve this objective, we observed the feeding damage, tree height, and the dynamics of sprouts for seedlings with 3 treatments: spray of repellent, coverage by wire mesh, no treatment (as control). The mortality of seedlings without any treatment reached 78％ in a year, resulting in the slight increase in tree height. The probability of feeding damage for seedlings covered by wire mesh was lower than that without any treatment, but there is no difference in the probability of feeding damage between seedlings sprayed with repellent and that without any treatment. However, only young shoot formed after spraying repellent was fed, indicating the effect of spray of repellent. The mortality of seedlings was not different between seedlings with and without feeding damage. Height growth of seedlings was confirmed in any treatment, suggesting that seedlings can grow due to the elongation of sprouts even after feeding damage. Additionally, more growth can be expected using control methods such as the spray of repellent and/or physical defense.