To validate the regeneration potential in forests declining into grassy areas due to tree dieback and regulation by deer foraging, the density and height of regenerating trees greater than 30 cm were studied inside and outside deer fences approximately 10-20 years after establishment in declining beech forests in the Tanzawa Mountains. The density of tall tree species inside and outside of the fences at the sites of＞50％, 25-50％, and ≤25％ canopy openness was 750-8,750 and 0-1,500/ha, 4,500-33,250 and 250-5,000/ha, and 2,750-100,750 and 0-3,250/ha, respectively. Subtall species were dominant at the sites with＞50％ canopy openness. The density of tall tree species was low (0-1,750/ha) at sites with Sasa floors. The dispersal distance was shortest for Fagus crenata and longest for Weigela decora. Owing to development in the height of regeneration trees of tall tree species, including short-dispersal species such as F. crenata, the forest canopy is likely to close at the sites with ≤50％ canopy openness. If canopy openness exceeds 50％, the regeneration of tall tree species, including long-dispersal species, is unlikely, resulting in forests dominated by subtall tree species that form windswept scrub forests. Sites with Sasa floors are predicted to become scrub forests or Sasa grasslands. The study suggested that the establishment of a fence is required when the canopy openness is still lower than 50％ to regenerate tall-tree forests in grassy areas without a Sasa floor derived from beech forests declining under the effects of deer foraging and wind.

We investigated the seasonal variations of soil electric conductivity (EC), seedling size, shoot/root (T/R) ratio, and leaf nitrogen content (Nleaf) to reveal the effects of dissolution rate (lasting for 100, 180, and 360 days) and its concentration (3, 6, and 12 g/L; 0.48, 0.96, 1.92 g/L as for N content) of the base fertilizer on growth of Cryptomeria japonica seedlings transplanted into container. Height growth with 360-d type was smaller in May and June, and larger after September than that with 100-d type; height growth with 180-d type was comparable to that with 100-d type until first half of growing period then increased after August. Height growth and Nleaf was larger in seedlings with higher concentration of the fertilizer. Seedling size with 12 g/L of 180-d-type fertilizer was the largest among treatments, but only 20％ of them met the minimum standard size for this species in Japan (both height＞0.30 m and basal diameter＞4.0 mm). We found that a timing at which seedling growth accelerates depends on the dissolution type, and that the effect of fertilizer depends on the concentration of base fertilizer. Application of 180-d type fertilizer or of the combination of different dissolution-type fertilizers may be effective to accelerate current-year growth of the seedling within one growing season after germination.

The planned and conducted amounts of final harvesting volume, thinning volume and artificial planting area are described in Regional Forest Plans (RFPs), formulated in Japan by prefectural governments for 158 forest-planning regions. We analyzed the latest RFPs in 2022 and ones from five and ten years ago, showing that the conducted and planned amounts of forestry operations varied widely among plans and regions. Achievement rates (the proportion of conducted amounts to planned ones) in the artificial planting area were significantly low. The planned amounts described in the RFPs tended to be severely affected by the allocated amounts from the National Forest Plan. Achievement rates were inversely proportional to planned increase rates. This means that the planned amount for the next planning period is set independently of the latest achievement rates. Although RFPs show unified and continuous indicators of forestry activities, these could be made more functional by using appropriate target values or planning indices and clearly showing achievement rates.

During the 135th Annual Meeting of the Forestry Society of Japan (Venue: Setagaya Campus, Tokyo University of Agriculture)， the Diversity Promotion Committee of the Forestry Society of Japan held a luncheon meeting entitled “Information Exchange on Employment Issues for Young Researchers”. The background of the meeting was that the results of a large-scale survey conducted by the Liaison Association Committee for Promoting Equal Participation of Men and Women in Science and Engineering in 2021 showed that researchers in the age range of 41-53 are currently forced to take fixed-term positions, and this situation is the same among the members of the Forest Society of Japan, while supports for young researchers have begun. Therefore, we learned about the latest information from a teacher who is familiar with employment issues for researchers, and two people with post-doctoral experience and two people from the hiring side presented their topics, which were followed by a panel discussion. This project enabled us to clarify the situation of young researchers and post-doctoral researchers, and to share information on how experienced post-doctoral researchers overcame difficulties and the current status of employment at universities and national research institutes.