While the purpose of World Natural Heritage is to protect the natural environment of remarkable and universal value, there is concern that being designated as a World Natural Heritage site may increase tourism and negatively impact the lives of residents. Therefore, we examined the impact of ecotourism on Amami-Oshima Island. Residents supported heritage registration two reasons: preservation of the natural environment and revitalization of the local economy through tourism. The heritage registration introduced self-regulation of ecotourism activities and a framework for ecotourism use with resident participation. A survey of tourists also revealed that only a small number rejected the current regulations. A correlation was observed between the perception of the system for environmental protection and the perception of self-regulation. On the other hand, low awareness of self-regulation among tourists and deviations from self-regulation by some tourism operators were cited as issues. To avoid regulations relying solely on tourism operators, both institutional awareness and regulatory awareness should be promoted together.

This study aimed to identify the factors influencing trail runners’ participation in trail maintenance activities through a questionnaire survey at a race event in Mifune Town, Kumamoto Prefecture. A total of 69 responses were collected. The results showed that whereas trail runners recognize the importance of trail maintenance and express interest in participating, many had not yet taken concrete action to participate. Many respondents indicated that they would be willing to participate if given opportunities through specific human connections such as membership in an organization, involvement in a community, or personal acquaintances. Those who had actual experience in trail maintenance tended to belong to some form of running community and exhibited higher levels of environmental awareness. To promote trail maintenance activities among trail runners in the future, it is suggested that motivated volunteer runners establish organizations or communities and organize trail maintenance events in collaboration with local hiking and outdoor groups or environmental conservation organizations.

In dried-bonito production, a process called “smoking process” uses large quantities of firewood of broad-leaved （firewood for smoking process）. However, supplying firewood for smoking process has become difficult within Kagoshima Prefecture. The objective of this study is to clarify the sustainability of firewood for smoking process by understanding the actual production and distribution status of firewood for smoking process in the Minamisatsuma region of Kagoshima Prefecture. Firewood producers considered current firewood prices to be low and believed a price increase was necessary. However, they also faced challenges, such as not fully understanding the costs associated with producing firewood and therefore being unclear about the appropriate firewood price. Consequently, an estimate of the production cost for baking firewood was calculated. The results revealed that for sustainable firewood production, a cost of ¥23,527 per bundle is necessary for a sole proprietor, and ¥38,124 per bundle is required when employing workers.

This study aims to clarify the actual situation regarding the employment of foreign workers in a forestry enterprise in Kagoshima Prefecture. Interviews were conducted with a host enterprise, three foreign technical intern trainees, and a supervising organization. The results revealed that, following the inclusion of the forestry sector in the occupational categories covered by the Technical Intern Training Program （Levels 2 and 3）and the Specified Skilled Worker Program （Type 1）, long-term employment has become possible. Consequently, both the enterprise and the workers have shown a tendency toward stable and continuous employment.
On the other hand, due to insufficient Japanese language proficiency and a shortage of domestic workers in the silviculture sector, the foreign workers are currently engaged mainly in silvicultural operations. In the future, it will be necessary to establish systems that support Japanese language education and the transition of skills. Furthermore, while the supervising organization places emphasis on pre-departure education, the host enterprise focuses on supporting career development after the trainees return to their home countries. These efforts are expected to contribute to the original purpose of the Technical Intern Training Program—international technology transfer.

To clarify the current situation of measures and responses to unauthorized logging （UL） in Miyazaki Prefecture, this study conducted interviews with municipalities and forest owners’ cooperatives in the prefecture. First, the number of consultations regarding areas where UL occurred was high in the southern part of the prefecture, and the number of consultations about UL tended to be low in municipalities where cadastral surveys were conducted. Next, upon examining the roles of municipalities and forest owners’ cooperatives, it was shown that municipalities recognize the lack of expertise as an issue, and that the content and scope of responses to both organizations differ from those of the region, indicating a need for post-action responses to UL. The analysis of consultation cases also showed that the flow and response of the consulting organization, as well as those of the institutions, changed depending on the owner's grasp of information and policy, suggesting that the number of complex cases may increase as management motivation declines.

Maekawa et al.（2015）reviewed previous research on traditional crafts and noted that while there has been a growing body of research on local industries, there has been a paucity of research on forestry, i.e., raw material production. Isechi（2025）focused on the inconsistency in information disclosure regarding prefectural designated crafts, examining the designation status in the Kyushu and Okinawa regions and analyzing the relationship with forest resources and wood utilization. Based on this, this study expanded the scope of its research to the entire country, targeting nationally and prefectural designated traditional crafts by reviewing official website information and conducting interviews with prefectural officials. Based on the information obtained, the study was analyzed from two perspectives: "item" and "relationship with forests." The results identified 1,313 items（243 of which were nationally designated）, revealing regional differences in policies and forest resource utilization strategies, highlighting the diverse relationships between traditional crafts and forest resource utilization.

Typology of stumpage transactions and the possibility of rights confirmation procedures and reforestation proposals by transaction type. To classify the types of stumpage transactions, we interviewed eight timber logging contractors in Kagoshima and Miyazaki Prefectures. Based on the results obtained, we examined the constraints associated with rights verification and reforestation proposals for each transaction type. Transactions were categorized into four types: （1） direct transactions, （2） land-inclusive transactions, （3） mediated transactions （introduction type）, and （4） mediated transactions （resale type）. Direct transactions facilitated consensus building with forest owners but had limited opportunities for engagement, restricting the chance to propose reforestation projects. Land-inclusive transactions allowed for planned operations but required verification of an increased number of ownership-related documents. In introduction-type mediated transactions, the possibility of rights verification and reforestation proposals varied greatly depending on the intermediary’s role and commission structure, making this the most diverse type. Resale-type mediation offers efficiency by enabling bulk purchases of aggregated standing trees; however, it tends to limit the reflection of forest owners’ intentions.
Across all transaction types, accurately verifying ownership relations and establishing contracts in which all parties clearly recognize and assume their respective responsibilities is essential.

We integrated Airborne Laser Scanning-derived Digital Elevation Model (DEM), Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV)-based Structure-from-Motion (SfM), and Terrestrial Laser Scanning (TLS) point clouds to reconstruct the three-dimensional structure of a Japanese cedar (Cryptomeria japonica) plantation minimizing vertical gaps. Ground alignment between the DEM and UAV-SfM point clouds was solved using least-squares optimization with ground control points. Subsequently, the Iterative Closest Point registration algorithm was used to align the TLS data with the resulting DEM-SfM composite. Point density was homogenized via voxel grid resampling. Accuracy was assessed using RMS for (i) ground surface alignment relative to the DEM and (ii) aboveground features based on cloud-to-cloud nearest-neighbor distances. Ground RMS prior to alignment was 30.29 m, decreasing to 0.66 m after registration. Aboveground RMS decreased from 1.92 m to 1.14 m (Stand 1) and from 2.06 m to 0.57 m (Stand 2). Vertical distribution histograms revealed complementary coverage, with UAV-SfM capturing the upper canopy and TLS capturing stems and understory, thereby bridging the middle-story gap and yielding continuous coverage from terrain to canopy tops. These results demonstrate that the proposed integration approach provides robust baseline data for quantitative analysis of forest vertical structure and supports applications like silvicultural effect assessment and biomass estimation.

For sustainable forest management, forecasting future resources is required, and it is necessary to evaluate the influence that competition, which is related to variation in growth, exerts on trees. In real forests, competition may also be biased through biases in resources, the spatial arrangement of competitor trees, and the size distribution. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the influence that competition by compass direction exerts on diameter at breast height （DBH）. We classified competitor trees relative to the subject tree by compass direction and calculated competition indices and conducted analyses using a generalized linear model. Using the results of the generalized linear model, we compared standardized regression coefficients of the explanatory variables and evaluated, within overall competition, the influence that competition from specific compass directions exerts on DBH. As a result, the competition index using DBH showed the best fit. It was also suggested that competition is biased by compass direction, and it was suggested that, by compass direction, the influence from the north is smaller than that of the other three directions, and that the influence from the south is relatively large within the whole.

The national roundwood production reached a trough in 2002 and has increased since, although trajectories differ across prefectures. This study classifies prefectural trends in production since 2000, examines factors shaping those trends, and aims to inform efforts to raise output. For 45 prefectures, we applied the head/tail breaks （H/T） method to classify production scale （small, medium, large） for 2000–2023. We then estimated ordinary least squares （OLS） trends from the year after the minimum and classified trajectories as（ⅰ）monotonic decline,（ⅱ）decline then stability, or（ⅲ）decline then increase. While national production began rising after 2002, a monotonic decline was observed only in small-scale prefectures. In medium-to-large prefectures （Gifu, Okayama, Ehime, Kochi, Kumamoto） that stabilized after an initial decline, the cypress share was high, and we find a moderate negative correlation between production growth and the cypress share. On the demand side, domestic plywood production is centered on cedar and has a low cypress share. On the supply side, cypress may exhibit low price elasticity. We argue these factors contribute to regional differences.

To identify minerals that are specifically deficient in female sika deer, we examined whether the mineral content of plants meets the nutritional requirements of sika deer (Cervus nippon). Satisfaction rates were calculated for essential minerals—phosphorus (P), copper (Cu), manganese (Mn), potassium (K), iron (Fe), selenium (Se), and zinc (Zn), as well as sodium (Na), magnesium (Mg), and calcium (Ca) —and potential differences in mineral deficiencies between females and males were assessed. Satisfaction rates were determined by dividing the estimated mineral supply from plants—based on randomly selected sets of 10 or 20 palatable species recorded in the global plant trait database TRY—by the respective mineral requirements for male and female sika deer. We considered four body weight (BW) scenarios, which were used to calculate the minimum daily dry matter intake (DMI) required for maintenance. These values were used in turn to estimate both mineral supply and requirements. The result indicated that P and Cu, in addition to Na, could be potential candidates for selectively attracting female sika deer, as the satisfaction rates of these minerals in females were generally below 1.0, with only a few simulations slightly exceeding 1.0, and were consistently lower than those observed in males. Other minerals, Mn, K, Fe, Se, Zn, as well as Mg and Ca, were unlikely in shortage. We suggest that P and Cu merits further investigation as a potential selective attractant for female sika deer.

The Nishiusuki Forestry Revitalization Council is working to implement UAV-based seed sowing with the aim of restoring broadleaf forests to logged site of artificial forest. In areas with middle deer impact, deer palatable is an extremely important factor in species selection for UAV sowing, as sowing of deer-unpalatable plants is expected to promote broadleaf forests. Therefore, we examined palatability by planting seedlings. Seedlings were primarily grown from seeds collected in Takachiho Town and Hinokage Town, Miyazaki Prefecture. From July 2024 to July 2025, a total of 529 seedlings of 22 species were planted inside and outside deer fences at Gokasho research site in Takachiho Town, where deer impact is high. Comparing the survival rates and seedlings height one month after planting with those inside and outside the fences, the survival rate of five species, including Pinus densiflora and Lindera erythrocarpa outside the fence was middle（0.50-0.67）, but seedling height was significantly（p < 0.05）lower, suggesting that they had been eaten to a degree that did not dead them. There was no significant difference（p < 0.05）in survival rate or seedling height inside or outside the fence for eight species, including Magnolia kobus and Clerodendrum trichotomum,suggesting that they were low deer palatable.

Propagation through cuttings ensures the reliable inheritance of the genetic characteristics of the parent plant. Cryptomeria japonica（Sugi）, one of Japan’s most representative afforestation tree species, is primarily produced by cuttings, particularly in the Kyushu region. However, while many studies have examined optimal environmental conditions, such as temperature and irrigation, for Sugi cuttings, there have been few studies examining light conditions. Therefore, in this study, we investigated the effect of light conditions during the seedling raising period on the rooting of Sugi cuttings. By conducting experiments twice in spring and autumn, in which cuttings were raised and exposed to light（no shading）and 95 % shading（5 % shading）, we clarified whether there is a specific period when Sugi cuttings require light exposure. Results revealed that light exposure in the early stage of rooting promoted Sugi cutting rooting. Furthermore, experiments on the water intake dynamics of cuttings revealed that they received vigorous watering in the early stage of rooting. These results suggest that water absorption from the cut surface and adequate light supply are important for rooting of cuttings in the early stage of rooting, when the cutting is under stress and the roots responsible for water absorption are missing.

In Japan, resource circulation has been achieved by reforestation after main felling in coniferous plantations, but it is expected that the choice not to reforest will increase from an economic perspective. From the perspective of disaster prevention, as the number of abandoned reforestation sites increases, the number of forests that will become broadleaf forests will also increase, so a new mountain disaster risk assessment method different from the conventional assessment method based on coniferous forests is required. In response to this, a root distribution survey was conducted focusing on Mallotus japonicus to carry out a mechanical evaluation of pioneer tree species that invade logged areas in the early stages in the Kyushu region. The total pull-out resistance, ΔC, was calculated from the root system data and vegetation survey results. Compared to previous results for Japanese cypress, ΔC for Mallotus japonicus is higher for individual trees. ΔC at the stand level is higher 7 or 8 years after felling but is lower 20 or 21 years after felling. Stand density is thought to have an effect, and it was suggested that at this stage it is necessary to conduct an evaluation that considers the results of other tree species.

We investigated the seasonal variation in the d-values of river water, lake water, and spring water at 11 sites around Lake Ezu, located in the southeastern part of Kumamoto City. We analyzed these seasonal variations using the modified sine-wave method, and we estimated the mean transit time （MTT） of water at each site. As a result, the MTT of river water flowing into Lake Ezu was 2,645 days, the longest among all sites. Compared to the MTT of river water at the point of inflow into Lake Ezu, the MTTs of spring water, groundwater, and river water flowing into the three zones—Upper Lake Ezu, Middle Lake Ezu, and Lower Lake Ezu—were all shorter. Thus, the MTT of lake water flowing out of Lake Ezu was 1,840 days, shorter than that of the inflowing river water.

To examine nutrient export associated with the harvest of Melia azedarach, a fast-growing species expanding in Kyushu region, we estimated elemental concentrations and aboveground stocks in bark, heartwood–sapwood, and branches. Biomass of 4- and 7-year-old trees and regeneration sprouts was assessed in Kumamoto City, and elemental concentrations（N, P, K, Ca, Mg）were measured in 4-year-old trees. Effects of tree size, sampling height, and microtopography on elemental concentrations in bark and heartwood–sapwood were analyzed. Elemental concentrations were generally lower in heartwood–sapwood than in bark and branches, and the relationship between bark and branch varied by element. Bark Ca and heartwood–sapwood P concentrations showed positive and negative correlations with tree size, respectively. Elemental stocks per tree showed the order of 7-year-old > regeneration sprouts > 4-year-old, with K and Ca particularly accumulated in stem and bark, respectively, indicating the importance of considering K and Ca export in harvesting practice.