The refinement of IUeN thinking on the selection and protection of World Natural Heritage is outlined. The Yakushima World Heritage site is evaluated in terms of the extent to which it meets the new criteria. The future management of Yakushima World Heritage Area (WHA) site (and its buffering forests) is discussed and the criteria are considered in relation to the selection of other World Heritage sites in the humid evergreen forest ecosystems of the world.
Four sets of principles are advanced to help guide the future management of visitors to Yakushima WHA in order to:
·protect the natural values of the site
·foster (enjoyable) visits by the public
·manage tourism (through regulation)
·inform and educate visitors (on the conservation values of the site).
Finally, the paper encourages the development of an effective partnership between the management agencies and the Yaku people in the future management of the World Heritage site.

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World-wide distribution of humid evergreen forests in summer-rain warm-temperate, wet subtropical and tropical zones was screened by a number of literatures hitherto published. These forests are dominated mainly by evergreen tree species of Fagaceae, Lauraceae, Theaceae, Magnoliaceae, Hamamelidaceae and so on. Trees of this type of forests have common characters of leathery smooth leaves ready to reflect the sunshine and brighten. This type of forests are found in the lowland in the temperate region, lower and upper montane zones in the subtropical and tropical regions. As the result of it there is a divergence of nomenclature of the forest. Kira (1977) put forward a proposal of ‘lucidophyll forest’ as a new nomenclature of this type of evergreen broad-leaved forest, but some trees other than lucidophyll forest have lucid leaves. So I would like to propose a new term, evergreen lucidophyll oak laurel forest for the forest under discussion.
The lucidophyll oak-laurel forests have a wide range of distribution both in the temperate, subtropical and tropical regions of Asia, New Guinea, Macaronesia, southeastern United States, Central and South America. Nothofagus forest is only coexisting with lucidophyll forest in New Guinea and its associated islands by making an altitudinal zone. It is commonly found in upper altitudes from the lucidophyll forest there and there is even a case that it appears between the lucidophyII forests . Taking also the character of Nothofagus leaves into consideration the present author think that the Nothofagus forest is as an evergreen lucidophyll oak-laurel forest evolved and developed in the southern Hemisphere. If it is natural , the distribution of the lucidophyll forests extends to Australia, New Zealand and southern Andes except for deciduous Nothofagus forests in Patagonia and Tasmania.

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The distribution pattern of subtropical/warm-temperate evergreen broad-leaved forest along altitudinal and latitudinal gradients in east Asia was examined with special reference to tree shoot phenology of the component evergreen trees. There were two principal evergreen tree groups, laurofagaceous notophyll trees and symploco-myrsinaceous microphyll trees. The lauro-fagaceous trees constitute the lower montane forest zone in tropical mountains and occupy the canopy layer of northern limit forest of the evergreen broad-leaved trees in mid-latitudes while the symploco-myrsinaceous trees constitute the upper montane forest zone in tropical mountains and occupy the understory of northern limit forest. In tropical forests, evergreen trees manifest diverged shoot growth behavior such as continuous, intermittent, and manifold, and leaf phenology such as evergreen, leaf exchanging, and deciduous. In the northern limit of evergreen forest, however, the tree behavior more or less converged into intermittent, single flush type of evergreen leaves with vernal leaf abscission. The evergreen leaves had relatively long leaf life span of more than 1.5 yr though within the northern limit areas leaf life span was changed into shorter one with the increase of latitudes. The two evergreen tree groups having characteristic shoot phenological features were the essential groups of canopy and understory guilds of the northern limit forest: the lauro-fagaceous trees having a short shoot growing duration with manyscaled, protected buds in the canopy, and the symploco-myrsinaceous trees having a relatively long shoot growing duration with a few-scaled or cataphyllary or naked buds in the understory. Moreover, they shared different habitat conditions within the same climax area of the subtropical⁄warm-temperate forest zone, mainly along topographical, hydro-edaphological, or disturbance gradients. Throughout the broad northern limit areas of evergreen broad-leaved forests, canopy (Iauro-fagaceous trees) and understory (symploco-myrsinaceous trees) guilds are consistently composed of the same genera or families having specific leaf size and shoot phenological features, but in each genus or family, the number of constituent species gradually decreased with the increase of latitudes.

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On the long-term monitoring of the four types of evergreen broad-leaved forest, this paper expounded their natural environment, physiognomy, structure, floristics, distribution pattern of dominant species, species diversity and community dynamics. The results showed that the types and structure of these forests have characteristics of transition between tropical and subtropical forests, that the distribution pattern depended on the properties of the species and habitats, and that the human disturbance affected the population dynamics and species diversity. According to the results, management strategies for these forests were suggested.

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In spite of high population density of Taiwan and rapid economic development, the evergreen broad-leaved forests continue to cover about 32% of the Taiwan Island. The forests occur from sea level to about 2,500 m, and support a diverse flora and a spectrum of four major forest types. The forest flora at all 779 sampling sites contains 569 woody species in 234 genera and 82 families. The most dominant families are Lauraceae, Fagaceae, Theaceae, Rubiaceae, and Euphorbiaceae. They also account for the greatest number of species. The purpose of the present account is to compare and interpret the forest complexes for the four major types of the evergreen broad-leaved forests in Taiwan. The second aim of this paper is to review the forest management and conservation status for the past three centuries.

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[in Japanese]

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We describe the structural and dynamic feature of warm-temperate rain forests in foothill and lower montane zones of Yakushima Island, with particular reference to their potential of selfrestoration. Forest-canopy dominant is Distylium racemosum of Hamamelidaceae. Codominant species belong to Fagaceae, Lauraceae, Symplocaceae, and Theaceae. Typical primary forest stand is characterized by high biomass stock (ca. 300 t/ha) relative to short canopy stature (ca. 20 m). Though the forest is repeatedly disturbed by typhoons, the gap-area ratio in primary stands is less than 10%. Mortality amounted ca. 0.02 per year suggesting 50-year turnover of trees. On the basis of dynamic data from permanent plots for more than 10 years (mortality, recruitment rate and size growth rate), observed size structure was sufficiently reconstructed as a steady state. Allometric and architectural differentiations among the 14 abundant species are changed along their life history. Secondary stands of warmtemperate rain forest are distributed near inhabited land. Majorities of secondary stand trees are coppiceorigin primary stand species, while accompanied by deciduous pioneer trees. Tree growth rate of secondary stands is so high that the biomass-level recovery to the primary-stand state takes only 50 years after clear felling. Quick recovery of stands after clear-felling is also owing to the diversified traits among component tree species.

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The distribution of evergreen broad-leaved forest in South Korea is limited to the southern sea coastal area and southwestern islands including Chejudo. The results obtained from many reports or field data on the forest are that the ecological feature of the forest such as floristic composition or physiognomy is caused by plant migration history, climatic condition, especially coldness during winter season and local topography or soil conditions. It possesses of both essential similarity such as character species and partial dissimilarity such as species combination, compared with that of neighboring southwestern Japan. The significant differences of species combination with varied environmental conditions are found at many stands, even in the cases recognized as the same plant communities by many investigators.
According to Yim(1977a), the average value of coldness index at the northern limit of distribution of 11 lucidophyll species in Korea was -6.3°C·month, and a coldness index value of -8°C·month corresponded to the boundary of evergreen lucidophyll forest on existing vegetation maps. Considering the remaining distribution of lucidophyll forests preserved as natural monument such as Mokdo, Ulsan (coldness index: -9.3°C·month) and Naejangsan, it seems that the critical value of coldness index of - 10°C·month delimits the distribution of lucidophyll forest in Korea (Yim, 1977b). However, in Chejudo the vertical distribution showed 630m in Camellia japonica, and 570m in Castano psis cuspidata var. sieboldii. And then their limit lines largely correspond to warmth index 95 - 100°C·month (ca. CI = -4°C·month). It means that in Chejudo the warmth of growing season acts as a more important factor than the coldness of winter season.
The maintenance and management system of the forest in this country can be classified into two styles of traditional and modernized ways. While the former is related to spiritual or human nature such as cultural background and people’s daily life for survival, the latter mainly depends on the policy and technology for the management of the forest.

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During the Mesozoic Taxodiaceae were once widespread worldwide including the Southern Hemisphere, though they have been a northern hemispheric family since the Tertiary. During the Paleocene and Eocene of globally warm period, the Taxodiaceae were widespread in the Northern Hemisphere. Marked temperature decrease in the Late Eocene to earliest Oligocene resulted in the southward migration of northern deciduous broad-leaved forests to the mid-latitudes accompanying northern conifers. Subsequent climatic fluctuations since the Oligocene resulted in the restriction of distribution of many taxodiaceous genera in middle latitudes. The Taxodiaceae took refuge in the areas where mesic temperate to subtropical forests have existed continuously since the Cretaceous. To preserve the mesic to humid temperate forests that have kept rare stands of many taxodiaceous trees, without destroying their original diversity, is required.

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Temperate coniferous forests of Cryptomeria japonica, Tsuga sieboldii, and Abies firma distribute on the mountain of Yakushima Island between ca. 900 and 1600m in altitude. Some broadleaf species such as Trochodendron aralioides, Quercus acuta, and Stewartia monadelpha mix with the conifers. In recently logged areas, ten plots whose area was 4.7 ha in total were made, and the age and growth of stumps of conifers were measured to study the regeneration process of the coniferous forests.
The coniferous trees germinated during particular regeneration periods each of which was shorter than 100 years. The periods repeated themselves several times in each plot, and conifers germinated in each period formed patches. Both logging from 1642 to ca. 1850, and natural gap formations of canopies initiated the regeneration
The maximum ages of the three coniferous species, C. japonica, T. sieboldii, and A. firma in the plots were 1400, 794, and 624 years old, respectively. The shade tolerance of the three species was inversely correlated with the maximum age. Even the most shade tolerant species, Abies firma, was a gap-dependent species in regeneration, and there were no species difference in the colonizing times during the regeneration period. The shade-tolerant short-lived species and shade-intolerant long-lived species coexisted as a climax species, not as alternate species in a sere of succession.

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Giant sequoia (Sequoiadendron giganteum), also known as “Bigtree” and “Sierra Redwood,” is entirely restricted to the Sierra Nevada mountain range in the State of California, while coast redwood (Sequoia sempervirens) is restricted to coastal northern California, extending northward slightly into the State of Oregon. Both charismatic species, members of the family Taxodiaceae, have served as important cultural icons in America, and both have played important roles in the history of nature conservation. The two species share important ecological similarities as well as significant differences; these ecological factors have become increasingly important in effecting their conservation, and in developing successful strategies for the long-term sustainable management of the forest communities in which they occur. The bulk of giant sequoia groves occur in reserves protected from logging, while only a small proportion of coast redwoods are similarly protected. For most of its history in the 20th century, conservation has been concerned with protecting uncut “old-growth” forest stands of giant trees. While this remains of great concern to the public, scientists and reserve managers have, in recent decades, extended their interest to what is known as “ecosystem management,” which includes all aspects of the natural ecosystems in which coast redwoods and giant sequoias occur. For the first time, attempts are presently beginning--in those areas outside the national parks, state parks, and other reserves, to reconcile some levels of timber harvest with the long-term sustainable preservation of the character and biodiversity of giant sequoia and redwood forests.

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Shallow landslide, rapid sliding of topsoil or topsoil-weathered subsoil, is repeated periodically at a same site as the previous landslide scar on steep hill slope covered with forest vegetation through natural reforestation and soil-debris accumulation. A purpose of this study is to estimate the recurrence interval of shallow landslide at the same site on steep hill slopes in Yakushima island. Field work for recognition of land slide scars and Koya pyroclastic now deposits of 6300 years B.P. was carried out at the survey sites. Each landslide scar was dated using tree age of Cryptomeria japonica as indicator plant.
The landslide recurrence interval is estimated to be approximately at least 1000 to 1400 years from the age of the oldest scar on the steep hill slopes at the survey sites. It is probable that the landslide recurrence interval makes shorter the life span of Cryptomeria japonica on the steep slopes.

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Eight years’ fluctuations of fruit production were studied in a warm temperate broadleaved forest on Yakushima Island, southern Japan. Eight tree species characterized by sapfruits or capsules were studied, and all of them were regarded as animal dispersal. Total numbers of sapfruits fluctuated remarkably in eight years for each species. Cleyera japonica and Eurya japonica bore fruits every year constantly and fruiting fluctuations were less remarkable than the other species. Ternstroemia gymnanthera and Symplocos prunifolia seemed to bear fruits many or few in the alternate years. Fruiting fluctuations of Ardisia sieboldii, Myrsine seguinii, Litsea acuminata and Vaccinium bracteatum were great; they had few fruits in several consecutive years. The mean temperate of the preceding August was correlated with fruiting number of only C. japonica and the total sunshine time of the preceding August was correlated with fruiting number of C. japonica and M. seguinii. Fruiting fluctuation was also influenced by typhoon. A poor crop of V. bracteatum and A. sieboldii had continued after the damage that trunks or branches were broken by typhoon attacked in 1990. For every species except T. gymnanthera and L. acuminata, great fruiting years tended to coincide among individuals within a species. As for inter species, great fruiting years also synchronized mildly.

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[in Japanese]

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Japanese monkey (Macaca fucca) has a wide range from Shimokita Peninsula of Aomori Prefecture to Yakushima Island, Kagoshima Prefecture, and we have not yet the accurate number of Japanese monkey. The population size of Yakushima monkey (M. f yakui) in Yakushima Island was estimated at about 1,600 according to our observation within 4 km inland from coastline in Yakushima Island from 1991 to 1992.
The Yakushima monkey living in the forest has been protected in Yakushima Island though some of them were collected by many purposes. However recently wild monkeys have come down the mountains and come into farming land to give serious damage to the farm products. In Yakushima Island damage of farm products given by monkeys has been remarkable since 1975. The amount of damage increased year by year, amounting to 39,891 thousands yen in 1985. The monkeys mainly appear in mandarin orchards and eat the fruits just before harvesttime in winter. Therefore, they are now designated as a harmful animal in the island, and they are caught in the trap or killed by gun in a few case. Consequently the number of they is decreasing, and they will be in danger of extinction in near future as it has been.
Farmer must to defend their fields from monkeys without any damage to monkey population, if we want to co-exist with them. However, an effective system for co-existence has never yet established.
The purpose of our study is to develop such effective methods. We made a new device for excluding monkeys and for preventing monkey’s study to escape devices. We called this new device “Monkey sensordeterrent”. This new device makes a big sound like gunfire in 5 to 8 seconds after detecting a monkey by its infrared rays set up a gate on a fence surrounding crop land. The sound is repeated once more in 5 to 8 seconds after the monkey runs away. We have improved another device, electric fence, against monkeys.
Results of preliminary examination showed that an improved electric fence was more effective against tamed monkeys than those of the sensor-deterrent. Then a confirmative study was carried out to examine the efficiency of the improved electric fence to exclude them away from crop land. The improved electric fences were set up around each pilot orchard, Nagata district, Kamiyaku Town. Crop damaged given by monkeys in pilot orchard was small from November 17, 1993 to February 12, 1994. This shows that improved electric fence is effective for keeping monkeys away from the crop land. The amount of damage has decreased gradually since we used the improved electric fences, and the loss was 3 million yen in 1996. We guess that they gave up to make adventure upon stealing mandarin. The problem of crop damage given by monkeys suggests that symbiotic relationship between human being and wild life was broken in recent times, so we must protect natural forests as one of the important national policy.

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This paper is to clarify the structural aspects of the economic conditions of Yakushima. It particularly focuses on the forest industry, which is the main economic factor on the island. In comparison to other regions of Japan the island economically lacks strong and big industries. The islanders, therefore, have few opportunities to earn an income. The result is that the size of island population has been decreasing.
Under these circumstances, the Japanese government has financially helped them through the registrative act called “The Solitary Islands Development Act”. The income disparity between the region and the rest, however, has never been reduced. The main industry of the island is forestry, but 80% of this become assets of the national government in the beginning of the Meiji era. The islanders eventually bring a suit the central government in protest over the government ownership of the forest. But, they lost it after long court battle. Upon the ruling, local people were no longer able to use the forest resources a for living. The logging of the Yaku cedar trees, which are over 1000 years old, was prohibited until 1950.
However, the government forest management policy, afterwards, has changed from prohibition to promotion of logging cedar trees with a slogan of supremacy of productivity. Accordingly, local people stopped the practice of restraint of timbering the precious Yaku cedar trees. Together with the introduction of new technology such as the chain-saw, logging output has risen dramatically. The result was that a large volume of precious Yaku cedars has been cut at an alarming pace within just ten years. this situation has become a big issue.
On the other hand, the government has adopted policies for protection of these natural resources. The local people also believed it was important to protect forests as a whole and that led to the designation of Yakushima forests as a World Heritage Site. Yakushima, which is an island with a very natural and unique environment, is collecting most attention in Japan. Because the issue of how human beings keep harmony with the natural environment is a matter of concern for everyone.

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