Community Involvement in Forest Management Activities of Kyoto Model Forest

Dr. Kazuhiro TANAKA Kyoto Prefectural University

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The ustainable
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Today I report about

Since Kyoto is the place where the Kyoto Protocol was adopted, the citizen of Kyoto is greatly interested in the environmental problem. Moreover, since the downtown of Kyoto is surrounded by the forest, the citizen of Kyoto is greatly interested about the forest. Kyoto has a Model Forest that is the only one Model Forest in Japan. Today I report about community involvements in forest conservation activities currently tackled in Kyoto. In addition, I would like to consider a subject concerning the building of sustainable society.
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Kyoto
Keeping Forests More than 1200 years
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Kyoto used to be the capital of Japan

The City of Kyoto used to be the capital of Japan for a very long time spanning more than one thousand years from 794 to 1868.
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Kyoto has conserved the forests

It is said that a civilization which has vandalized forests will go to ruin in the future. However, Kyoto has the remarkable history that it has conserved the forests in the three mountainous areas surrounding its downtown area.
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Three mountainous areas in Kyoto

North
Mountains

KPU East

West
Mountains

Mountains

Kyoto Station
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Forest zoning more than 1,200 years ago

It is really surprising that the forest zoning was already conducted when the capital city was constructed in Kyoto more than 1,200 years ago. In those days, the forests were important also as the supplying source area of lumbers and fuel materials and the rivers were important as the sources of domestic water and agricultural water and the channels for transportation by ships.
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environmental conservation areas

The basic framework for land use of Kyoto was defined from the first when the capital city was constructed and the forests around it were zoned accordingly. The three mountainous areas surrounding the Kyoto's downtown area have been conserved as environmental conservation areas and have been designated as the scenic areas. Though the three mountainous areas have been the environmental conservation areas, these areas have also been used and managed as fuel-wood forests.
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Kyoto has been keeping forest

Picture map in 1808

Kyoto has been keeping forest around city more than 1200 years.
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Forests of World Heritage in Kyoto

Shimogam o shrine

Shimogamo shrine

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Many New Problems in

Kyoto Forests
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High Economic Growth and Fuel Revolution

Japanese economy grew dramatically from the mid-1950 to the outset of 1970. This age is called the age of High Economic Growth. Life style of Japanese people also changed dramatically. Drastic one way change of energy source from fuelwood to gas and electricity is called Fuel Revolution. Fuel Revolutioncaused plenty of unused and unmanaged coppice forests. As a result, succession of vegetation has been making progress in last several decades.
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Hollowing out of Japanese Forestry

High Economic Growth caused the appreciation of the yen. Then, yen's appreciation brought about import of huge amount of timber. 1980 Finally, Japanese timber and lumbering industries hollowed out. As a result, there are plenty of unused and unmanaged plantations in Japan. Log price in Japan
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Succession of Vegetation
In the modern days, the use of the forests in the three mountainous areas of Kyoto is strictly restricted under the name of environmental conservation. As a result, the succession of vegetation in the forests has advanced.

sun tree

shade tree

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Arashiyama, Kyotos scenic Area

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Arashiyama with wild cherry

decreasing wild cherry tree

Increasing evergreen tree

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many new problems

As a result of the succession of vegetation, many new problems have arisen such as expansion of shii forest and bamboo grove the pine-tree dying down problem, the oak-tree dying down problem, and the problem of deer damage.
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Expansion of Shii in Kyoto

Kyoto-like scenery is being lost

Shii : Castanopsis cuspidata Shade tree

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Shii looks like pop art

Kiyomizu Temple1999/5/7 20

Expantion of Shii in past 40 years

1961
Awata Shrine
Keage Purification Plant

1975

1987

2004

Chion-in Temple
Awata-yama hill

Shogunzuka
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200

200

200

200

Kodaiji Temple

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100

Kiyomizu-dera Temple
200 200 100 100 200 200 100 100

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Koudaiji-yama hill

Kiyomizu-yama hill

Seikanji Temple

6.9ha

19.0ha

25.6ha

32.1ha
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Study site

Castanopsis

Pine-tree dying problem

The pine-tree dying disease is caused by the attack of pine nematode. Pine wilt diseases accelerate forest change to lower quality secondary forest characterized by Soyogo (Ilex pedunculosa).

pine-tree dying

Soyogo

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Degradation of forest
forest change to lower quality secondary forest characterized by Soyogo (Ilex pedunculosa).

Soyogo

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Oak-tree dying problem

The oak-tree dying disease is caused by the attack of platypus quercivorus.

platypus quercivorus
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Oak-tree dying problem

Attacked tree by platypus quercivorus

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Oak-tree dying problem

Dead oak trees

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The oak-tree dying down problem from 2005 to 2010 in Kyoto

200565trees 2006332trees 2007317trees 20081,037trees 20093,918trees 201017,976trees

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Deer damage
Recently, drastic changes by both Japanese oak wilt disease and deer damage are rapidly increasing the crisis of forest degradation.

No vegetation in forest floor. Planted trees and seedlings are eaten by deer. Deer damage decreases foresters desire to forest management.

No vegetaion in forest floor

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Deer damage

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Deer damage and Oak-tree dying in Kyoto 2009.122010.01

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bamboo

Well managed bamboo forest in Kyoto

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Expansion of bamboo
Expansion of bamboo is another serious problem.

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Dead trees will emit a lot of carbonic anhydride

Plenty of dead trees of pine and oak will emit a lot of carbonic anhydride. In addition, oligopoly of particular species such as shii, soyogo and bamboo will decline the level of biodiversity. To restore forest condition, community involvement in forest management has just started as activities of Model Forest in Kyoto.
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Foundation of Kyoto Model Forest Association

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Model Forest Movement

As a result of the succession of vegetation, many new problems have arisen. For the citizens of Kyoto City, it is an important issue how they should conserve the forest in the three mountainous areas that are familiar to them. Recently, various stakeholders have started to tackle this issue through the Model Forest Movement.
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Kyoto Model Forest, the only one Model Forest in Japan, was established in 2006.

Webpage of Kyoto Model Forest Association

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Network of Model Forest in Kyoto Prefecture

About 30 Model Forests are supported

By CSR activities

Corporate Social Responsibility

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Three actions to advance Model Forest Activities

"Kyoto Model Forest Movement appeals the following three actions in order to advance the building of healthy forests with which the multidirectional functions of the forests can be fully exerted: (1) direct participation in the forest building, (2) financial contribution for the forest building activities, and (3) use of local timbers produced in the forests in Kyoto prefecture.
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Some volunteer groups are vigorously tackling with oak wilt disease.
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Forest Monitoring
A company supports forest monitoring using aerial photograph as CSR.

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Three Items Shared in Model Forest

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Sharing
In Model Forest, the need for mutual understanding among the parties concerned is repeatedly emphasized and, in order to do so, it is said that "sharing of knowledge", "sharing of experiences", and "sharing of value" are necessary, where "sharing of value" refers to understanding the sense of value and the argument of other parties, taking the stands of the other parties.
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New concepts of Sharing

Recently, the concept of this "three items to be shared" has evolved and become, respectively, "sharing of knowledge", "faculty development" based on experiences, and mutual understanding based on "networks".
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Conceptual diagram of Kyoto Model Forest

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Field Education Center Sharing of experiences

GIS Center Sharing of knowledge

Round Table Meeting Sharing of value

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GIS plays essential role

GIS plays essential role to share such forest information.

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to the next generation

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Model Forest Movement in urban forest area

Case study in Kyoto will be good example for Model Forest Movement in urban forest area. Effective utilization of dead oak trees is a key point to activate regional economy.

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with the time scale of forests

The rotation of sustainable society is necessary to be judged by the rotation of nature, not the rotation of human measure. Since the forest has a life far longer than man, it is necessary to manage forests with the time scale of forests. By continuing Model Forest movement based on a PDCA cycle, we have a mission that we must leave better environment to the next generation as much as possible.
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Thank you very much for your attention.

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Nonpermissive because of protection of copyrights.

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