日本における林業活動と山村の持続的発展

概要

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The forested area in Japan has been miraculously and consistently kept at a constant level of approximately 65% of the land area (about 25 million hectares) for a long time, despite pressure from an increasing population and industrialization. In addition to the traditional forestry plantation areas, coniferous trees have been planted every year since the 1950s. As a result, coniferous plantations have since occupied about a quarter of the land (over 10 million hectares), and conifers that require thinning occupy the majority of existing plantations. However, the Japanese forestry industry has been in economic difficulty trying to survive in the global market. In spite of the potential timber production, domestic production supplies only 20% of the demand, mainly due to the high production costs caused by a gradual rise in labor wages and steep mountainous terrain. Tending and harvesting plantations will be given the priority over protecting natural forests in the world. Forestry operations, especially in young stands, will have to meet economic and environmental conditions to implement sustainable forest management. Educating and maintaining forestry workers, and the sound development of mountain villages are seriously important problems.
社団法人東京地学協会の論文