Due to these great variations in climate, four climatic regions being
differentiated, the forest flora of Japan almost rivals in variety that
of the United States, with over 200 deciduous, and more than 30
coniferous species of size (besides a large number of half-trees),
although not more than some 50 or 60 are of silvicultural importance,
and not more than 10 or 12 species form the basis of forest management
and of the lumber trade, which requires some two billion cubic feet
annually, and supports an export of over six million dollars. The value
of the total cut was, in 1907, placed at over 17 million dollars, of
which six million was to the credit of the State Treasury.
In the tropical districts, bamboos form the main staple; in the
subtropical region, the most densely populated and hence also almost
forestless, the broadleaf evergreens, especially several species of oak,
furnish desirable fuel wood, and two species of pine are most valued for
timber, one, the Red Pine (_P. densiflora_) extending its realm rapidly
over waste areas; camphor tree and boxwood furnish ornamental wood.
The region of temperate forest furnishes, out of over 60 species, some
14 conifers and 19 broadleaf trees of value, the former mainly of the
cedar tribe, with _Chamaecyparis obtusa_ and _Cryptomeria japonica_ the
most widely used, while of the broadleaf species, which occupy more than
50 per cent. of the forest area, _Zelkowa keaki_, of the elm tribe, a
chestnut, a beech, several oaks, a walnut, and an ash count among the
most useful.
Spruce, Fir, and White Birch are the trees of the northern forest.
Mixed forest forms 45%, broadleaf 25%, conifer 21%, and 9% is rated as
blank or thinly stocked.
The forest area, which, over the whole, covers, with the addition of the
newly acquired island of Saghalien, 67% of the land area, or around 75
million acres (1¼ acres per capita), is quite unevenly distributed
according to topography and population, being mostly confined to the
mountain ranges and hills which form the backbone of the country, and to
the northern provinces, which contain still large, untouched areas.
Hokkaido, which was opened up to colonization only 35 years ago, now
with a population of only 20 to the square mile, has 63% of forest, 15
acres per capita; the northern part of Hondo has a somewhat greater area
per cent., mostly on the high steep mountains, but only 1.2 acres per
capita; on the southern portion, the low ranges of hills and valleys the
forest area has been reduced to 53%, but shows only three-quarter acre
per capita; and Okinawa, with 26%, and less than one-third acre per
capita, shows the lowest.
Of this forest area, however, almost one-half is “hara,” brush forest,
chaparral, or dwarfed tree growth--the result of mismanagement,
excessive cutting and fires--and in the southern districts, impenetrable
thickets of dwarf bamboo, which crowd out tree and even shrub growth
wherever such mismanagement gives it entrance. These extensive haras are
cut every two or five years for the brush, which is used to cover and
furnish manure for rice fields.
Fire, which, until lately, ran over 5 or 6 million acres annually, and
ruthless cutting, have in the past and are still deteriorating the
forest area.
Grassy prairie and barrens due to natural conditions are not absent, and
are due to excessive drainage through loose coarse-grained rock soil;
they are found, not extensively, at the foot of volcanoes, and on
highest elevations. The differentiation of land areas is not quite
certain. In 1894, there was still 30.5% of grassy prairie reported, but
some of this, no doubt, was forested, probably one-half.
The bulk of the forest area is owned by the State and the Imperial
Household. Communal forests are estimated to aggregate, in 1904,
somewhat over four million acres (7.5%), in 1910 reported as 11%, and
private property some 18 million (26%; in 1910, 22%) leaving 30 million
for the State and for Imperial or Crown forest (66%), the latter
comprising some 5.5 million acres.
These figures are liable to variation, due to sales of the latter class,
and to adjustments of the somewhat obscure property rights.
The ownership by the State and a conservative use of the mountain forest
is necessitated by the protective value of the forest cover, the
cultivation of the extensive rice fields being dependent upon
irrigation.