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by goda90 29 days ago
>Every year, an area is selectively clear-cut, removing sugi, hinoki but also other invasive species like bamboo. Broadleaf trees are left, and with more sun coming through to the ground, they grow back, along with other new seedlings either planted by staff or brought by birds or animals.

In other parts of the world, some plantation -> forest projects don't remove trees but instead pull them over and leave them as logs with exposed roots. This provides new habitats for various plants and animals around the logs and the gap in the canopy. I'm curious if they've explored the impacts that approach would have.

1 comments

Japanese sugi forests are too dense. I don't think they have the space to lay these logs down.
Log slides are potentially lethal in steep areas too. Whole buildings can get demolished if the logs roll down the slope.
A historically common way to clear certain kinds of areas in the US is to drag anchor chains with giant bulldozers. May still work?
In this case they're trying to leave broadleaf trees alone, so probably not.