KANAGAWA PREFECTURE – The Miyawaki method for cultivating fast-growing groves of native vegetation has found eager practitioners all over the world. But some say the method promises more than it can deliver, and that, in some cases, restorers are planting Miyawaki groves where they don’t belong. Developed in the early 1970s by the late Japanese […]

Another article on Miyawaki, mostly positive despite the clickbait title. Has some pics and more of the history behind the method. Summary below:

  • Miyawaki forests are a technique pioneered in Japan that aims to rapidly regenerate diverse, multilayered native woodlands.

  • The method involves densely planting native species to recreate complex natural forests in a shortened timespan. Miyawaki forests have spread globally as a restoration technique.

  • Supporters praise the forests’ ability to quickly sequester carbon, boost biodiversity, and revitalize degraded land. Critics argue they lack long-term viability if not properly maintained.

  • Concerns include reliance on irrigation, use of non-local species, and focus on speed over ecosystem function. More research is needed on if Miyawaki forests provide ecological benefits akin to natural regeneration.

  • While Miyawaki forests show some promise for urban areas, some experts recommend approaches that work with natural succession and site conditions over the long term.

  • Track_Shovel@slrpnk.netMEnglish
    4·
    11 months ago

    This is pretty similar to revgetation methods used in mining in some regards, but the intensity is super high, which is the point. I would love to trial this.

    One thing that I’ve seen planned that was cool, was creating veg islands of more intensely planted woody spp, with the rest of the areas seeded to mimic the parkland like ecosystem in the area. Hasn’t been done yet but I would be interested to see what happens

    • Treevan 🇦🇺OPEnglish
      2·
      11 months ago

      It’s high resource if you follow the technique to the letter so limiting the amount of resource with islands of vegetation is much more viable over the mass scale. It did state in the article that the method changed over the years to add shrubs and lower layers because those seeds don’t move as far, the original must have been tree heavy.

      My technique I use personally is more forestry or Syntropic based, I thin to species over time, selecting on how it’s growing compared to others/how long it lives for/which strata it’s part of etc. More hands on than fully hands off.

      A modified Miyawaki in a Syntropic row system utilising arboricultural and foresty techniques for biomass creation and canopy selection basically. Having humid Summers means mulch is a plus and cycles quickly.

      • Track_Shovel@slrpnk.netMEnglish
        2·
        11 months ago

        We are dry AF up my way. About 450 mm of precip a year. We also have 6-8 months of winter, so things take a lot longer. The plus side is that soils stockpiles are likely inert in terms of changes.

        Not familiar with syntropic rows but I’ll read up.

        How do you thin them out?

        • Treevan 🇦🇺OPEnglish
          1·
          11 months ago

          I wrote a little here. You can see a photo I stole from an article.

          https://aussie.zone/post/215888

          Thinning is a number of things. Brutalising through pollard or lopping, ringbark, cutting low once canopy established which tends to finish off the eoicormic/coppice shoots.