Elucidation of forest damages in Japan during the Meiji and Taisho era based on long-term data derived mainly from analysis of reports in the Official Gazette

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 21K05677
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 40010:Forest science-related
• Research Institution: Forest Research and Management Organization
• Principal Investigator: Takahata Yoshihiro 国立研究開発法人森林研究・整備機構, 森林総合研究所, 主任研究員 等 (60353752)
• Project Period (FY): 2021-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: 森林保護 / 森林被害 / 病虫獣害 / 山火事 / 気象害 / 科学史

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In order to elucidate the actual situation of forest damages and its changes during Meiji and Taisho era, I searched all Kanpou (the Official Gazette of Japan) published in that era for reports of forest damages, and collected and analyzed various information of damages such as types, dates, locations, amounts, and measures to prevent damages. The reports of forest damages were run from 1883 to 1922 and the total number of cases of forest damages was 2,214. The most numerous damage type was the forest fire, the second most was the climatic damage, the third most was the biological damage and the fourth most was the sediment disaster. It is thought that there was the bias in reports run on Kanpou, further research was needed to elucidate the actual situation of forest damages and the factors associated with the changes of them in that era.

Free Research Field

森林病理学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究では、まとまった情報の無かった明治大正期日本の個別の森林被害について、膨大な事例を収集することができた。これは森林の火災、気象害、病虫獣害などの歴史、あるいは地域の森林の歴史を解明する上で貴重な情報である。またとくに病虫獣害に関しては、現在の被害と同様な事例の有無を検索することで、対策の立案に活用できる可能性もある。また、今後さらに事例を収集して質・量共にデータを拡充していくことで、長期的な森林の変化を予測する一助とすることも期待できる。