When Miyawaki combined these concepts, he developed a new way of planting forests. There was also a distinct layering in the forest structure, with slow-growing canopy species, tree layer species, smaller sub-tree layer species, shrubs and ground covering herbs. These fragments of forest were composed of trees such as Japanese blue oak ( Quercus glauca), Japanese chestnut ( Castanea crenata) and Sakaki ( Cleyera japonica), rather than the coniferous trees such as larch ( Larix kaempferi) and Japanese cedar ( Cryptomeria japonica), which had been introduced from other areas and dominated local forests. When he returned to Japan and applied the PNV principles to the Japanese landscape, he became interested in the relics of ancient forests found around temples and shrines, known as Chinju-no-mori, sacred groves. Following the completion of a PhD in plant ecology, Miyawaki went to study with phytosociologist Reinhold Tüxen in Germany, where he learned about the concept of potential natural vegetation. how plant species interact with each other within communities. The Miyawaki Method is named after its creator, Akira Miyawaki, a Japanese botanist and plant ecologist who has a particular interest in phytosociology, i.e. In spite of the i nherent difficulties in defining native species, those that are adapted to local conditions (in the UK oak, willow, birch for example) will fare better and contribute more to increasing biodiversity than more recently introduced species (e.g horse chestnut, plane).Īfforestt Clifton Park project, Karachi, after planting and 2 years later. Estuarine and wet woodlands occur in specific habitats, particularly around The Wash and on the Somerset Levels. In the UK the PNV is predominantly oak or oak/ash woodland, with beech woodland in the South East of England and boreal pine forest in Scotland. 2018 for a summary), although there is fierce debate about the most effective way of defining ‘native’ species. Extensive surveys have been carried out globally to determine the PNV across the world (see Hengl et al. The selection of species to plant in a given area was originally linked to the theory of potential natural vegetation (PNV), in other words the vegetation that would occur in a specific area without further human interference. This creates a resilient and thriving forest ecosystem with species that complement each other, restoring “native forests by native trees”. The essential principle of the Miyawaki method is using species of trees that would occur naturally in that area and that work together to create a diverse, multi-layered forest community. Photo credit: Afforestt Miyawaki Method principles Within the context of the current climate change emergency and stark warnings about the global loss of biodiversity, being able to create diverse, healthy forests quickly could prove vital to meeting international targets and tackling these issues. Higher biodiversity has been recorded in Miyawaki forests than in neighbouring woodland, so it’s an ideal method for creating diverse forest ecosystems quickly. The trees planted by this method grow much faster, jump starting the forest creation process and capturing more carbon.

It has some significant benefits over more traditional forestry methods when used in smaller afforestation projects and is particularly effective in the urban environment. using trees native to the area and replicating natural forest regeneration processes. It is effective because it is based on natural reforestation principles, i.e. The Miyawaki Method is one of the most effective tree planting methods for creating forest cover quickly on degraded land that has been used for other purposes such as agriculture or construction.

Murasaki forest