5.1 Protection forests
5.2 Protected forests
5.3 Nature conservation areas
5.4 Natural parks
5.5 Wildlife protection areas
Protection forest system is regulated by the Forest Law. This system intends to achieve public objectives by maintenance and enhancement of forest functions through designation, conservation and proper management of forests as protection forests that need to perform functions for the public benefit such as headwater conservation and disaster control. As of March 1996, the total area of protection forests reached 9,125 thousand ha. Table 2 shows the areas of various protection forests.
In protection forests, logging and land exploitation are prohibited unless these activities are approved by the prefectural governor. Tree re-planting is obligatory at logged-over protection forests. In cases that violate restrictions, such as logging and land exploitation without permission or ignoring tree re-planting, the activity is stopped and remedial works including tree replanting must be carried out and those responsible must be fined.
Protection forests are promoted under the "Protection Forest Improvement Plan", and the "Fifth Protection Forest Improvement Programme" has been implemented since 1993.
Table 2: Areas of Protection Forest by types, 1996 ('000 ha)
|
Type of Protection Forest* |
Area |
|
Headwater conservation forest |
6,203 |
|
Soil conservation forest |
2,026 |
|
Erosion control forest |
47 |
|
Sand movement control forest |
16 |
|
Windbreak, flood control, tide damage/drought damage/snow damage prevention and mist mitigation forest |
168 |
|
Avalanche/stone crumbling prevention forest |
21 |
|
Firebreak forest |
0.4 |
|
Fish trap forest |
29 |
|
Navigation target forest |
1 |
|
Public health provision forest |
587 |
|
Historical and scenic site prevention forest |
27 |
Note: There is some duplication among the types.
In order to attain the objectives of this system, remedial works for degraded lands and forest management for watershed conservation are also implemented as public works by State and prefectural governments in the forests that require attention.
In addition to the above system of "protection forests" (applied to both national and non-national forest), there is an independent system of protected forest in national forest that preserves natural environment, that play an important role for protection of precious plants and animals and academic researches. Table 3 shows that as of April 1997, seven types of protected forests totalling 488 thousand ha have been designated and maintained for their respective purposes.
Areas with original natural conditions undisturbed by human intervention and other areas where superior natural environment has been maintained have been designated as "wilderness area", "nature conservation area", or "prefectural nature conservation area" for conservation of natural environment. In the wilderness area. any activities that might influence the natural ecosystem are in principle prohibited, and access may be restricted if considered necessary for particular reasons.
Table 3: Areas of Protected Forest by types, 1997 (ha)
|
Type of protected forest |
No of sites |
Ha |
|
Forest biosphere reserves |
26 |
320,039 |
|
Forest bio-genetic resources preservation forest |
7 |
24,423 |
|
Forest tree-genetic resources preservation forest |
333 |
9,340 |
|
Plant community protected forest |
342 |
90,344 |
|
Specific animal habitat protected forest |
27 |
11,970 |
|
Specific topography protected forest |
32 |
30,074 |
|
Hometown forest |
31 |
2,300 |
Note: Forest biosphere reserve is the reserved forest that designated in national forest for conservation of precious natural ecosystem which should be preserved without any treatment in principle. Hometown forest is reserved area that designated by the request of the local government.
In the nature conservation area and the prefectural nature conservation area, only selected activities that meet certain standards may be allowed with required approval in special zone. In ordinary zone, designated activities, which may entail adverse effects on its ecosystems, should be notified.
Table 4: Nature Conservation Areas, 1997
|
Type of nature conservation area |
No of sites |
Ha |
|
Wilderness area |
5 |
5,631 |
|
Nature conservation area |
10 |
21,593 |
|
Prefectural nature conservation area |
517 |
73,452 |
Areas that are representative of superior natural scenery of Japan are designated as "national park" and the "quasi-national park", and areas that are representative of superior natural scenery in a prefecture are designated as "prefectural natural park". As of January 1997, there were 28 national parks with 2,047 thousand ha, 55 quasi-national parks with 1,339 ha and 304 prefectural natural parks with 1,949 ha.
Each park has a park plan comprising a conservation and a utilization aspect: the conservation plan comprises a conservation programme that divides the area into "special protection zone", "class I, II and III special zone" and "ordinary zone" according to the characteristics of scenery and views, necessity of environmental conservation in terms of utilization of the park, and a conservation facilities programme concerning the facilities necessary to secure protection of scenery and safety of utilization.
The utilization plan comprises a utilization regulation programme that restricts or prohibits certain activities in order to secure appropriate use of the park. and a utilization facilities programme for systematic improvement of facilities for the utilization of Natural Park.
There are more than 600 species of wildlife in Japan. Hunting and capturing are strictly regulated and thus birds and mammals that can be hunted are only 29 species and 18 species respectively. Hunting is subject to a license and open seasons and places are restricted.
There are 3,709 wildlife protection areas throughout the country for protection and propagation of wildlife with a total 3,441 thousand ha, of which 616 areas with a total 256 thousand ha are designated as "wildlife special protection areas". In the wildlife protection areas, capturing of wildlife is prohibited and in the special protection areas, even such activities like installation of any construction or cutting of trees is subject to approval.
