What is the science behind Miyawaki forests?

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Agroforestry, Carbon footprint, Circular economy, Environmental conservation, Land restoration, Soil Conservation, Water conservation

The Miyawaki forest method was pioneered in the 1980s by Dr. Akira Miyawaki, a Japanese botanist and professor. He went on to receive the prestigious Blue Planet Prize in 2006 for developing this technique and for his other contributions to ecology. The conception of the method was inspired by the Japanese sacred forests or ‘chinju-no-mori‘. These indigenous forests are found around Shinto shrines and cemeteries, protected due to their cultural value. His interest in allelopathy and the complementarity of species in natural forests further catalyzed this technique. Allelopathy is a survival mechanism in plants that allows them to compete with others. Plants are capable of releasing chemicals to stunt the growth of neighboring plants, bacteria and weeds. Plant species also complement other plants. The plants grow better when they grow together. This knowledge was applied to the Miyawaki technique. By studying local plant ecology, species that have key roles and complementary roles in the tree community are planted. These species are then supported by a variety of accompanying species.

© https://muza-chan.net/japan/index.php/blog/hakone-shrine-in-the-forest

Like many things, this technique found inspiration in nature! This plantation method imitates the structure of natural forests with 20 to 50 native species. The end result is a multi-layered forest consisting of shrubs, sub-trees, trees, and canopy trees. A complete forest is ready in a short period of 20-30 years. The Miyawaki forest grows 10 times faster and 30 times denser than a natural forest. The trick lies in the proximity of the saplings with 3 to 5 saplings per meter square. The proximity pushes the plants to compete with each other. This helps begin phytosociological relations between different species and allows them to grow faster. The saplings turn into a self-sustaining forest in three years. It is maintenance-free after the third year. This shouldn’t be very surprising because trees do grow on their own in forests without any human intervention.

How to grow your own Miyawaki forest?

© http://urban-forests.com/miyawaki-method/

- A Miyawaki forest can be grown in an area as small as 100 square feet. Space should be at least 3 or 4 meters wide. The area should get a minimum of 8 hours of sunlight.

- An intense survey is conducted to identify native species and the distribution pattern of trees in the local area and existing natural forests.

- The next step is the identification and collection of seeds/saplings of indigenous trees in the region and in a similar geo-climatic context.

- A soil survey is done to check the pH value of the soil. Based on the test, enrichments are chosen to best suit the soil.

- The topsoil needs to be recovered to a depth of 20 to 30 cm, to fasten the soil evolution process.

- Perforator material like biomass, rice husk, or coconut shells is used to create the ideal environment for growth. Water retainers like cocopeat are added to retain moisture in the soil for a longer duration.

- Cow dung, manure, or vermicompost add further nourishment.

- Saplings of the height of 60-80 cm are considered ready to be planted.

- Species are planted at a distance of 60 cm from each other. Care should be taken so that no two species are placed together.

- A thick layer of 5-7 inch mulch is put on the topsoil to prevent water evaporation.

- The saplings are supported with sticks to allow them to grow upright.

- The forest needs to be watered daily for the first two years. Water accumulation around the saplings should be avoided.

- A close inspection of the forest is done to remove weeds and monitor plant growth.

- The forest may have a high initial cost. The cost depends on the climate, soil type and, plant species.

Native trees and multi-layered forests

Each organism holds its place in nature and depends on its complex relationships with other organisms. Native trees have gone through years of evolution to adapt to the region. Insects, birds, and mammals have co-evolved with them. These trees require low maintenance and less water. They also support endemic species that are very unique to that region and found nowhere else. These trees act as windbreaks and are resilient in times of natural disasters. They can grow deep roots to tap water from the water table at lower depths and withstand droughts.

© Afforestt

A forest can be divided into four layers-shrubs that grow up to 6 feet (8 to 12%), sub-tree that grow up to 25 feet (25 to 30%), trees that reach up to 40 feet (40 to 50%), and canopy trees that grow taller than 40 feet (15 to 20%). Emergent trees are the tallest trees in the forest that grow beyond the canopy layer. They provide habitat to birds of prey like eagles, hawks, etc. They live longest in the forest. Many species, especially long-living trees are effective in combating climate change. For example, Peepal tree, Neem tree, Banyan tree in India. Oak and Maple trees in the United States. The canopy layer is the most productive part of the forest. The layer receives the most amount of sunlight and creates food for the entire forest. It is also a spot of high biodiversity with butterflies, birds, and monkeys. Most fruit trees are part of this layer-custard apple and cashew tree. The short-lived plants act as compost for the forest. The shrubs and sub-trees form important sources of food. This could include banana, papaya, fig, and palm trees.

The impact of Miyawaki Forests

The Miyawaki forest technique has been a savior to the cities. The forest serves as an oasis in the concrete jungles. The trees help to lower air temperature, improve air quality, increase groundwater and invite local biodiversity. The native trees provide habitat and food to local varieties of butterflies, birds, and mammals like squirrels. In various cities of the world, the Miyawaki technique has led to a movement of ecological regeneration. Previously degraded lands like dump yards and landfills have been given a new life.

© http://www.istockphoto.com

These forests store carbon. They regulate rainfall and naturally purify water. Apart from this, there are other impacts that these forests have on humans. The method can be a collaborative and inclusive method. It necessarily requires collaboration among the residents, the governing bodies, the scientists, and the environmentalists. Planting trees could evoke a sense of responsibility towards the environment. Thus this technique has the capability of bringing social mobilization.

Green Forest Wall, Japan

The Miyawaki technique has been tried successfully in all of Japan. It has been tried on wastelands, artificial islands, rock, and other difficult substrates. A grand project was started in Tohoku Japan to mitigate the effects of the tsunami. The Great Green Forest was designed by Dr. Miyawaki in response to the 2011 tsunami. The goal was to create a sea wall to protect coasts from future disasters. The non-hazardous tsunami debris was employed in an attempt to restore the damaged ecosystem of the coasts.

© https://www.japantimes.co.jp/

Miyawaki forests around the world

Dr. Miyawaki has instructed communities in Borneo, Chile, and Amazonia. His work is particularly focused on tropical countries. He has contributed to vegetation surveys in Thailand, Indonesia, and Malaysia. Since 2013, the method has been adopted by various organizations in India (Bangalore, Mumbai, and Chennai). In 2019, a sacred grove was planted in Punjab using the method. These experiments have shown that multi-layered forests can be built in 15-20 years in Japan and 40-50 years in Southeast Asia.

© Green Yatra

While the method has worked in cold-temperate and tropical climate zones, there have been few experiments in regions with high aridity. The Mediterranean climate is characterized by summer aridity and the risk of desertification. Climate change is inducing very similar weather conditions. Thus, trying the Miyawaki method in the Mediterranean context would be a true test of the effectiveness of the method. In 2000, the Miyawaki method was tested in Sardinia, Italy in an area where traditional reforestation methods had failed. This was the first attempt in a Mediterranean ecosystem. The original method was modified and the basic theoretical principles were kept.

Conclusion

The Miyawaki forest method is an incredible tool to push towards resilient cities. This method can provide quick fixes in this age of destruction. The technique can be used to heal degraded land and bring essential species back to the cities. An attempt should be made to learn about the native species. Starting a Miyawaki forest could be a huge step towards that!

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Trees play a pivotal role in maintaining the health of the ecosystem, although, it seems like humans are ignorant of this fact. Trees have been mercilessly cut down in the name of ‘development’ which has repercussions like soil erosion, lowering of the water table, silting, desertification. This has led to deeper implications including food crises, water shortages, health crises, loss of livelihood, and climate change. Afforestation could help to reverse this damage. But are planting trees enough? Is all the green really ‘green’? While planting trees is a great practice, not all trees will give the same advantages. Some end up being ornamental pieces that don’t support local biodiversity. Some introduced foreign species tend to dominate and threaten the existence of native species. There is a solution to provide a shade of greenery that serves its purpose well. It is gaining much popularity and is called the Miyawaki forest method.

What is the Miyawaki Forest Method?

The Miyawaki Method: A Better Way to Build Forests?

India’s forest production company is following the tenets of the master Japanese botanist, restoring biodiversity in resource-depleted communities.

A tree in a native forest planted by Afforestt

Courtesy Afforestt

By: Lela Nargi

8 minutes

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In 2010, Shubhendu Sharma cleared the grass from the 75-square-meter backyard of his family home in the city of Kashipur, in India’s Himalayan Uttarakhand state. Into the intensely compacted soil he planted 224 saplings of some 19 species of shrubs and trees— timber, and guava and mulberry among other fruit trees. Then he weeded and watered and monitored. He watched as the young, frail plants leafed and flowered, quickly growing tall and thick, as a dozen species of birds moved in to the newly lush habitat, as a thermometer registered coolness beneath the trees—a difference of some 5 degrees Celsius from the surrounding air—even in June’s blistering heat. And August’s Monsoon rains, which once puddled on the surface of the yard, absorbed into the dirt “like a sponge,” says Sharma. In a year, his backyard had become a self-sustaining mini forest.

Planting it was an odd pursuit, given that Sharma had never been particularly interested or drawn to studies or work involving flora. He made his living as an industrial engineer, a career he had dreamed of, in fact, since his boyhood. But in 2009, while working on assembly line and dispatch systems at a Toyota plant in Karnataka, Sharma was captivated by a presentation given by Akira Miyawaki. The Blue Planet Award-winning botanist from Japan is celebrated for his very particular approach to afforestation—a soil-, air-, water-, and climate-remediating process by which trees are planted where no trees existed before. He’d come to apply his method to a tract of land around the factory where Sharma worked.

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Sharma volunteered to help place over 32,000 native trees and plants like neem, mango, and teak into the otherwise industrial landscape. And from that day on, his fate was sealed. In 2011, after proving that Miyawaki’s method could work for his own experimental backyard forest, he quit his job at Toyota and opened a forest-production company named Afforestt, which practices what Miyawaki preaches: the introduction to a depleted landscape of “potential natural vegetation,” which is what would naturally occur in that particular place without human intervention.

Since then, Afforestt has planted over 450,000 trees in 144 tiny, fast-growing forests in 50 cities around the world, helping improve global ecosystems functionality one miniscule but power-packed patch at a time.

Afforestation Basics

It’s no secret that Earth is rapidly losing its forests. Just between 1990 and 2015 the world lost 129 million hectares of them, which equals “two Texases,” as the Washington Post put it. Deforestation is responsible for an estimated 5 billion tons, or 17 percent, of annual global carbon emissions, not to mention soil erosion and biodiversity loss.

In contrast, growing forests has numerous benefits. Forests remove vast amounts of carbon from the air and store it in leaves, branches, trunks, roots, and dirt. Tropical forests alone store one quarter of a trillion tons of carbon, according to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF). Older trees store more carbon, while younger trees remove, or sequester, more of it. Forests cool the air and generate oxygen, plus they clean our waters and regulate precipitation and wind. They also house 80 percent of our terrestrial biodiversity, reduce soil erosion, halt desertification, and lessen the impacts of floods. Newly planted forests improve land degraded by mining, growing crops, and over-grazing livestock. Planting forests can also help reduce fertilizer runoff into rivers that causes algae blooms and create wildlife corridors between one isolated verdant bit and another. That’s why afforestation is critical to the continuation of life on our planet, which is rapidly heating while losing its ecological biodiversity.

Historically, afforestation was largely seen as a means to generate income from timber and other products.

Recognizing the essentialness of forests, the UN’s International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and the German government issued the Bonn Challenge just as Sharma was getting Afforestt up and running. This initiative piggybacked onto earlier efforts from various international players to commit countries to saving and creating forests; the goal of the Bonn Challenge now is to restore 350 million hectares of degraded land by 2030 by planting millions of trees.

Historically, however, afforestation was largely seen as a means to generate income from timber and other products. So afforestation projects often favored plantations of single species, like Monterey pine or Sitka spruce or oil palms. Many of the Bonn Challenge projects follow the same monoculture approach, which has its pros and cons.

Monoculture forests have carbon benefits—204 million acres worth of new plantations could sequester 18.1 gigatons of carbon dioxide by 2050. But Project Drawdown points out that “they are often created with purely economic motives and little regard for the long-term well-being of the land, environment, or surrounding communities.” It also calls them “ecological deserts,” as a stand of only pines, for example, does little to promote the multi-species plant and animal diversity found in a natural forest system. Monocultures of trees can also cause harm. In 2008, Karachi stuck into the ground 2.2 million non-native Conocarpus trees, a species notorious for contributing to droughts in water-scarce places, which left experts worrying about the potential adverse effects.

Enter the Miyawaki Method.

The Miyawaki Method

As a young graduate student in the late 1950s, Akira Miyawaki learned about the emergent concept of potential natural vegetation (PNV). This, along with his studies in phytosociology—the way plant species interact with each other—guided his explorations of the vegetation growing throughout his native Japan. Eventually, he began visiting Shinto sites and observing their chinju no mori, or “sacred shrine forests.” Miyawaki determined that these were time capsules, showing how indigenous forest was layered together from four categories of native plantings: main tree species, sub-species, shrubs, and ground-covering herbs.

Using this four-category system, along with his surveys of these sites and his knowledge of PNV and phytosociology, Miyawaki designed his own system for planting forests.

It works like this: the soil of a future forest site is analyzed and then improved, using locally available sustainable amendments—for example, rice husks from a nearby mill. About 50 to 100 local plant species from the above four categories are selected and planted as seedlings in a random mix like you would find growing naturally in the wild. The seedlings are planted very densely—20,000 to 30,000 per hectares as opposed to 1,000 per hectare in commercial forestry. For a period of two to three years, the site is monitored, watered, and weeded, to give the nascent forest every chance to establish itself.

During this early period, the plantings compete with each other for space and access to light and water—a battle that encourages much faster growth. In conventional afforestation techniques, 1 meter of growth per year is considered the norm. In the Miyawaki method, trees grow about 10 times faster. Once stabilized, the forest is left to flourish, forevermore, on its own without further interference.

Miyawaki has planted over 40 million trees in this way, in 15 countries, including, especially, his own. Critics have accused him of shilling for corporations like Toyota, which have contributed to deforestation in places such as India, and of creating monotonous-looking forests that are expensive to boot. But at the age of 91 he continues to plant trees —90 million of them are slated to be put in along Japan’s coast as a buffer against future catastrophic tsunami damage. And disciples like Shubhendu Sharma have emerged to pick up where he will eventually leave off.

The Sharma Algorithm

An engineer with a native zeal for quantifying systems, Sharma turned Miyawaki’s method into a set of assembly line instructions. Using an algorithm similar to Toyota’s assembly line that produces several different types of cars, each with its own requirements, he derived his own formula to make a multi-layered forest with plantings that also have different time, space, and other needs. Although his company offers consultation, training, and the actual building of forests, anyone can email Afforestt and receive access to Sharma’s graphs and instructions for planting a forest, start to finish. “Dr. Miyawaki invented this process, and whatever I understood of the methodology I wrote it as a standard operating procedure, so it could be replicated,” says Sharma.

From that manual, a would-be forester learns how to determine soil type using the “ribbon test;” how to collaborate with a local nursery to find truly native species; how to prepare the planting site; and how to arrange saplings, three to four per square meter, into a grid. (When planting his backyard forest, Sharma accidentally introduced two non-native species—neither he nor his source knew any better at the time—so he includes detailed instructions to help others avoid this mistake.) Now that Sharma has computerized the process, he’s back-working it to turn it into an analog, paper-based system that those without computer access can use.

A high level of diversity is paramount on Sharma’s list of essential goals. In projects Afforestt has undertaken in India, his company so far managed to use about 336 types of native trees out of 2800 that are known to have existed in the country. And the company has started its own nursery in Rajasthan to begin to add more species to their plantings.

Sharma is adamant that the impact of even very small forests on local communities is significant enough to matter. Research from Wageningen University in the Netherlands, which found increased fungi, bacteria, pollinators, and amphibians on two tiny planted forest sites in urban Zaanstad that were based on Sharma’s models,, lends some scientific credence to this claim.

Perhaps more importantly, Sharma says he’s witnessed people in resources-depleted communities change over the years, “from assuming land is bad and will stay that way, to now imagining forest.” He’s dedicated to making more of that verdant possibility come true, and to bringing back, he says, “everything [we can] that has been lost to agriculture, monoculture, cities, lawns. Until those small patches have been restored, the work doesn’t stop.”