1. History and Summary
The University of Tokyo Hokkaido Forest (UTHF) was established in 1899. The forest area in April 2021 was 22,717 ha. Experimental stand-based forest management (‘rinbun segyo-ho’ in Japanese) has been conducted continuously for over 60 years, starting in 1958. The 14th Plan for Education and Research (2021–2030) states as its main objective, ‘Contribute to the reference of natural forest management in Japan and the world.’ Diverse educational and research activities are included under the auspices of this plan.
2. Location, Geography, and Climate
The UTHF is located in the center of Hokkaido Island (43°10′–21′ N, 142°23′–41′ E). The elevation ranges from 190 m in the Nunobe area, to the highest point (1,459 m) at Mt. Dairoku. The mean temperature at the arboretum (230 m asl) during the period 2011–2020 was 6.6 °C, and the mean annual precipitation was 1,196 mm. Snow cover usually starts at the end of November and lasts until the beginning of April.
3. Forest Conditions
The UTHF is located in a hemiboreal mixed conifer–broadleaf forest zone, which is a transitional area between deciduous forests in the cool-temperate zone and coniferous forests in the boreal zone. A total of 894 vascular plant species, 806 angiosperms, 8 gymnosperms, and 80 ferns, have been identified within the UTHF. The dominant tree species include evergreen conifers such as Abies sachalinensis, Picea jezoensis, P. glehnii, and deciduous broadleaves such as Betula ermanii, Tilia japonica, Acer pictum, B. maximowicziana, Quercus crispula, Ulmus spp., and Kalopanax septemlobus.
4. Facilities
The base facilities at the UTHF include the UTHF Office, lodging facilities, an arboretum and a nursery in the Yamabe area of Furano City, and a seminar house and forest museum in the Rokugo area.
5. Education
The UTHF is used for undergraduate studies at the Faculty of Agriculture and graduate studies at the Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, the University of Tokyo. It is also used by students from other universities, general and secondary education programs at the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Tokyo, and for high school field study programs.
6. Research
The main research themes in the 14th Plan are ‘hemiboreal forest ecosystems’ and ‘natural forest management’, and we are promoting systematic research activities in the research fields of forest ecology, forest management, and forest ecosystem management. In addition, the UTHF is actively used by researchers and students from the University of Tokyo and other universities and research institutions.
7. Social Cooperation
The UTHF is actively involved in local exchanges and social education programs. Open seminars and events are offered, and the forest museum, a part of the arboretum, and nature observatory trails are open to the public. The UTHF offers a range of forest and natural experiences and disseminates related information. To distribute research results and technical information to society, we are actively supporting training programs for forest technicians from various public institutions and organizations.
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Summary
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