Abstract

Development of Evaluation Methods for
Biodiversity in Forest Ecosystems

Ai TSUYAMA

Forest Environment Conservation Unit, Forest Multiple Use and Conservation Division
Forestry Agency, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (FA, MAFF)
Government of Japan

 In recent years, the forestry and forest products sector has witnessed a significant shift driven by international milestones, including the adoption of the "Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework" at COP15 and the release of the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD) recommendations in 2023. These developments have heightened the demand for timber sourced from sustainable forest management and accelerated corporate efforts to assess and disclose their dependencies and impacts on forest ecosystems.

 In response to these global trends, the Forestry Agency of Japan formulated the "Guidelines for Forest Management to Enhance Biodiversity" in March 2024, providing standardized methodologies for forest maintenance and management that prioritize biodiversity conservation. Furthermore, in April 2025, the Agency published the "Manual for TNFD-aligned Information Disclosure Regarding Forests," which outlines specific procedures for analyzing and evaluating the relationship between corporate activities and forest resources.

 To further incentivize biodiversity conservation—one of the multifaceted functions of forests—through quantitative evaluation within disclosure frameworks such as the TNFD, the Agency established the "Committee for the Development of Assessment Methodologies for Biodiversity in Forest Ecosystems" in FY2025. This committee is currently deliberating on specific indicators and methodologies designed to evaluate forest biodiversity in a manner that accurately reflects the unique ecological characteristics of Japan’s natural environment.