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The Miyawaki Method of micro-forestry

futureecologies.net

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Re: The Miyawaki Method of micro-forestry

#11

Post by frereubu »

pphysch wrote: post #5
J7jKW2AAsgXhWm wrote: post #3

I have seen a couple of these in Berkeley. They were all the rage and still are in some ways. I personally was initially enthusiastic. However, I think there is much easier ways to get the benefits. For example, by adding trees and landscaping in Parks, medians and other public spaces. Once a forest is added to an area, it becomes completely inaccessible because of how dense it grows. All of the ones I have seen are…

The density and inaccessibility (to large birds and mammals) is critical for sensitive species like butterflies. I'd wager we'd see a resurgence in some declining insect populations if there were more dense pockets of forest.

This is a point made well in the film Wilding - https://www.wildingmovie.com/ - about a rewilding project in the UK. You need change and open ground for any biodiversity benefits. It's a bit like the close-planted commercial forestry fir plantations that are entirely silent and dead aside from the trees themselves.

Re: The Miyawaki Method of micro-forestry

#12

Post by IncreasePosts »

PaulHoule wrote: post #6

Works well in some ecosystems when people choose the right plant material. With the wrong ecosystem and the wrong plant material it's one of those ideas from the temperate core that fails in the tropical periphery.

The entire point of this method is you look at successful forests nearby and mimic them. So, choosing the right plant material is implicit in this.

Re: The Miyawaki Method of micro-forestry

#13

Post by jeffbee »

J7jKW2AAsgXhWm wrote: post #3

I have seen a couple of these in Berkeley. They were all the rage and still are in some ways. I personally was initially enthusiastic. However, I think there is much easier ways to get the benefits. For example, by adding trees and landscaping in Parks, medians and other public spaces. Once a forest is added to an area, it becomes completely inaccessible because of how dense it grows. All of the ones I have seen are…

The one at King Middle School in Berkeley grew almost instantly. I'd read a report about how much biomass they have harvested there.

Re: The Miyawaki Method of micro-forestry

#14

Post by nothercastle »

J7jKW2AAsgXhWm wrote: post #3

I have seen a couple of these in Berkeley. They were all the rage and still are in some ways. I personally was initially enthusiastic. However, I think there is much easier ways to get the benefits. For example, by adding trees and landscaping in Parks, medians and other public spaces. Once a forest is added to an area, it becomes completely inaccessible because of how dense it grows. All of the ones I have seen are…

If you want to decrease the value of your land plant trees so some nimby can come in designated it as protected habitat and then prevent you from maintaining or cutting any of them down. Tree law is almost as bad as HOA laws. Even if it’s not designed once a tree gets too big you loose any right to manage or maintain it

Re: The Miyawaki Method of micro-forestry

#15

Post by fredrikholm »

IncreasePosts wrote: post #12
PaulHoule wrote: post #6

Works well in some ecosystems when people choose the right plant material. With the wrong ecosystem and the wrong plant material it's one of those ideas from the temperate core that fails in the tropical periphery.

The entire point of this method is you look at successful forests nearby and mimic them. So, choosing the right plant material is implicit in this.

And it's been successfully replicated in vastly different places like India and the Netherlands.

Re: The Miyawaki Method of micro-forestry

#16

Post by thimkerbell »

PaulHoule wrote: post #9
tokai wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't know what counts as temperate core for you, but Japan is famous for its diverse climate zones.

Japan is mostly cold to temperate https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Climate_of_Japan except for some small islands like https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minamitorishima There's a lot of concern that tree-planting projects wind up like this https://e360.yale.edu/features/phantom-forests-tree-planting...

The Yale article says forest scientists warn that "failed afforestation projects around the world threaten to undermine efforts to make [tree] planting a credible means of countering climate change by reducing carbon dioxide in the atmosphere or generating carbon credits for sale to companies to offset their emissions."

Re: The Miyawaki Method of micro-forestry

#18

Post by sergejf »

PaulHoule wrote: post #6

Works well in some ecosystems when people choose the right plant material. With the wrong ecosystem and the wrong plant material it's one of those ideas from the temperate core that fails in the tropical periphery.

The Orchard of Flavours experimented successfully with the Miyawaki method in their botanical garden located in Algarve, Portugal, with a Koppen climate classified as temperate but with hot and dry summer periods, see https://www.orchardofflavours.com/miyawaki-experiment-1-wild.... They grow plenty of tropical trees like feijoa, guava, papaya, etc.

Re: The Miyawaki Method of micro-forestry

#19

Post by beambot »

J7jKW2AAsgXhWm wrote: post #3

I have seen a couple of these in Berkeley. They were all the rage and still are in some ways. I personally was initially enthusiastic. However, I think there is much easier ways to get the benefits. For example, by adding trees and landscaping in Parks, medians and other public spaces. Once a forest is added to an area, it becomes completely inaccessible because of how dense it grows. All of the ones I have seen are…

Manicured trees & landscaped parks take a lot of active effort and expense, whereas forests are naturally homeostatic. The biodiversity in the latter is also beneficial to flora & fauna compared to the overly-sterile environment of traditional landscaping.

Re: The Miyawaki Method of micro-forestry

#20

Post by soperj »

PaulHoule wrote: post #9
tokai wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't know what counts as temperate core for you, but Japan is famous for its diverse climate zones.

Japan is mostly cold to temperate https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Climate_of_Japan except for some small islands like https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minamitorishima There's a lot of concern that tree-planting projects wind up like this https://e360.yale.edu/features/phantom-forests-tree-planting...

I mean, you have major tree planting happening every summer in Canada, and it's all around trying to mono-culture the entire country for the sake of timber companies. They immediately spray Glyphosate on areas burnt by forest fires, so that low value fire break species like Alder don't establish themselves in the area and then they can send in tree planters to plant higher value pine, which is a serotinous species, ie: promotes fire. Then they blame all the bush fires on Climate change.
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