What Is a Miyawaki Forest?

The planet’s biodiversity is disappearing at an astonishing rate—and that’s a problem, as green spaces are beneficial to humans and non-humans on multiple levels. This is why some environmentalists advocate for creating “pocket forests,” particularly in urban areas.

One style of these of these intentionally cultivated clusters of plants is known as a Miyawaki forest; below, we offer a quick rundown of what such a forest entails.

1. The Origins of the Miyawaki Forest
2. How Miyawaki Forests Work
3. Miyawaki Forest Popularity Throughout the Years
4. The Pros and Cons of a Miyawaki Forest

The Origins of the Miyawaki Forest

Miyawaki forests are fast-growing plant groves that use native species to restore a region’s local ecosystems. The process of building one of these forests involves applying organic material over the planting site, planting native trees and shrubs that develop multiple canopy layers, and then planting more organic material over the forest floor to discourage weed development. The result is a quick-growing forest that aims to restore temperature regulation, carbon uptake, and overall balance in the region. 

Akira Miyawaki developed the concept of a Miyawaki forest in the 1970s after he identified the need to increase biodiversity at a quick pace. While standard trees can take about 100 years to reach full maturity, Miyawaki’s strategy was designed to quicken that maturation process; using his methodology, the forest takes just 15 to 30 years to fully develop.

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How Miyawaki Forests Work

While gardeners might be quick to discourage planting trees too close together, Wilson Alvarez—a woodland steward at the Horn Farm Center for Agricultural Education in Pennsylvania—explained that competition can be helpful for the ecosystem. In fact, fighting for resources is exactly what encourages them to grow quickly. 

The trees compete for sunlight; the roots and fungi work to improve nutrient absorption from the soil. The result seems to be an ecosystem that’s more efficient. Some estimates suggest that Miyawaki forests grow 10 times faster—and also 30 times denser and 100 times more biodiverse—than standard forests. The large array of plant species and the density of the grove also attracts pollinators and wildlife species to the area. 

Miyawaki Forest Popularity Throughout the Years

Miyawaki forests first started appearing in Japan in the 1970s. Japan’s Factory Location Law of 1973 was established to mandate production facility sizes while setting aside a certain amount of space for green zones on the premises; this law almost singlehandedly ensured the growth and support of Miyawaki forests across the country. 

And it wasn’t long before other countries began adopting this reforestation method—Miyawaki forests started appearing in Brazil, India, and Jordan and then came to the United States, where people in places like Massachusetts, Washington State, and California started adopting them. Today, there are more than 3000 Miyawaki forests across the globe. 

The Pros and Cons of a Miyawaki Forest

Earth has seen a 69 percent reduction in wildlife species  and a tremendous decline in overall biodiversity since 1970. As such, many advocates of Miyawaki forests point to their improved carbon uptake and support of local plants and animals as a reason to support the system—they argue that in theory, these forests could help undo some of the damage that’s been done to the planet. 

However, those who are opposed to this style of forest claim that they create a lack of genetic diversity—which could contribute to unhealthy forests over the course of time—and that the forests might end up in places where they don’t belong. What’s more is that establishing this type of forest is resource-intensive, and since the Miyawaki forest was created just over 50 years ago, there’s no long-term research to determine whether or not they will significantly contribute to the future health of an ecosystem.