France, the Land of Broadleaf Trees: From 'Right Tree, Right Place' to Natural Forestry

2024/09/06

It all started with a simple 'discovery.'

First, France is a forested nation that has restored its greenery over a long period. Second, its methods are based on the tradition of 'the right tree for the right place,' suited to its diverse, mosaic-like terrain. Furthermore, the journeys of the individuals who inherited and developed these methods contain more drama than a historical novel.

It was nearly 30 years ago that I went to France to verify this realization on the ground. After leaving my job at a professional journal for Official Development Assistance (ODA), I enrolled in a master's program at the University of Paris to study France's ecosystems and forest management systems.

Fortunately, guided by many encounters with nature and people, I was able to compile all my local observations into a thesis in French by the time my third summer in Paris came to an end.

Since then, France has increased its forest coverage from one-quarter to one-third of its land area. It has also recovered from the worst cyclone damage of the 20th century. Furthermore, while leading international climate change measures, it is pushing forward with a forestry transition in line with decentralization reforms.

It has been a very long hiatus, but I feel that now is actually the perfect time to write about the progress made during that period as a Japanese-language book.

That is what this new book is about. Surprisingly, this is the first book in Japan to focus on the theme of French forests and forestry.

The book is divided into three parts: forest ecosystems and forestry since the time of Gaul; the history of forest restoration utilizing unique techniques such as 'multi-storied forests' and the 'control method'; and a comparison of Japanese and French forests and forestry, including the introductory period of French forest science.

A common keyword across these three parts is 'broadleaf forestry,' which emerged from the plains that make up 70% of France's land. While the forestry industry is currently experiencing a kind of broadleaf boom, the French forestry method can clearly be seen as its pioneer.

However, the elegant and majestic image of France that many people have is not found here. Instead, the focus is on the 'spirit of miscellaneous trees' (zoki-damashii)—the struggle through obscure, narrow paths and the honest, persistent questioning of what nature truly is.

France, the forested nation that no one talked about. Reviving natural vegetation. Moving forward, by taking these realities into account and retracing modern Western European history through the lens of forest history, there are likely to be new 'discoveries' to be made.

France, the Land of Broadleaf Trees: From 'Right Tree, Right Place' to Natural Forestry

Hitoshi Kadowaki

Tsukiji Shokan

304 pages, 2,640 yen (tax included)

*Affiliations and titles are as of the time of publication.