FOREST SCIENCE TOP
The Science of Forests = the Forest of Science
Forests contain multiple ecosystems and account for a third of the Earthfs land area. Humankind benefits greatly from forests, including their supply of wood and timber. The expanding scale of human activities is increasing the number of forests that are facing degradation and disappearing because of reckless utilization. However, people are still dependent on forests, and these serious problems cannot be solved without balancing conservation and development.
In this situation, how can we make use of the physical and cultural benefits that forests have to offer while still conserving forest ecosystems? The field of forest science considers such problems by studying the various functions of forest ecosystems and collecting knowledge about the judicious use of forests and reforestation. Forest science is characterized by the diversity reflected in forests themselves. Many research projects related to forest science are connected with different areas of study performed in other faculties of universities, and such projects are integrated within the Department of Forest Science using the keywords gforesth or gforestryh. The field is very interdisciplinary and universal.
We start with studying the plants, insects, fungi, and so on inhabiting forests, investigating the life forms, the interactions between them and their environment, and the relationship between ecosystems and the wider biological environment. Such studies are making great progress through the subdivision of specializations and the use of specific experimental techniques and analyses at each target level from genetics to whole biological systems.
Studies on numerous environmental issues, such as global warming, acid rain and desertification of tropical rainforests are being developed. These include basic scientific studies, as well as practical and applied studies that are useful for developing and protecting forests. It is for this reason that deeply investigating one specialized topic is not sufficient to clarify the various aspects and functions of forests. An integrated understanding of forest science is needed.
Studies on the relationship between forests and human beings are similar. Taking a forest science approach that includes systematized natural and social science information when studying the relationships between forests and the local people living in mountainous villages and those living in cities is important in order to apply these studies to forest development techniques and management strategies.
Forest science has a large research scope, covering a variety of subjects from local to international. Forest science is multi-disciplinary, but at the same time, profound. Each subject has an organic linkage to the others. Forest science will contribute to addressing the problems facing our forests, and the Department of Forest Science welcomes eager students and researchers to come study with us.
Forest science, which aspires to comprehensiveness amidst diversity, emphasizes a fieldwork-based approach to learning. Students gain personal experience in actual woodlands and forestry sites, mastering their knowledge of survey methods in actual forest settings, including through practical training in university forests. In senior research projects, students studying forest science can engage with cutting-edge challenges in each field of specialization, and a viewpoint toward analyzing forests comprehensively is cultivated throughout the entire curriculum. Forest science is an extremely rewarding field of inquiry that tackles issues broadly synonymous with the management of the earth's environment and resources.

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@Department of Forest Science, The University of Tokyo