Characteristics of a Forest Underlying Nara Park’s Beautiful Landscapes and its Forming Process in its Wooded Flat Areas Home to Deer as Major Inhabitants

• Published in: Landscape Research Japan Online Vol. 13; pp. 59 - 69
• Main Authors: SASAKI, Koji, MASUDA, Noboru, IHARA, Yukari, TAKEDA, Hiroyasu, KAGA, Hiroyuki
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English; Japanese
• Published: Japanese Institute of Landscape Architecture 20.11.2020
• Subjects: deer; formation mechanism; Nara Park; scenic beauty; woods
• ISSN: 1883-261X; 1883-261X
• DOI: 10.5632/jilaonline.13.59

This study aims to clarify forest characteristics and formation process of wooded flat areas inhabited by deer in Nara Park, known for its beautiful scenic landscape, and to explore key factors contributing to the forest formation. We probed into a wide range of past and present documents relating to afforestation of the park, including those written in the Edo period before the park opened. The study found that the wooded areas are classified into six categories, each dominantly comprising a group of tall trees. It has also revealed that there are three factors that have shaped their distinctive forest formation, including the eating habit of deer inhabiting Nara Park, preservation of historical or cultural spaces of religious, historical, or cultural values, and landscape creation based upon newly developed or improved park environments of integrative and scenic values, while presenting basic concepts conducive to future forest protection and sustainability in response to each formation factor.