2026/07/27 by Masakazu Ota, Kentaro Takagi, Naishen Liang +2
Environmental Science · Social Sciences · #Earthquake and Disaster Impact Studies #Landfill Environmental Impact Studies #Turfgrass Adaptation and Management
paper · doi:10.1016/j.resconrec.2026.109089
openalex publication_date 2026/07/27 · openalex created_date 2026/07/28 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/29
To achieve carbon neutrality by 2050, Japan is revitalizing forestry. However, it is unclear which specific management methods should be implemented. Using a numerical model, we explore the carbon balance and economic outcomes of feasible management practices for Japanese cedar ( Cryptomeria japonica ) plantations, Japan’s most economically important forest type. We show that repeated 45-year rotation cycles maximize carbon dioxide sequestration and generate highest revenue from wood production. Applying this management to cedar stands in Japan, combined with utilization thinning and whole-tree harvesting, potentially contributes 35%–73% of Japan’s 2030 interim target of carbon dioxide absorption by forests, offsetting 1.4%–3.0% of the national net emission target. However, the sustainability of this approach depends on subsidies (coverage rates 0%–90%), which must cover over two-thirds of forestry costs. These findings indicate that continued and sufficient support for the forestry sector is essential to enable Japan’s aging cedar plantations to help achieve national carbon neutrality.