By Sapana Maurya, Sakshi Shukla and Ishita Praveen
Miyawaki method is an unique and innovative method named after a Japanese botanist Akira Miyawaki in the 1980s.
Source: Hindustan Times
He formulated this method by compressing different layers of forests – shrub, sub-tree, tree, canopy on small land like backyard to build dense forest in a very short period of time.
Source: Richmond News
Akira Miyawaki first identified the potential natural vegetation of a particular area. He then improved the soil of future forests using local, easily available, sustainable materials like rice husks. Fifty to hundred native species were planted in a random mix. The seedlings were planted very densely (20,000 to 30,000 per hectare in contrast to 1,000 per hectares in commercial forestry), which not only saves space but also supports each other in growth which ultimately blocks sunlight from reaching ground, thereby preventing growth of weeds. The site was monitored for a period of 2-3 years. He noticed that forests became self-sustainable after a period of 3 years.
His method became very popular as it ensured plant growth to be 10 times faster & 30 times denser than usual forest. As we know, Earth is losing its forest at very fast pace. As per Washington post, the world has lost 129 million hectares of forests from 1990 to 2015 which is equal to “ Two Texas's'' .Therefore, urban afforestation is the only way to increase forest cover.
In this method, the maximum possible variety of native species of plants is grown. Along with existing soil, a combination of inputs is involved to ensure growth of forests. Use of chemicals is avoided in this method. The practice of Miyawaki method is preceded by studying and understanding of the soil, water and kind of nutrition, which will make the soil conducive for creating forests. Species of plants native to a given area are also identified. As Dr. Miyawaki considers forest as a place so dense with natural vegetation that a person can't even walk into it, so is the outcome of the Miyawaki method. The plants are grown close to each other so as to develop dense forest, not allowing sunlight to reach the ground, preventing production of weeds. Straw is also spread all over the ground surface to conserve the moisture from the trees and plants, which leads to faster growth of the forest. The forest erected through this method develops a distinctive flora community where species of trees support each other. In this way, they keep growing and surviving together after some years of maintenance.
Source: Reforest's Action
The forests grown with the help of Miyawaki method are attributed to be beneficial for the conservation and enrichment of biodiversity. This is because it proliferates various native species of vegetation, which in turn support different species of animals, insects, etc. So, diverse flora attracts a huge range of fauna as well, making the biodiversity of an area richer. Since the vegetation of these forests is native, it is tolerant of the environmental conditions.
The dense forests do not allow rainwater to evaporate back into the atmosphere. Also, the roots of these trees penetrate deep into the ground, thus they allow rainwater to seep directly into the water table, so they conserve water and stabilise moisture in the air. Thus, these forests are really good for recharging underground water and controlling the moisture regime.
These forests act as excellent carbon sinks. With global warming advancing, the Miyawaki method will be helpful in producing healthy forests that are able to absorb more and more carbon in the atmosphere.
The Miyazaki method can be used to grow urban forests, which will act as pollution sinks in urban areas, making the pollution tolerable. Practice of this method can help in reducing the abundance of one-species forests and fuel the growth of mixed forests, which have been shown as more productive than monocultures in studies.
Under the Paris agreement, India has promised to increase its forest cover from 25 to 33 % by promoting urban forests.
MIYAWAKI FORESTS IN INDIA (WITH SPECIAL MENTION OF DELHI)
Looking at their existence in India, we find that there are hundreds of thousands of Miyawaki forests in India, right from Thiruvananthapuram to New Delhi.
The 4.75 acres of Miyawaki forest created on Indian Railway Institute of Disaster Management land in Hejjala, Mysore Road, is the largest man-made forest in Bengaluru. Over the past few years, Miyawaki forest projects have been literally springing up all over the country. The Telangana State Government is experimenting with a version of Miyawaki through the ‘Yadadri’ method of dense plantation with no definite spacing between the saplings, which has shown good results in Warangal. However, In Tamil Nadu, green warriors are trying to evolve a backyard forest model that will be an income generator for small-scale farmers while rejuvenating local ecology.
Trying to look into the Miyawakis in Delhi, we observe that there are ample of Miyawaki forests in areas like Mayur Vihar and Kanganheri. Varshney’s NGO created its first Miyawaki forest in 2020 at Brahma apartments in Dwarka’s sector 7, followed by forests in Kanganheri village in Kapasheri, the Badu Sarai village in southwest Delhi. One of the Miyawaki forests has been in Palwal and more recently, a Miyawaki forest in a Delhi government school in West Vinod Nagar. Another prime example of a densely packed Miyawaki forest exists in the heart of Delhi at ITO, where over 12,000 species have been planted by the Union environment ministry near the CAG building. Around 59 different species have been used there, with the Miyawaki forest inaugurated in 2020 by the then Union environment minister Prakash Javadekar. EDMC has already created two Miyawaki forests under their jurisdiction in the last one year, both in Mayur Vihar Phase-III. Work on the first began in June 2021 with 7,000 saplings of 26 different species over 2,200sqm area, and the second project started in December last year with over 7,000 saplings spread across 3,103sqm. Such have been Miyawaki forests, around India and specifically in Delhi.
Source: Hindustan Times
DRAWBACKS OF MIYAWAKI FORESTS
So far, we have known about Miyawaki forests as a Japanese technique of growing dense plantations in a short time and its larger benefits like, lowering temperature in hot islands, reducing air and noise pollution and many more. However, we also cannot deny the fact that every coin has two sides. Similarly, along with the advantages, the Miyawaki forests have drawbacks too. Some of them are furnished as follows:-
1. The kinds of woods they own cannot bring in rain.
2. They also do not have the medicinal properties that natural forests have.
3. It’s also argued that this method is only successful in smaller spaces or places that are close to cities.
4. Also, It is not so feasible for a tropical country like India.
It’s now being said that the uncontrolled deforestation can be justified by adopting more techniques for Miyawaki forests. However, we also need to keep in mind that nothing can ever substitute the natural forests. So, it shouldn't have been seen as such. Undoubtedly, these forests have helped increase the city’s green cover and generated a lot of optimism. But, environmentalists have expressed doubts about the method and clarified that while such forests do have advantages, they cannot serve as replacements for natural forests.
Also, Environmentalist Yellappa Reddy questions the efficacy of the method that accelerates the growth of trees and claims to match a forest’s complex ecosystem. “It is not a good idea to force plants to photosynthesise fast. Also, a forest is not just the trees, but a complex ecosystem,” he says.
Although Miyawaki forests have grown fast and easy but are not able to meet the fundamental principles of ecological restoration. Also, they are expensive and have unclear benefits.
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