Miyawaki Technique

Context

Japan-inspired Miyawaki forests have emerged as a popular solution to restoring degraded habitats in the country, in recent times.

About Technique

• Invented by and named after Japanese botanist Akira Miyawaki, the ‘Miyawaki Method’ is a unique technique to grow forests.
• Under the approach, dozens of native species are planted in the same area, close to each other, which ensures that the plants receive sunlight only from the top, and grow upwards than sideways.
• It requires very little space (a minimum of 20 square feet), plants grow ten times faster, and the forest becomes maintenance-free in three years.

Steps in the process

• This technique is a 6 step process:

1. 1. Indentify the native species
   2. Division- For a multi-layered process, choose different species of plants like shrub layer (6 feet), sub-tree layer (6-12 feet), tree layer (20-40 feet) and canopy layer (above 40 feet). Do not place the same species next to each other.
   3. Prepare the soil
   4. Plant- Dig a one-metre-deep pit and plant 3-5 native saplings per square metre. Maintain a distance of 60 centimetres between the saplings and level the soil around the stem of the plant.
   5. Insert sticks-To ensure that plants do not bend in the initial period, insert support sticks inside the soil. 
   6. Monitor

Advantage of this technique

• Faster, denser and diverse: Mini forests grow 10 times faster and become 30 times denser and 100 times more bio-diverse than those planted through conventional methods. 
• Easy maintenance: It is not a garden, which needs long-term maintenance, where grass needs trimming or watering is done regularly.
• Re-generation of land: Miyawaki forests are designed to regenerate land in far less time than the time it takes a forest to recover on its own, which is over 70 years. 
• Solving environmental problems: The urban forests also help lower temperatures in concrete heat islands, reduce air and noise pollution, attract local birds and insects, and create carbon sinks.
• Strengthening biodiversity: Besides contributing to the green cover, the presence of urban forests also aids in strengthening the biodiversity in the neighbourhood.