This is the southernmost university training forest in Japan, located in the Yanbaru region in the northern part of Okinawa''s main island.A variety of trees make up the highly diverse forest. The training forest was established in 1954. It is located on the west side of the Seiryo Mountains in Kunigami Village, and is leased from the 76-79 stock group of the prefectural forest.,Subtropical evergreen broadleaf forests dominated by Japanese knotweed and iju are widespread.Ten percent of the total area has been converted to planted forests of Ryukyu pine, cedar, iju, and Japanese cypress.,In March 2013, a 15-meter-high observation tower will be installed on the ridge of Group 79.Located in the southernmost part of Japan, the tower is expected to play a major role in clarifying the actual conditions of the material canopy of subtropical forests, where little is known.Observation of water, heat, and CO2 fluxes between the forest and the atmosphere has begun at the tower.In a 0.25 ha plot centered on the tower, regular surveys of tree growth, leaf area index, litterfall, and soil respiration are also being conducted.
