Chiba Ensyurin Ikimono Guidebook (The University of Tokyo Chiba Forest Living Organism Guidebook)

The University of Tokyo Chiba Forest (UTCBF), located in Bōsō Hills, is one of the most biodiverse environments still present within Chiba Prefecture. This guidebook introduces the organisms found in the UTCBF, as selected by the UTCBF staff. The photos presented in this book were taken primarily as part of their daily research and work. If you take a walk through the UTCBF with this guidebook in hand, you may well make a new discovery!
 
Approximately 1,000 species of plants grow in the UTCBF. Of these, there are around 280 species of trees and more than 120 species of ferns, making the forest very rich in flora. The plant section of this book introduces the trees that characterize the three types of forests found within the UTCBF, namely planted forests, natural mixed conifer-hardwood forests, and natural broad-leaved forests. Also included is a selection of plants with distinctive features that are found along the forest roads and sidewalks—including in particular those with distinctive flowers and fruits, depending on the season.
 
Accordingly, many animals also live in the rich flora found in the UTCBF. There are approximately 20 species of mammals and nearly 100 species of birds. The major groups of insects that exist in the forest include 45 species of butterflies, 1,700 species of moths, and more than 1,200 species of beetles. In the animal section of this book, you will find a selection of species that are most commonly found in the UTCBF, as well as species that represent this region. The book also introduces noteworthy organisms that may be harmful to both forests and humans, such as an alien species.
 
The University of Tokyo Forests Press is a unique publishing house independently operated by one of the affiliated facilities of the University of Tokyo, i.e., the University of Tokyo Forests (UTF), Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences. This press publishes books, leaflets, and booklets authored mainly by the staff of UTF, and a summary of each publication can be viewed on the UTF website (https://www.uf.a.u-tokyo.ac.jp/publish/). Reading these items before visiting the forests would enable one to enjoy them better. The publications can be purchased at the Faculty of Agriculture shop and the Komaba Shop of the University of Tokyo Co-op.
 

(Written by GOTO Susumu, Associate Professor, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences / 2021)