Predictions/Research of the Japanese Temperate Rainforest in the Future
Due to rising sea levels as a result of global warming, Japan may expect flooding of coastal lowlands, which would mean the loss of coastal areas of the temperate rainforest. Another problem with global warming is the heat it brings to the Japanese temperate rainforest. This heat would warm the rivers and streams, making it unsuitable for some animal species to survive. This heat is also a concern due to its effect on Japanese cedar, which is vulnerable to high temperatures and drought. It can be expected that this tree will decrease 10% its current range by the end of the century. Due to Japan’s rising economy, the portions of the forest was cut down to supply materials for building. However, Japan is now taking steps in order preserve the Japanese rainforest. They have regulations decreasing the amount of trees allowed to be cut down. Japan is also using different methods for getting energy naturally, such as nuclear power, in order to reduce dependency on foreign fuel and local forests, and also to generally reduce its national gas emissions.