What brought the differences in the protection forest systems between Taiwan and Japan after World War II

A protection forest system is a forest conservation system that aims to conserve forests by regulating their development and use to ensure public benefit functions such as water source conservation and landslide prevention. Such a system was introduced in Japan in 1897 and in Taiwan, under Japanese rule, in 1907, and continues to be in effect even today. Although toward the end of World War II Protection Forest areas in both Taiwan and Japan were governed by similar regulations and were almost the same percentage of area, presently, there are vast differences between the two. This study aims to clarify what brought the differences in the Protection Forest System between Taiwan and Japan after the end of Japanese rule over Taiwan. The transition process from the initial to the current state of the Protection Forest System in Taiwan and Japan is identified through a literature review, followed by an interview survey to understand the current operation in terms of jurisdiction and management, designation, and revocation. The relationship between Protection Forest Systems and (1) land conservation policies, (2) forest ownership type, (3) impact of global warming issues, and (4) points emphasized in protection forest system operation were found to make a significant difference. While Taiwan emphasized regulating forest operations, Japan emphasized regulating forest conversion. These findings suggest that when establishing common standards, the system’s effectiveness, operation, and role in a specific country or region must be considered.