Hokkaido forest research station, Field Science Education and Research Center, Kyoto University is composed of two branches, Shibecha (1,447ha) and Shiranuka (880ha), which founded in 1949 and 1950, respectively. -----Shibecha Branch----- Shibecha Branch is located on N43°19', E144°37', Shibecha town, Kakawami-gun, Hokkaido prefecture, Japan. The climate is strongly influenced by the Pacific Ocean, which is characterized by sea fog and cloudy weather in summer, and cold and dry weather in winter. The mean annual precipitation and air temperature from 1986–2015 were 1189 mm and 6.3°C, respectively. The soil of the study site is characterized as andosol. The natural forest of Shibecha Branch is cool-temperate deciduous broad-leaved forest, and is typically dominated by Quercus crispula, Ulmus davidiana var. japonica, Fraxinus mandshurica var. japonica, Acer pictum subsp. mono, Phellodendron amurense and Kalopanax pictus. The forest floor is covered densely with dwarf bamboo (Sasa nipponica). The riparian forest of Shibecha Branch is dominated by Ulmus davidiana var. japonica, Fraxinus mandshurica var. japonica and several Salix species. The plantation forests is 29% of the total area, mainly Pseudolarix kaempferi, Abies sachalinensis, and Picea glehnii. Most plantations were established after clear cutting of natural forests from the 1960s to 1980s. Selective cutting was carried out around the 1950s throughout the residual natural forest area of Shibecha Branch. -----Shiranuka Branch----- Shiranuka branch is located on N43°01', E143°57', Shiranuka town, Shiranuka-gun, Hokkaido prefecture, Japan. The climate in Shiranuka branch is more influenced by the Pacific Ocean than Shibecha branch because it is closer to the ocean. It is cooler than Shibecha due to intense sea fog in summer, while warmer and less snow in winter. The mean annual precipitation and air temperature from 1986–2015 were 1300.8 mm and 7.1°C, respectively. The soil of the study site is characterized as andosol. The forest of Shibecha Branch is mostly natural mixed stands with conifers and deciduous broad-leaved trees. The forest floor is covered with dwarf bamboo (Sasa nipponica) whose heights are shorter than those of the Shibecha branch. The tree species diversity of Shiranuka branch is higher than Shibecha branch. The plantation forests is 14% of the total area, mainly Pseudolarix kaempferi, Abies sachalinensis, and Picea glehnii. Most plantations were established after clear cutting of natural forests from the 1960s to 1980s.

Ashiu Forest Research Station is located in the northeastern border part of Kyoto Prefecture in main island Honshu and stretches 6km east to west and 7km north to south in a rectangular shape. The area is characterized by high relief with altitudes ranging from 355 to 959 m above the sea level and encompasses the headwater zones of Yura River flowing into Wakasa bay, the Sea of Japan. This region is situated in the transition part between cool temperate forests and warm temperate forests. There is a heavy snowfall ranging from 1 to 3m in winter seasons. More than half of Ashiu Forest Research Station is covered with old-growth forests. In cool temperate forests above 600m altitude, the main species are beech (Fagus crenata), Japanese ceder (Cryptomeria japonica), deciduous oak (Quercus crispula). In warm temperate forests under 600m altitude, evergreen and deciduous oaks (Quercus salicina and Quercus sessilifolia) can be seen. There are two noteworthy characteristics in Ashiu Forest Research Station. Firstly, its high biodiversity. Since the establishment of the Research Station in 1921, new plant or vertebrate species/ varieties have been found. 801 woody, herbaceous and fern species have been recorded (Yasuda and Nagamasu 1995). Nationally protected species such as Japanese serow (Capricornis crispus) and Giant Saramander (Andrias japonicas) can be seen. Secondly, Ashiu Forest Research Station has been used not only for research and education but also for ecotourism by local stakeholders for more than 20 years, which has great opportunities for inter- and transdisciplinary studies.