It has been repeatedly pointed out that denuded lands distributed in the granite regions have historic backgrounds and relations with the advances of civilization. On the other hand, however, we know a great many non-denuded lands which border on the denuded granite regions and seem to had been attacked by same intensities of human agencies.
This leads to the conclusion that the denuded mountain is a landscape characteristic of the geology.
Therefore it is probable that the process of devastation and rehabilitation of the forest soils in those regions is quite peculiar.
Mie Prefecture is one of the most famous regions which has immense areas of the denuded lands. They were once productive forests. At the later period a great many trees in those forests had been felled down and transported for the construction of the Todaiji Temple and other temples or shrines in Nara City and its neighborhood.
Since the forest had continued to be devastated increasingly more severely until the Sabo-work based on modern scientific technics had been carried out in the Meiji era (1868-1911 A. D.).
The writer had a favorable chance to survey the Sabo-forests in Mie Prefecture by request from Kinki Chiho Kensetsukyoku (Kinki Regional Construction Bureau) Authorities.
On completion of this report, J express my profound gratitude to Mr. T. Tsutsumi, Assistant Professor of Kyoto University, for his kind and valuable guidance. His reports concerning the soils of Sabo-forests in Kurita, Rokko, Tamano, Saijo, and Kure District have offered me many instructive ways of investigation.
Thanks are extended also to Dr. T. Shidei, Dr. N. Shibata of Kyoto University and Dr. K. Murakami, Prof. T. Narita, Prof. T. Tooyama, and Assistant Professor T. Miyake of Shimane Agricultural College, for their helpful advices.