The Asahi Forest: A Testament to Nature's Gifts and Home to Japanese Giant Salamanders

Welcome to the Asahi Forest, a sustainable sanctuary nestled in Hiroshima Prefecture. Owned by Asahi Group, the forest serves as an example of how a company can help protect nature and preserve sustainable forests through appropriate forest management. This article delves into the efforts undertaken to enhance biodiversity and water recharge within the Asahi Forest, thereby preserving forest functions that store, nurture, and protect water resources.

Asahi Group is deeply committed to preserving biodiversity. To this end, it has established three Asahi Forest Basic Principles for the Conservation of Biodiversity(*1): Protect, Use, and Collaborate.
(*1) Comprising ten initiatives and built on three fundamental principles: "Preserving Biodiversity in the Asahi Forest", "Efficiently Utilizing the Asahi Forest's Natural Gifts", and "Collective Action through the Asahi Forest".

Forest ecosystem-related field monitoring conducted in the Asahi Forest over multiple years since 2002 have so far identified 668 species of plants and 60 species of birds. Among these four plant species and 12 bird species have been designated as valuable species(*2). It is also home to a diverse range of other organisms, and its unique trait lies in the minimal presence of non-native species of both plants and animals.

These field monitoring has focused on plants and birds, via aerial photography, existing data, as well as visual observations by walking through the forest. Additionally, in 2021, we conducted environmental DNA analysis(*3) to better understand the ecosystem of the rivers flowing through the Asahi Forest.
(*2) Species designated in the Red Data Books of the Ministry of the Environment and Hiroshima Prefecture, designated as natural monuments by the national government, or designated under the Endangered Species Act
(*3) A method for detecting biological DNA in water and soil using state-of-the-art DNA analysis technology to determine habitat status

The Asahi Forest is also home to the Japanese giant salamander (Andrias japonicus), a special natural monument designated by Japanese government.

Analyses of river water at five different sites detected DNA from a total of seven species of fish, and at one site, the habitat of the Japanese giant salamander, a special natural monument designated by the national government, was also confirmed.
These results suggest that appropriate forest management, including forestation designed to balance plantation and naturally forested areas, is maintaining a healthy water ecosystem in the river that flows through the Asahi Forest.

The Asahi Forest conserves water resources through a process known as water recharge.
Water recharge refers to the process by which forests store water while protecting and nurturing itself.

In 2022, Asahi Group showcased the Asahi Forest project at the 15th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD COP15) held in Canada.

At CBD COP15, 23 global targets were set to halt the continued loss of biodiversity and begin to restore it moving forward. One such target is known as “30 by 30.” The objective is to effectively conserve 30% or more of the Earth’s land and sea as healthy ecosystems by 2030.
Asahi Group has been participating in the alliance working toward achieving 30 by 30 since 2022, and Mt. Kounomura, one of the 15 mountains in the Asahi Forest, has been officially certified to a Natural Symbiosis Site(*5).
(*5) Government-certified areas where biodiversity is being conserved through private initiatives, etc.