Mysterious tree circles in Japan are the result of a 50-year experiment

A few years ago, photographs of bizarre circles of trees in the forest of Japan's Miyazaki Prefecture appeared online. The pictures were taken from a bird's eye view and there was little belief in their reality. The trees didn't just grow in concentric circles. They were also lined up in rows like rays, from the center of the circle to its edge. Internet users made many assumptions about this mysterious phenomenon. Some claimed that these were the tricks of skilled Photoshoppers, others suspected aliens, as in the case of crop circles. But everything turned out to be much simpler.

A cedar forest in Miyazaki Prefecture, part of which grows in regular circles, is the result of an experiment. And not at all secret, carried out by the special services, but the most ordinary one. It was carried out by biologists commissioned by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Japan.

Back in 1973, a plot of land was allocated for scientific work near the city of Nitinan. It was an experimental forestry operation studying an important problem. Biologists wanted to find out how the distance between trees affects their growth. The cedars were planted in ten degree increments. It was they who ultimately formed ten concentric circles. Towards the center of the circle, the distance between plants decreases.

As the conifers grew, the distance between them decreased. The radial rows became increasingly compact. Now, 50 years later, it is clearly visible that distance actually affects the growth of trees. The cedars planted closer to the center grew small. The tallest and most spreading trees were in the outer circles.

Measurements taken after the experiment was completed showed impressive results. Trees growing in close quarters were an average of 5 meters shorter than their peers. Cedars with a greater distance between them received enough resources for rapid growth. Trees planted closer to the center were forced to compete among themselves for sunlight, moisture and nutrients.

The half-century experiment has come to an end. At first, forestry workers planned to cut down the experimental cedars by 2023. But after consulting, we decided to leave them anyway. The popularity that intriguing pictures received on the Internet played a significant role in saving the trees.

Due to the fact that in 2016, intriguing photos of the unusual forest found their way onto the Internet and created a stir around the experiment, it was decided to leave the unusual forest as a tourist destination.