(b) Genya, or "wild" lands: Grrass or saea (dwarf 

 bamboo) covering. Exact extent unknown, but may 

 reach 20 percent of total area. 



(c) Barren, waste, and eroded land: Probably two per- 

 cent of area. 



(d) Marahea , water surface, miscellaneous: Three per- 

 cent of area. 



(e) Trees, coppice, and brush: 53 percent of total 

 area. 



(2) Appearance of present "forests" 



(a) Remaining virgin stands few. 



(b) Monocultural plantings frequent; cryptomeria, pine, 

 cypress. 



(c) Probably 60 percent of "forest" is brush and 

 coppice for charcoal and firewood. Oaks are the 

 principal species. 



(d) Approximately five percent of the forest acreage is 

 cut-over lemd at any given time. 



(e) Greater part of the standing timber under 30 years 

 of eige. 



(3) Natural vegetation has been changed least in northern 

 conifer areas; most in the evergreen hardwood and culti- 

 vated areas. 



8. SOILS (See plates 6 and 7) 



a. Origin and distribution 



(1) Mineral soils are derived from igneous, volcanic, and 

 sedimentary rocks, volcanic ash, tuffs, alluvial and 

 colluvial materials, and unconsolidated marine sedi- 

 ments. Peats (bog soils) are formed from residues of 

 decayed vegetation of mafshlajid species. Most areas of 

 peat soils are in Hokkaido and northern Honshu. 



(2) Thin, stony soils (Lithosols) of rugged hill and moun- 

 tain areas predominate throughout Japan. They are 

 chiefly forest lands. 



(3) The best agricultural soils are centered in a number of 

 wide plains and extend into rougher areas along stream 

 valleys and on lower slopes. Such soil areas comprise 

 only 18 percent of the total area of Japan. 



(4) Sandy soils are distributed along almost all sea coasts. 



14 



