AOKIGAHARA. Xoel Pampín Picallo Daniel Núñez Martínez Javier Rodríguez Llorca Arnaldo González Baña 2ºA

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1 Introduction: Aokigahara,also known as the Sea of Trees is a 35 km2 forest that lies at the north west base of Mount Fuji in Japam is on the Honshu Island. The forest contains a number of rocky, icy caverns, a few of which are popular tourist destinations. The forest, which has a historic association with demons in Japonese mythologi, is a popular place for suicides; in 2002, 78 bodies were found, despite numerous signs, in Japanese and English, urging people to reconsider their actions. Due to the wind-blocking density of the trees, and an absence of wildlife, the forest is known for being eerily quiet. The forest floor consists primarily of volcanic rock and is difficult to penetrate with hand tools such as picks or shovels. There are also a variety of unofficial trails that are used semi-regularly for the annual "body hunt" done by local volunteers, who mark their search areas with plastic tape. The plastic tape is never removed, so a great deal of it litters the first kilometer of the forest, past the designated trails leading to tourist attractions such as the Ice Cave and Wind Cave. After the first kilometer into Aokigahara towards Mount Fuji, the forest is in a much more "pristine" condition, with little to no litter and few obvious signs of human contact.

2 AOKIGAHARA Xoel Pampín Picallo Daniel Núñez Martínez Javier Rodríguez Llorca Arnaldo González Baña 2ºA

3 The forest is a popular place of suicides, reportedly the world's second most popular suicide location after San Francisco Golden Grate Birge. Since the 1950s, more than 500 people have lost their lives in the forest, mostly suicides, with an average of approximately 30 counted yearly. In 2002, 78 bodies were found within the forest.

4 Flora: Aokigahara Woodland native forest is formed on the lava flow eruption of Mt flowed around the 9th century. Conifers such as hemlock in many years cypress trees, those on the ground and a small gap of lava, exposed to strong and grows on the roots rotting fallen tree. Into the forest, the moss grows on a variety. Has become one of the most important elements of the Forest Environmental Actually, moss. Because the thin top soil and porous lava to instill in the ground early rain, the water necessary for the growth of trees because they are supplied with water-holding capacity of moss. Also dominate: White cedar:cupressus lusitanica is an evergreen conifer tree with a conic to ovoid-conic crown, growing to 40 m tall. The foliage grows in dense sprays, dark green to somewhat yellow-green in colour. Pines: Pines are trees in the genus Pinus,in the family Pinaceae. They make up the monotypic subfamily Pinoideae. There are about 115 species of pine, although different authorities accept between 105 and 125 species.

5 Boxwood: They are slow-growing evergreen shrubs and small trees, growing to 2 12 m (rarely 15 m) tall. The leaves are opposite, rounded to lanceolate, and leathery; they are small in most species, typically cm long and cm broad, but up to 11 cm long and 5 cm broad in B. macrocarpa. The flowers are small and yellow-green, monoecious with both sexes present on a plant. The fruit is a small capsule cm long (to 3 cm in B. macrocarpa), containing several small seeds.

6 Fauna: Aokigahara is a rich ecosystem with some 37 species of animal confirmed living there. Rare animals, including the Japanese serow (a type of antelope) as well as black bears can be seen. The area also has a rich birdlife population with some one fourth of Japan s birds living around the mountain. Of these birds, approximately 100 species have their breeding grounds in the wooded areas at the foot of the mountain. This includes rare species such as the Siberian Fly Catcher and Japanese Grey Thrush. In contrast to the area s rich avian population, because there are few above-ground water sources around the mountain, only seven amphibian species and five species of reptiles have been confirmed. Of particular interest are the rare grassland butterfly species that can be spotted in the forested area.