Vernacular houses constructed using local woods contain information about forest-resource use. To clarify how timber was used to construct wooden farmhouses, we identified the timber species composition of 11 houses built between 1845 and about 1940 in Tadami, a snowy rural area in northeastern Japan, and interviewed 70 residents. We recorded 2004 timber parts (99–308 parts per house) and 171.2 m³ (1828 parts) of known species (14 taxa). Cryptomeria japonica (cedar) and Pinus parviflora var. pentaphylla (white pine) were used for all essential structural parts and accounted for 44% and 39% of the total timber volume, respectively. Fagus crenata (beech) was the third most commonly used species (7%), for roof supports, beams, and girders. The interviews revealed that the timber was typically sourced from local private or common woodlands within 1 km and that local craftsmen selected and hauled the trees. Considering the region's unique and complex vegetation, as land-cover distribution is strongly influenced by frequent avalanches, the timber was likely managed within local stands of tall trees, and the most available species would have been cedar (although whether native or planted is unknown), followed by native white pine on mountain ridges around settlements. In comparison, beech stands that could supply sufficient amounts of timber might have been limited. Based on the characteristics of the trees used as house timber in Tadami, we conclude that despite the surrounding harsh, snowy conditions, locally available species of tall trees were historically selected for timbers.

中文翻译：

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优化日本东北部雪域乡村传统农舍结构木材的树种选择

使用当地木材建造的民居房屋包含有关森林资源利用的信息。为了弄清楚如何使用木材建造木制农舍，我们确定了日本东北部雪乡只见地区 1845 年至 1940 年左右建造的 11 栋房屋的木材种类组成，并采访了 70 名居民。我们记录了 2004 个木材部分（每间房屋 99-308 个部分）和 171.2 m ³（1828 个部分）已知物种（14 个分类群）。柳杉（ Crypomeria japonica）和小花松（Pinus parviflora var.）pentaphylla（白松）用于所有重要的结构部件，分别占木材总体积的 44% 和 39%。Fagus crenata（山毛榉）是第三大最常用的树种（7%），用于屋顶支撑、横梁和大梁。采访显示，木材通常取自当地一公里范围内的私人或公共林地，由当地工匠挑选和拖运。考虑到该地区独特而复杂的植被，由于土地覆盖分布受到频繁雪崩的强烈影响，木材很可能是在当地高大的树木中进行管理的，最可用的树种是雪松（尽管未知是本地的还是种植的）其次是定居点周围山脊上的原生白松。相比之下，能够提供足够木材的山毛榉林可能是有限的。根据只见地区用作房屋木材的树木的特征，我们得出的结论是，尽管周围环境恶劣，多雪，但历史上还是选择了当地可用的高大树木树种作为木材。