Strange 鈥渃rop-circle-like鈥� patterns can be seen in a Japanese forest, but there鈥檚 no need to stoke theories that they are some sort of alien artwork.
Photos of the circles have been and have ended up on several blogs and .
The pair of spiral formations 鈥� which can be seen on 鈥� are actually the result of experiments by the Japanese government conducted more than 50 years ago.
According to a from the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries, researchers had embarked on a project designed to examine tree spacing and its effect on growth.
According to the Japanese culture and art blog, , the project had designated the area as an 鈥渆xperimental forest鈥� near Nichinan City.
One of those experiments included researchers planting cedar trees spaced in ten-degree increments to eventually form ten concentric circles. This appears to have been done twice.
More than half a century later, the way the trees were planted produced a fanning pattern that can be seen from above.
Officials were planning on harvesting the trees in five years but, given the public interest, they said they鈥檙e now reconsidering the plan.
In 1973 an area of land near Nichinan City was designated for 鈥渆xperimental forestry鈥� by Japan鈥檚 Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. The experiment was carried out by planting trees in 10 degree radial increments forming 10 concentric circles of varying diameters.
鈥� UF/IFAS School of Forest Resources & Conservation (@SFRC_UF)
gov planted circles of cedars near Nichinan City in Miyazaki Prefecture in circles expanding incrementally into larger radius to test forest growth years later they are amazing forest circles.
鈥� Ausquerry.com (@Ausquerry)
Mysterious Circle Forest in Japan Is the Result of a 50-Year-Old Experiment
鈥� Hyrule Knight (@VezixHaikal)
