This cedar forest in Miyazaki Prefecture has unusual tree rings, it is clearly not a random growth.

A few years ago, the internet spread about some strange photos from above, raising suspicions from aliens or secret government experiments. It was only later that people learned the truth, these strange photos are related to the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. In the city of Nichinan, there is an area designated as “experimental forestry” and the result is a forest with strange tree circles.

This experiment involves measuring the growth effects of plants. They planted the cedars 10 degrees apart to eventually form 10 more and more compact concentric circles.

Fifty years later, the researchers discovered that the experiment demonstrated that planting density had an effect on growth. Cedars that are too close together will be shorter than cedars in more sparsely planted outer circles. As a result, the concentric pattern is concave.

According to the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, the height difference between the smallest trees in the center of the concentric shape and the tallest trees in the outer ring is more than 5 meters.

The researchers concluded that trees in less dense areas had more access to natural resources, while trees in the center had to compete for both sunlight and nutrients. This affects their development.

The fascinating experiment that lasted nearly half a century is coming to an end. According to Spoon and Tamago, the cedars in the area, including both concentric acres, will be harvested in about two years. However, following the attention the mysterious circles have received on social media, authorities are debating the possibility of postponing the harvest for a few more years.