本文初步描繪臺灣總督府中央研究所林業部成立之經緯,並分析該部人事結構,試圖說明林業部在日治時期臺灣林學研究發展史之角色。經由本文研究,林業試驗場改編成中央研究所林業部,不僅位階提升,研究資源與學術制度更見改善,原場計有11人留任,若以技師、技手總數27人計算,占40.74%,顯示林業部與林業試驗場的人事具一定程度的延續性。林業部不僅在人事結構得以延續林試場以來的傳統,更承襲其研究主題繼續深化與開展,讓日治時期臺灣的林學研究得以穩健的發展。另一方面,林業部的人事結構主要由本州出身者占多數,以總數23人計算,農林專業出身者占78.26%,專業素質相當高,其中,以東京帝國大學出身占30.43%,由此可知,其人員學術背景以東京帝國大學出身比例最高;此亦顯示,自林業試驗場以來臺灣林業實驗系統的學術淵源與東京帝國大學的關係最深。而歷經日本領臺以來二十餘年的發展,臺灣的林學研究更具獨立性,此時研究重心已由東京帝國大學轉入島內的中央研究所林業部,進而因爲政策要求的轉移,林業部之林學研究系統往後更由臺北帝國大學接手,就學術史而言,林業部的成立確實具有承先啟後的歷史意義。
This article provides a preliminary description of the main points of the establishment of Department of Forestry of The Central Research Institute of Taiwan Government-General, as well as an analysis of the department's personnel structure, endeavoring to explain its historical role in the development of forestry research during Japan's occupation of Taiwan. According to research conducted for this article, The Forestry Experimental Station was reformed and renamed the Department of Forestry of The Central Research Institute, which not only elevated it in the organizational hierarchy, but also largely improved its research resources and academic system. There were 11 staff members who were retained in their positions, making up 40.74% of the entire total of 27 technicians and technical assistants. This demonstrates that there was a degree of continuity in staff structure between the Department of Forestry and the Forestry Experimental Station. The Department of Forestry not only retained the Forestry Experimental Station's staff structure traditions, but also inherited its research subjects, continuing to deepen and expand, which allowed forestry studies to develop steadily and strongly during the period of Japan's occupation of Taiwan. On the other hand, the staff of the Department of Forestry in the majority consisted of personnel from Honshu, Japan. Among the 23 staff members, those who had a professional background in agriculture or forestry accounted for 78.26%, possessing a high standard of professional knowledge, and among these members, 30.43% were graduates of Tokyo Imperial University. From this it can be seen that the percentage of personnel with academic backgrounds as graduates of Tokyo Imperial University was the highest. It is also evident that the academic origins of Taiwan's Forestry Experiment Station and Forestry experiment system have the deepest ties to Tokyo Imperial University. After undergoing more than 20 years of development under Japan's governorship, Taiwan's Forestry Research Institute became more independent. By this time, the responsibility for carrying out the core research had been transferred from Tokyo Imperial University to the Department of Forestry of The Central Research Institute. Due to policy demands, the Department of Forestry's forestry research system was later passed on to Taipei Imperial University to take over. Therefore, as far as academic history is concerned, the establishment of the Department of Forestry truly has historical significance in its example of adopting the teachings handed down from the past as well as opening new frontiers.