CONSTRUCTION OF GRAND DESIGN FOR LOCAL ENVIRONMENT ASSOCIATED WITH THE REED FIELD OF THE KITAKAMI RIVER ESTUARY

2003 Fiscal Year Final Research Report Summary

• Project/Area Number: 14380262
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: 環境保全
• Research Institution: Iwate University
• Principal Investigator: MAKI Yonosuke IWATE UNIV., FAC.HUM. & SOC.SCI., PROF., 人文社会科学部, 教授 (90048520)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): HIRAKI Tatsumi IWATE UNIV., FAC.HUM. & SOC.SCI., ASSIST.PROF., 人文社会科学部, 助教授 (50181152) ; KITAZUME Eiichi IWATE UNIV., FAC.HUM. & SOC.SCI., PROF., 人文社会科学部, 教授 (00186248) ; YOSHIDA Shouichi IWATE UNIV., FAC.HUM. & SOC.SCI., PROF., 人文社会科学部, 教授 (50083407) ; SASAO Toshiaki IWATE UNIV., FAC.HUM. & SOC.SCI., LECT.PROF., 人文社会科学部, 講師 (90322958) ; TSUKAMOTO Yoshihiro IWATE UNIV., FAC.HUM. & SOC.SCI., ASSIST.PROF., 人文社会科学部, 助教授 (70322956)
• Project Period (FY): 2002 – 2003
• Keywords: sulfur isotope composition / zoobenthos / landscape experience / environmental endocrine disrupter / fire effect / environmental education / environmental valuation / ecosystem approach

Research Abstract

It is very important to respect local residents' environmetal values in considering how to conserve and design the most appropriate environment for them. This study aimed at proposing basic ideas in planning environmental design in the estuary of the Kitakami River, where the residents have been deeply involved in the reed field in many respects. Ecological studies revealed the importance of shallow lagoons and a great deal of mud for Corbicula japomca, Eriocheir japonica and other various macrozoobenthos. The results of chemical analysis indicated cleaning effect by reed plants for DOP(di-octyl phthalic acid ester). Phramites australis recycled 20g-nitrogen/m^2 between leaf-stem and root counterparts during the life cycle. The effects of burning and cutting of reed plant were apparent in both soil macrofauna and soil seed bank. Between the residents of the estuary and those of the upper stream district, there was a large gap in evaluation of conserving the reed field. And it was sugge sted that the support by a local government for a citizens' non-profit organization is indispensable. The results of economical valuation of the reed field showed that the people around the upper stream place a higher value on protecting the reed field than those around the lower stream, while the lower stream residents assessed waste or drift wood and providing places for recreation more positively. According to the anthropological ethical reexamination of the idea of a landscape, it is advisable that we should conserve and create our landscape in the way that we can locate and identify ourselves in it. On the other hand, discussions on management system preserving the Kitakmi River pointed out mat we should promote a river-engineering considering the naturalness of rivers, and integrate new management concepts such as ecosystem management. Although the ecosystem approach is gradually finding a greater acceptance in Japan, the management of integrated resources within an ecosystem boundary has not been accurately undetrstood.