Changes and future prediction of provisioning services of non-timber forest products in Fukushima Prefecture

2017 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 15K18717
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Forest science
• Research Institution: Forest Research and Management Organization
• Principal Investigator: Matsuura Toshiya 国立研究開発法人森林研究・整備機構, 森林総合研究所, 主任研究員 等 (00575277)
• Project Period (FY): 2015-04-01 – 2018-03-31
• Keywords: 特用林産物 / 山菜・きのこ / 福島第一原子力発電所事故 / 生態系サービス / 将来予測 / 放射能汚染

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Radioactive contamination due to the Fukushima-Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant Accident have thought to be deteriorated provisioning services of various non-timber forest products in rural mountainous communities; such as picking wild vegetables and mushrooms, home-cultivation, mountain stream fishing, and compost use. Based on a household questionnaire survey both in the western and eastern Fukushima Prefecture, we found a sharp decline in these activities even in the low contaminated communities. Variety of gift-giving relationships of gathered materials and fun for gathering have also lost after the accident. Using GIS and multicriteria evaluation based on an additional face-to-face questionnaire survey, we further estimated the future recovery of former potential gathering sites of wild vegetables and mushrooms from the viewpoint of external irradiation dose. We found some difficulties in their recovery, particularly in the higher contaminated areas.

Free Research Field

地理情報科学、景観生態学、森林科学