The change of the distribution of plants and animals in Tohoku region in the 18-19th century using the documents with products of nature

2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 18K01132
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 04020:Human geography-related
• Research Institution: Yamagata University
• Principal Investigator: WATANABE Rie 山形大学, 農学部, 准教授 (50601390)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-04-01 – 2022-03-31
• Keywords: 産物帳 / 動植物 / 分布 / 焼畑

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This research tried to clarify the distribution area of animals and plants in the 18th and 19th centuries , mainly in the Tohoku region, with "historical product documents” made in Edo period. The documents were made by the rural people to submit it to a feudal domain.
In order to enhance the feasibility of research execution, this research focuses on the cultivation (habitation / native) environment of Japanese food resources in the 18th and 19th centuries. The product documents used here covers various plants. Among them, crops peculiar to shifting cultivation such as beans, millet and buckwheat can be seen. It is highly possible that shifting cultivation was carried out in these production areas at that time, and it is possible to partially trace back the land use of the mountainous areas of the Edo period.

Free Research Field

人文地理学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

産物帳などにもとづき集められた「産物データ」は過去の動植物の生息域や自生地域を広範囲に究明することにつながる。さらに、過去の動植物の分布と現在のそれと対比することは、近年進行してきた環境改変の広がりやその強度を照射させることにもつながる。このようなアプローチは「産物帳」という歴史的資料の新しい活用への道を拓く余地を持つ。他方、そこから見出される知見は地球規模の気候変動や地球温暖化が、動植物の生息域や生態系にどのような影響を与えているのかといった課題に接近できる意義を持つ。