Search Results (17)

Human–wildlife conflict (HWC) is intensifying in Japan, driven by complex socio-ecological changes. While the Social–Ecological Systems (SES) framework offers a valuable analytical tool, standard applications often fail to capture the crucial cultural specificities, demographic pressures, and institutional dynamics that define the Japanese context. This paper addresses these limitations by conducting a scoping review of academic and policy literature in order to synthesize the evidence needed to develop a culturally and institutionally attuned adaptation of the SES framework. The review’s findings confirm that profound demographic change (kaso and kōreika), unique institutional arrangements (the Ryōyūkai crisis), deep-seated cultural values, and asymmetric power relations are core systemic drivers of HWC, not external factors. Building on this evidence, we propose a theoretically grounded adapted framework that internalizes these factors as endogenous variables. The resulting framework serves as a more robust diagnostic tool for understanding and navigating HWC in Japan. It facilitates the identification of context-specific leverage points and offers a transferable methodological model for adapting SES analysis to other culturally distinct and rapidly changing societies. Full article

This article considers the development process of Jiuzhuang Community Garden in Taipei City to analyze the practice of community gardens and their relevance to urban health and human well-being. Previous studies have highlighted the contributions of community gardens in areas such as food supply, climate adaptation, local culture, and social interaction. Using qualitative methods, such as participatory observation, focus group discussions, and semi-structured interviews, this study demonstrates the co-beneficial relationships between various factors and the synergetic effects they bring to physical and mental health. By adopting a perspective that incorporates social infrastructure and the Satoyama Initiative, this research interprets how community gardens can support and develop place-based health concepts and respond to urban complexity. It demonstrates the pathway to enhancing urban health through interventions in urban spaces, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Through the examination of a community garden case, this study explores the potential connections between SDG 3 and SDG 11, emphasizing the role of green space provision, place identity, and participatory management in enhancing physical and mental well-being. This study also indicates the necessity of integrating the perspectives of public health and urban planning in addressing urban health issues. This integration is essential to shift away from a disease- and mortality-centered approach and towards a health paradigm centered on lifestyle and social interactions. Full article

Satoumi is advocated for coastal sustainability under the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and the International Partnership for the Satoyama Initiative (IPSI), and has provided a basis for countries around the world to formulate national biodiversity strategies and action plans. Given the significant impact of environmental changes and socio-economic decline, relevant policy directions and practices are urgently required to promote the sustainable development of fishing communities in Taiwan. However, local residents and communities are not sufficiently aware of or involved in this concept to facilitate the development of a holistic Satoumi implementation strategy. Therefore, this study integrates the concepts of Satoumi actions and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and has adopted a questionnaire survey to investigate the perceptions of 202 fishing community residents in the Gongliao District of New Taipei City and Yilan County towards these concepts. The standpoint and perception of the fishing community residents regarding Satoumi actions and SDGs provided a valuable reference. The results of the perception of Satoumi actions revealed that all of the respondents recognized Satoumi actions. However, the ranking demonstrated the urgency for some actions (e.g., clear marine litter), and measures that have been implemented in Taiwan but still need improvement (e.g., fish stocking practices). Satoumi actions were associated with two key factors that affect the perception of residents at Satoumi: “Empowerment through community-based industry and environmental education”, and “Conservation of crucial biological resources and habitats”. For the SDGs perceptions, the two factors were “Marine socio-economic sustainability” and “The sustainable use of marine ecological resources”. This study also adopted cluster analysis and identified three characteristically different groups of residents: The Conservation Priority Group, Industry–Society Priority Group, and Balanced Development Group. According to the major research findings, policies implemented in coastal areas of Taiwan have aligned with global sustainability trends. However, the attitude of the Industry–Society Priority Group, which has the largest sample size, should be changed to that held by the Balanced Development Group, in order to formulate a strategy for a balanced development that secures existing livelihoods and aligns with expectations on environmental sustainability. This study suggests that methodologies that encourage stakeholder interactions, dialogues, and consensus-building should be utilized to develop strategies for future work. Furthermore, policy tools related to coastal management should be analyzed to establish a comprehensive toolkit for coastal governance. Finally, Satoumi requires public–private collaboration to achieve both biodiversity conservation and transformative change towards more sustainably and equitably social, environmental, and economic coastal development. Full article

The abandonment of traditional agricultural land is a global phenomenon, especially in mountainous areas. Although there are many mountainous villages where traditional agriculture, based on wild-plant mulching systems, is still practiced in Japan, the extent of land use change in these areas has not been quantitatively assessed. Economic theory predicts the systematic allocation of land to its maximum net value in response to distance from residential centres or demand. We tested this theory to determine whether: (1) grassland and cropland abandonment occurs far from residential centres and (2) new grassland becomes established near residential centres because its products (i.e., wild plants) are essential to traditional agriculture. We interviewed farmers from the traditional mountain village of Kosuge, Japan, to examine land use change at a parcel scale over the period 1940–2019. Our predictions were confirmed in that cropland and grassland were abandoned, while regrowth forests and plantations became established thereafter in the more inaccessible areas, in terms of distance from the village centre and slope aspect. Furthermore, new grassland developed near the centre of the village, leading to the ‘advance’ of grassland into the residential centre. Our results indicate that spatiotemporal patterns of land use change in traditional agricultural landscapes can be predicted and used to inform policies designed to sustainably maintain these landscapes and their ecosystem function. Full article

Small woods, linear tree formations, or scattered trees in agricultural areas are receiving increasing attention for their multifunctional role, especially if associated to cultural landscapes. Osaki Kodo’s Traditional Water Management System for Sustainable Paddy Agriculture represents one of the most important cultural landscapes (satoyama) of Japan, also included by the FAO in the GIAHS (Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems) Programme. Here, local farmers surrounded their farmhouses with small woods, called igune, as a protection from the cold winter wind, creating a peculiar landscape characterized by an intensively cultivated plain dotted with small wood patches. The research aims at deepening the knowledge of igune, evaluating the landscape role and monitoring their changes in the last 20 years, through multitemporal and spatial analyses. In addition, a literature review has been performed to assess other Ecosystem Services (ESs) provided by igune within the study area. Despite the limited overall surface, 1737 igune and small woods currently characterize the area, with 72% of them having a surface smaller than 0.5 hectares. The multitemporal and spatial analyses show that their number, distribution, and spatial pattern remained almost completely unchanged in the last 20 years, testifying their key role in characterizing the local cultural landscape. Least-Cost Path analysis highlighted a crucial role in connecting the two forest nodes of the region, as 90% of the path passes inside more than 70 different igune and small woods. Literature review demonstrated that igune and other small woods still provide various ESs, including ecological network, habitat for various flora and fauna species, firewood, and byproducts, as well as cultural services. This maintenance of the traditional management in cultural forests is crucial not only to retain their landscape role, but mostly for the preservation of the related ESs, as changes in the management can lead to changes in horizontal and vertical structures, and in species composition. Full article

Many scholars have focused on Satoyama, which is characterized by mountains or villages away from the urban spaces. Our objective is to verify its psychophysiological effects on people performing usual Satoyama activities in ignored, small urban green spaces to help people find ways to stay healthy in post-coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) society. In this study, 12 older adult volunteers from the “Forest around the Mountains” Nonprofit Organization and 12 young people from the university were invited as study subjects. They were asked to observe nature for 10 min and work for 30 min in the small green space “Forest around the Mountains”. The Profile of Mood States 2nd Edition (POMS) and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventor (STAI) were used as psychological scales to detect their psychological restoration and blood pressure before and after the Satoyama activity. Their heart rate during the activity was used as the physiological indicator. The study showed that, as Satoyama volunteers, the older adults group had significant restorative psychophysiological effects during this experiment compared to the younger group; their systolic and diastolic blood pressure dropped significantly after Satoyama activities, On the other hand, the young group have been in the normotensive range before or after Satoyama activities The psychological indicators such as Anger-hostility, Confusion-bewilderment, and Tension-anxiety were significantly lower in the younger group but were still significantly higher than the indicators of the older adults. In general, this study found that Satoyama activities benefited young and older participants, especially older adults with high blood pressure. Satoyama activities in small urban green spaces are thus necessary and worth promoting in the post-COVID-19 era. Full article

Over the past decade, integrated landscape (–seascape) approaches—IL(S)As—have been gaining prominence as holistic, collaborative, and tangible solutions to biodiversity conservation and sustainability challenges. On-the-ground implementation of IL(S)As, however, is a complex task. The Xinshe “Forest–River–Village–Ocean” Eco-Agriculture Initiative (the Xinshe Initiative), established in October 2016 and facilitated by the authors, is an ILSA aimed at the socio-ecological revitalisation of the Xinshe ridge-to-reef landscape–seascape in eastern coastal Taiwan. The objective of this paper is to summarise and demonstrate our experiences with facilitating the Xinshe Initiative over the five-year period (2016–2021). This is a case study participatory action research based on mixed qualitative methods of data collection and analysis. Research findings reveal the importance of: (1) locally sensitive boundary setting and checking by the means of inclusive and participatory processes; (2) various facilitation tools and engagement strategies for the continuity of multi-stakeholder interest and engagement; (3) five socio-ecological perspectives of the Satoyama Initiative for determining environmental and socio-economic objectives; (4) regular, consistent, and locally sensitive monitoring and evaluation tools for the effectiveness of adaptive co-management; and (5) enabling conditions (relational, knowledge, and political resources) for promoting the Xinshe ILSA-related experiences “from -scape to scale”. Full article

As individuals’ relationships with nature become more diverse, so do their conceptions of nature. In this study, the image of nature and derived feelings are defined as the conception of nature. This study aimed to identify the conceptions of nature held by individuals and their influence on environmental valuation. The number of respondents who imagined natural forests when they heard the word “nature” was the highest (58%), followed by those who imagined Satoyama (31%). The factor analysis extracted five feelings toward the image of nature: care, oneness, aversion, mystery, and restorativeness. These feelings differed depending on the image of nature conjured up by individuals. Respondents who imagined natural forests and Satoyama had a higher sense of care, causing higher willingness-to-pay for forest conservation. These results revealed that the image of nature differed from person to person, contrary to previous studies where nature was regarded as predominantly represented by vegetation. Feelings for the image of nature also differed. It can be concluded that an individuals’ conception of nature influences their environmental valuation. Full article

There are several ecological issues associated with unmanaged secondary forests, or abandoned satoyama, in Japan, such as decreasing species diversity and invasions by alien species. To understand its vegetation dynamics, we investigated changes in the stand structure of an unmanaged secondary forest over 15 years. Study plots were established in a secondary forest at varying distances from a late-successional lucidophyllous forest. We calculated the Bray–Curtis similarity indices of the plots over space and time and compared them using nMDS (non-metric multidimensional scaling). The species composition of the proximal secondary forest was more similar to the lucidophyllous forest than that of the distal secondary forest, indicating that late-successional species are spreading into the unmanaged secondary forest. Over the 15-year study period, the species composition of the distal secondary forest approached that of the lucidophyllous forest. This was due to a decreasing abundance of shade-intolerant species, such as Rhododendron. Stand structure, however, changed very little because dominant canopy trees, namely Quercus serrata and Quercus variabilis, continued to grow. Although late-successional species are regenerating in secondary forests, it may take several decades for the stand to reach a late-successional structure, where evergreen broadleaved trees, namely Castanopsis cuspidata, dominate the canopy. Full article

This study evaluates people’s preferences regarding the proximity of their residence to agricultural urban green infrastructure (UGI), such as agricultural land and satoyama, and discusses the availability of these types of land as UGI. UGI is vital for reducing the negative environmental impacts of urban areas, as these impacts are too large to ignore. In this study, we conducted an online survey and a choice experiment to investigate people’s perceptions regarding the proximity of their residence to agricultural UGI (AUGI). The respondents of the choice experiment were 802 inhabitants of Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan, which has rich agricultural resources. To examine explicitly the spatial autocorrelation of people’s preferences, in this study, we used the spatial econometrics method. The main empirical findings are that people prefer agricultural land far away from their residence—more than 1000 m, not within 1000 m—which reflects the not-in-my-backyard phenomenon. Meanwhile, people’s preferences regarding proximity to satoyama are complicated and their preferences are positively spatially autocorrelated. The results indicate that policymakers and urban planners should manage and provide AUGI far away from residential areas; otherwise, they must address people’s avoidance of neighboring AUGI. Full article

The Minabe-Tanabe Ume System in central Japan is defined as a Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System (GIAHS) by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization. This study examined relationships between parcel-level plant diversity and land use, management, and development in traditional sloped Ume (Japanese apricot; Prunus mume) orchards and adjoining level orchards recently developed through large-scale cut-fill land development. We constructed and overlaid past (1974) and present (2015) digital land-use maps to assess land use and topography. We conducted field vegetation surveys in land parcels with different development and management histories. Although 249 ha (4.6% of the total 2015 area) were developed using cut-fill methods, 5148 ha remain a traditional orchard surrounded by coppice forests. Vegetation surveys and a two-way indicator species analysis revealed that traditional orchards had more native species and a higher plant diversity index. Cut-fill orchards contained a higher proportion of alien species; however, the degree depended on parcel history and management. Overall, this area remains a dynamic mosaic landscape containing a core of long-standing Ume orchards. We suggest that biodiversity conservation in this area should focus on conservation measures such as indirect land-use regulations, including some acceptable landform transformations, to promote continued farming of this ecologically important area. Full article

In the face of rapid urbanization and globalization, the continual loss of rural landscapes is occurring globally because of declining rural industries, abandoned farmlands and aging local populations. These problems highlight the versatility and diverse values of cultural ecosystem services (CES) to provide feasible responses for rural landscapes. To utilize CES and ensure the sustainability of rural landscapes in Taiwan, this study combined multiple-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) and a development evaluation structure that can effectively address interdependent factors for practical application. This study presents the importance of different evaluation compositions with clear weights. The results indicated that the “global technotopia” scenario is the highest priority, followed by the “Satoyama–Satoumi renaissance” scenario, and the other two. Full article

Local farmer knowledge is key to sustainable agriculture when organic farming promotes biodiversity conservation. Yet, farmers may not recognize ecosystem service (ES) benefits within their agricultural landscape. Surveys were administered to 113 farmers, and the opinions of 58 respondents toward organic farming were analyzed to identify influential variables when deciding to farm organically. We classified responses by geographic category within a socio-economic production landscape (SEPL), and by social influence categories. With principal component analysis (PCA), a two-scale, four-phased analysis was conducted. Coastal farmers (n = 22) were the most positive towards organic farming trends due to consumer demand. Plains farmers (n = 18) were highly interested in future opportunities for achieving consumer health and food safety objectives. Mountain farmers (n = 18) perceived the most organic transitioning barriers overall, namely irrigation. In all three geographic categories, farming decisions were not primarily related to biodiversity conservation or ES management, but rather to farming community patterns, consumer feedback, and a lack of barriers. Further, farmer opinions toward organic practices were more influenced by their life experiences than by school-taught concepts. Since no previous studies have assessed the knowledge, values, and opinions on organic farming of Taiwan’s west coast farmers from an ES perspective, the proposed approach both identifies farmers’ knowledge and opinions, and verifies a satoyama landscape with PCA results for informed decision making. Full article

Satoyama is a Japanese term used to describe the traditional rural landscape in Japan. It has changed continuously from overuse to underuse stages under the development of economy and society, which caused the loss of both biodiversity and ecosystem services. In this paper, we summarized the interactions of biodiversity and ecosystem services affected by human management in Satoyama landscape. The results indicate: (1) the concepts of Satoyama forests and Satoyama landscape varied with researchers and their objectives. The most popular one is a mosaic landscape consisting of Satoyama (secondary) forests, rice paddies, grassland, ponds, irrigating systems, and rural settlements; (2) traditional management regimes on Satoyama landscape were the disturbing mechanisms to provide multiple ecosystem services, as well as a series of semi-natural habitats for species; (3) due to significant progress in economy and technology in Japan, the aging problems of farmers, industrialized agriculture, the import of ecosystem services and goods from international markets, and global climate changes eventually caused the simplification of crop plants, the invasion of alien species, the fragmentation of habitats, and the decreasing of ecosystem services; (4) future research should pay more attention to the complex mechanisms of biodiversity crises and ecosystem services at the landscape scale, considering pattern-process relationships. Full article

Socio-ecological production landscapes and seascapes (SEPLS) are characterized by a dynamic mosaic of different ecosystem types that maintain relatively high biodiversity and produce a bundle of ecosystem services. One unique characteristic of SEPLS is the sharing of provisioning services within and beyond communities, such as forests, agricultural and marine products. Conventional ecosystem assessments based on statistical data often ignore the benefits of these non-market provisioning services. This short communication quantifies the contribution of the sharing of food provisioning services in Japan in terms of their amount and variety, and it analyzes the relationship between such sharing practices and landscape types. Using an online web survey, we investigated the benefits of sharing goods and services provided from SEPLS. In both mountainous and flat agricultural areas, 16% of the total food amount came from non-market sources, compared to 10% in urbanized areas. Farmland and forests had significant positive correlations with most non-market food items in terms of amount. Greater amounts of built-up area in the landscape were associated with a lesser amount of non-market food provision. Food sharing culture can contribute to enhancing resilience against socio-economic changes and natural disasters. This study provides baseline information for monitoring the hidden flow of food provision and its multiple functions. Full article