2024-01-26 Regional Ecosystem Studies Training II (Forest B Route) “Satoyama Management Fieldwork Training” ②

The second photo is of a valley rice field.
Yatsuta are rice paddies created in the valleys of Satoyama (valleys that form in hilly areas).
Here, we learned about the aquatic life that thrives in the earthen waterways of the rice paddies.

The third photo is of a cypress forest.
Here, Wang learned about forest aromatic components and relaxation.
The nice scent of cypress was refreshing and Hakken and Koken felt refreshed.

The fourth photo shows us being taught about the effects that Satoyama management, such as weeding and raking fallen leaves, has on the plant diversity on the forest floor.
I learned many things, such as the fact that the spring-flowering plant, Dogtooth Violets, grows in the area, and that plants such as Golden Orchid live in symbiosis with mycorrhizal fungi in nutrient-poor soil, and I really came to understand the importance of managing Satoyama!

In the fifth photo, the evergreen broad-leaved trees behind the students are all called Japanese oaks.
Japanese laurel invades as the transition of satoyama progresses.

A wetland can be seen in the background right of the sixth photo.
Here, Wang learned about Satoyama ecosystem management, focusing on the conservation of the Tokyo salamander.
We were then given a detailed explanation about the biodiversity that thrives in the diverse environments of Satoyama, the issue of invasive species, and the large mammals that live in Japan's forests.

One of the reasons for the friction between humans and bears, deer, wild boars, and other animals seen in recent years is that people have stopped going to and managing the satoyama forests, resulting in the disappearance of the buffer zone between the mountains and human settlements.
Wan discovered that satoyama plays an important role in ensuring that people and animals can live comfortably together.

We were then taught about the causes of pine wilt disease, and toured a test site to learn about "sprout regeneration," in which trees such as oaks are cut down and regenerated with sprouting branches from the stumps, producing small trees suitable for firewood and charcoal or shiitake mushroom logs.
It was a very fulfilling day as we learned a lot while seeing the real Satoyama.

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