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Converting abandoned paddy fields to wetland biotopes is an effective means of preventing the decline in satoyama biodiversity. In particular, the water edge that exists between aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems is an important habitat for the aquatic insect communities that inhabit satoyama, and it would be effective to increase the ratio of water edge to unit area to enhance the habitat function of wetland biotopes. In the current paper, we investigated the effects of differences in the perimeter of wetland biotopes and the structure of the water edge on microenvironmental factors and aquatic insect communities in paddy biotopes by field manipulation experiments. Four experimental plots in which the perimeter of the wetland biotope and the structure of the water edge were changed using inner levees of different lengths were developed in the Koda experimental field located on Sado Island, Japan. Measurement of microenvironmental factors and collection of aquatic insects were performed 1 month after the first irrigation. Furthermore, the collected aquatic insects were reclassified into nine functional groups based on body morphology and aquatic lifestyle. The population density of the aquatic insect community was highest in the experimental plot with the greatest perimeter. In particular, the functional groups of aquatic beetle consisting of Dytiscidae, Haliplidae, and Hydrophilidae; those of dragonfly II consisting of Aeshnidae; and those of dragonfly III consisting of Coenagrionidae and Platycnemididae were concentrated in the experimental plots in which inner levees were installed, which suggested that an increase in the perimeter of the wetland biotope had a positive effect on the population densities of these groups. These results suggested that the structure of the wetland biotope was one of the factors determining the existence pattern of the aquatic insect communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Japan, secondary forests associated with agriculture (satoyama) had been maintained traditionally by small-scale clearcutting and short-rotation coppice forestry. After forest management was discontinued due to modernization, shade-intolerant, deciduous trees such as Q. serrata and Q. variabilis have become dominant in many secondary forests of southwestern Japan. In recent years, however, tree death from Japanese oak wilt has become wide-spread. To identify forest communities that will be most affected by oak wilt, we investigated stand structure and species composition in a 64-ha unmanaged secondary forest in Kobe, Japan. We identified three forest communities using cluster analysis of 27 survey plots. We then analyzed and visualized vegetation similarity among the communities using non-metric multidimensional scaling (nMDS). In secondary forests, Pinus densiflora–Rhododendron macrosepalum and Quercus serrata–Quercus variabilis communities, which established after pine wilt were identified. We also found communities dominated by Cryptomeria japonica, a plantation species. We predicted that Quercus serrata–Quercus variabilis communities will experience significant vegetation change after oak wilt and become low-statured, evergreen-deciduous forests. These communities, therefore, should be prioritized for active management by small-scale clear cutting to prevent further spread of oak wilt and subsequent biodiversity decline. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quantifying biodiversity trends in economically developed countries, where depopulation, associated secondary succession, and climate warming are ongoing, provides insights for global biodiversity conservation in the 21st century. However, few studies have assessed the impacts of secondary succession and climate warming on species' population trends at a national scale. We estimated the population trends of common breeding bird species in Japan and examined the associations between the overall population trend and species traits with the nationwide bird count data on 47 species collected from 2009 to 2020. The overall population trend varied among species. Four species populations increased moderately, 18 were stable, and 11 declined moderately. Population trends for 13 species were uncertain. The difference in overall trends among the species was associated with their habitat group and temperature niche. Species with relatively low‐temperature niches experienced more pronounced declines. Multispecies indicators showed a moderate increase in forest specialists and moderate declines in forest generalists (species that use both forests and open habitats) and open‐habitat specialists. Forest generalists and open‐habitat specialists also declined more rapidly at sites with more abandoned farmland. All species groups showed an accelerated decline or decelerated increase after 2015. These results suggest that common breeding birds in Japan are facing deteriorating trends as a result of nationwide changes in land use and climate. Future land‐use planning and policies should consider the benefits of passive rewilding for forest specialists and active restoration measures (e.g., low‐intensive forestry and agriculture) for nonforest specialists to effectively conserve biodiversity in the era of human depopulation and climate warming. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Myxobdella sinanensis Oka, 1925 (Arhynchobdellida, Praobdellidae) is endemic to Japan, and was recently observed attaching to the freshwater Japanese crab, Geothelphusa dehaani White, 1847 (Decapoda, Potamidae), revealing that M. sinanensis is a facultative parasite of G. dehaani. Although they both inhabit headwater streams in Japan, their interactions and behavioral responses have not been investigated before. We hypothesized that G. dehaani reacts to M. sinanensis through (1) chemical cues, and (2) visual cues or physical contact in addition to the chemical cues. Two experiments were conducted in a container in which G. dehaani could hide under a rock on the bottom covered with sediment. The duration of activity outside the rock and distance moved before and after introducing rearing water of M. sinanensis, or live M. sinanensis, was measured. No statistical difference was observed in movement distance, behavior, and time outside the rock in G. dehaani, indicating limited sensitivity to chemical cues. G. dehaani remained beneath the rock for a statistically shorter period after M. sinanensis was introduced into the container, indicating its dependence on visual and/or physical cues. It showed altered behavior by remaining stationary and escaping, confirming importance of visual and contact stimuli to escape the ectoparasite. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Internal exposure doses from 134Cs and 137Cs by domestic consumption of edible wild plants in the former evacuation zone in 2022 and 2045 were estimated based on deposition data from airborne survey and aggregated transfer factors for 11 species. On the assumption that annual consumption of edible wild plants is about 6 kg, the internal exposure doses in 2022 and 2045 are 0.3–139.0 μSv/y and 0.1–78.7 μSv/y, respectively, which are less than 53 μSv/y in more than 90% of the areas in 2022 and less than 30 μSv/y in 2045. Even considering the different scenarios for the intake of Koshiabura (Chengiopanax sciadophylloides), which has a high radioactivity level, the exposure dose did not change significantly and was only a few percent of the upper limit of 1 mSv/y for the additional exposure dose from foods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Charismatic organisms are often used as symbols of nature-based community development. Understanding value perceptions of ecosystems services provided by symbolic species is important because such perceptions often influence land management and cultural associations between people and nature. Here, we aimed to characterize local perceptions of social values for ecosystem services of wild cherries in Sakuragawa city, Japan. The city has long been renowned for the beautiful traditional landscape of its flowering wild cherries and is involved in various conservation activities as a part of regional planning. We administered a questionnaire survey to three socio-cultural groups: local residents, tourists, and high school students; their responses were analyzed by using SolVES. Value perceptions of ecosystem services provided by wild cherries differed considerably among these groups. The residents and tourists ranked the value ‘aesthetic in spring’ as highest, whereas high school students ranked many values equally. In addition, most of the students confused wild cherry trees with the popular cultivar ‘Somei-yoshino’. The students’ more limited knowledge of wild cherries may have affected their value perceptions. Looking at the spatial distribution of perceived values, local residents and tourists highly valued the specific sites famous for their wild cherry scenery. In contrast, students did not value such sites and perceived more value in urbanized areas. Although symbolic species help to develop the perceived value of nature, filling a knowledge gap and sharing a variety of values within local communities is important for promoting community-based management of traditional forest landscapes characterized by wild cherries.

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. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Paddy fields in the agricultural landscape have become alternative habitats for natural wetland species. Habitat degradation, including habitat loss and fragmentation, is a major threat to members of Amphibia, which is a good indicator species for the Satoyama landscape. Recently, linear artificial structures, such as roads and railways, were recognized as factors inhibiting amphibian population persistence. Thus, irrigation canals and cement-walled streams may also affect amphibian movement and dispersal in the rural agricultural landscape termed Satoyama, which is now the main habitat for lowland wetland amphibians. However, there is limited information on such effects. Here, we focused on the Japanese brown frog (Rana japonica), which is an indicator species of the ecosystem health of the Satoyama landscape, to investigate the effects of irrigation canals on population structure. The barrier effects of roads and irrigation canals on gene flow between breeding sites were evaluated. We constructed a resistance map of the limiting factors to gene flow based on land use and frog movement and tested for correlations between cost and genetic distances. The habitat resistance values alone were insufficient to explain the genetic distances among breeding sites. Thus, we hypothesize that irrigation canals and roads have barrier effects on gene flow among amphibians in the Japanese Satoyama landscape. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigated the roadkills of vertebrates in Ishinomaki City, northern Japan, for 1 full year (from April 2020 to March 2021), and attention was paid to (1) locations where the roadkill occurred, (2) the relationship between roadkill frequency and traffic volume, and (3) seasonality of roadkills and relationship with life events of target species. Over the study period, we recorded 1059 roadkill cases (2.9 records/day) from at least twenty-six vertebrates, among which three mammals (raccoon dog Nyctereutes procyonoides, domestic cat Felis catus, and sika deer Cervus nippon) accounted for more than 75% of the total cases. The locations where frequent roadkills occurred were species-specific as follows: suburban areas for raccoon dogs, within urban areas for cats, and forests, especially peninsula areas, for deer. Roadkill frequency (per kilometer) for raccoon dogs and cats showed a positive correlation with traffic volume, indicating that the prevention of animals from crossing roads would be an effective strategy of mitigating roadkills of these animals. Roadkills of raccoon dogs occurred frequently during fall (September–October), a season that corresponds to their dispersal period. Such seasonality was not found for roadkills of cats (probably due to altered life as pets) and deer (attributed to low seasonal changes in home range utilization). We suggest that management strategies can be adopted to mitigate roadkills from the viewpoint of the behavioral characteristics of target mammals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Charismatic organisms are often used as symbols of nature-based community development. Understanding value perceptions of ecosystems services provided by symbolic species is important because such perceptions often influence land management and cultural associations between people and nature. Here, we aimed to characterize local perceptions of social values for ecosystem services of wild cherries in Sakuragawa city, Japan. The city has long been renowned for the beautiful traditional landscape of its flowering wild cherries and is involved in various conservation activities as a part of regional planning. We administered a questionnaire survey to three socio-cultural groups: local residents, tourists, and high school students; their responses were analyzed by using SolVES. Value perceptions of ecosystem services provided by wild cherries differed considerably among these groups. The residents and tourists ranked the value 'aesthetic in spring' as highest, whereas high school students ranked many values equally. In addition, most of the students confused wild cherry trees with the popular cultivar 'Somei-yoshino'. The students' more limited knowledge of wild cherries may have affected their value perceptions. Looking at the spatial distribution of perceived values, local residents and tourists highly valued the specific sites famous for their wild cherry scenery. In contrast, students did not value such sites and perceived more value in urbanized areas. Although symbolic species help to develop the perceived value of nature, filling a knowledge gap and sharing a variety of values within local communities is important for promoting community-based management of traditional forest landscapes characterized by wild cherries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background In light of the dramatic expansion of Japan’s bamboo forests, it is necessary to develop a strategy for the effective use of bamboo biomass resources. In this study, we tested the effects of ground bamboo as an organic mulching material or soil conditioner during a 3-year, agrochemical-free rice cultivation period. Methods We performed field experiments in 16 experimental paddy fields and established five treatments with three or four replicates each: control, manual weeding, low-volume ground bamboo application (0.5 kg m−2), medium-volume ground bamboo application (1.0 kg m−2), and high-volume ground bamboo application (2.0 kg m−2). Results We observed no suppression of aquatic weeds with the ground bamboo treatments. Nevertheless, in the first year, rice yields were 1.7–1.8 times greater in the medium- and high-volume ground bamboo treatments than in the controls. In the second and third years, rice yields did not differ among treatments. During the 3-year period, mean rice yields dropped dramatically to around 20%. Simple linear regression analyses indicated that rice yields were positively associated with available phosphate, and negatively associated with the silicic acid content of post-experiment paddy soils after the second and third years of cultivation. Multiple linear regression analyses indicated that available phosphate and silicic acid were important variables explaining rice yields. Application of ground bamboo did not appear to reduce external rice grain quality. Conclusions Application of ground bamboo may enhance the production of high-quality rice, particularly when soil phosphorus is not deficient.

Peri-urban Satoyama forests in Japan provide multiple or bundles of cultural ecosystem services (CES), yet, visitors’ perceptions of CES are not well established. There is a need to explore these perceptions in order to provide comprehensive information to forest managers. This study aims to address this knowledge gap by exploring the profiles of visitors of peri-urban Satoyama forests and their perceived importance of CES using a landscape value (LV) typology table. Nine LVs of Kaisho Forest in Aichi, Japan were assessed using face-to-face questionnaires on socio-demographic variables, forest use, and a photograph-based approach, which were analyzed using descriptive statistics, quantitative cross-tabulation, multiple response analyses, and geocoding. Results showed that the forest is visited mostly by married elderly people from Aichi Prefecture who were engaged in forest bathing or birdwatching. Forest use patterns, like frequency, duration of the visit, and group size, presented a significant relation to demographic variables, like marital status or gender. Furthermore, the study showed how visitors´ LV perceptions were weighted towards natural and aesthetic values. The socio-cultural Satoyama forest elements displayed a more detailed value perception where recreational, therapeutic, spiritual, cultural-historic, and educational values were also assigned. The LV perception enhances a comprehensive description of the perceived positive effects of visiting such forests. Hence, we concluded that visitors gain positive effects on mental and emotional health and spirituality as part of CES. Forest managers can reflect and accommodate diverse landscape value typology as a tool for monitoring visitors’ perceptions.

Underuse, instead of overuse, is a potential threat to biodiversity in semi-natural areas, particularly in East Asia. Due to serious depopulation and aging trends in East Asia, including Japan, few people are being involved in managing green areas and conserving biodiversity. Depending on specific events and age groups that contribute to the experience, knowledge, and preferences of citizens, green area management and biodiversity conservation activities can be effectively conducted through strong collaborations between various stakeholders and generations. We aimed to understand the differences in the perceptions of citizens, belonging to different generations in the metropolitan Nagoya City, towards the Satoyama areas in Japan through an online survey. The status of Satoyama areas is reflected by the rare species of endangered category II in the Act on Conservation of Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora. Analyzing the perceptions revealed gaps in the experience, knowledge, and preference between different age groups for various management and conservation activities. In addition to the intergenerational gaps, gaps between different household income levels and the duration of the activities were identified. The results indicated that reflecting upon the diverse interests among citizens and addressing the causes of the differences is necessary by integrating the differences for consensus building among different stakeholders belonging to different age and socio-economic groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Specified class II nationally rare species of wild fauna/flora designations were first made in Japan for three species, the Tokyo salamander (Hynobius tokyoensis), golden venus chub (Hemigrammocypris rasborella), and giant water bug (Kirkaldyia deyrolli). These species depend on the shallow water in agroecosystems, secondary forests, and parks. The objective of this paper was to provide an overview of the factors relating to their conservation, which were as follows: (1) the landscape affects significantly on distributions of three species. H. tokyoensis and K. deyrolli both require landscapes in which wetlands and forests connect. While H. rasborella inhabits isolated ponds also, the original habitat is a flood plain where fishes seasonally move temporary pools for spawning. Therefore, channel networks are needed to protect fishes including H. rasborella. (2) Agricultural land infrastructure affects the three species, as dry paddy fields and concrete-lined ditches are unsuitable for them, as well as other aquatic animals. Several construction methods, however, have been trialed to allow fish to live in modernized ditches. (3) K. deyrolli is highly sensitive to pesticides. (4) Mid-summer drainage of paddy fields will threaten populations of H. tokyoensis and K. deyrolli as these paddy fields lose water before these species have completed their metamorphosis. Wet-paddy fields that are not completely dried, postponement of mid-summer drainage, and the installation of diversion ditches, however, could all help to mitigate this issue. (5) The impacts of abandoned cultivation and pond management are significant for these species. (6) Invasive alien species have a significant impact on H. tokyoensis and H. rasborella. (7) Habitat creation and translocation of these species has often been successful. However, the sustainability of the translocated populations is a challenge. When these species are introduced outside their natural habitats, it is thus necessary to consider the ecosystem of the destination area and the genetic background of the target species. I conclude that the combination of biotopes with wildlife-friendly farming and continuity of paddy fields with forests throughout the landscape secure the population sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Trade-offs in nature's contributions to people (NCP), particularly in material NCP versus regulating and non-material NCP, continue to rise. Socio-ecological production landscapes and seascapes (SEPLS) represent harmonious human–nature interactions resulting in positive outcomes for both biodiversity and human well-being, thus implying synergies among multiple NCP are possible. In case studies of ten projects selected from biodiversity hotspots under the GEF-Satoyama Project, we investigated whether and how synergies in NCP exist within SEPLS and explored management interventions that enhanced these synergies. Using the responses to an online survey completed by project managers from each project and drawing on project reports, we identified a wide array of NCP deriving from various ecosystems within the project SEPLS. Habitat and food provisions, both attributed to multiple ecosystem types, were key components of the NCP bundles present in the project SEPLS. Among the management options that enhanced NCP in SEPLS were food-centred approaches entailing organic agriculture, eco-labelling, branding and improved agricultural practices. Habitat-centred approaches included participatory biodiversity monitoring, ecosystem restoration, co-management and conservation agreements with landowners. Synergies in NCP were generated by integrating these interventions with enabling governance structures and through community empowerment. If combined with mapping and modelling techniques, identifying NCP bundles in SEPLS from local people's perspectives as we outlined in this study, would help to better contextualise the analysis of NCP bundles. Such contextualised NCP bundle analyses will help field practitioners understand how to enhance synergies between multiple NCP and the broader conservation community could access untapped NCP knowledge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The tragedy of the commons theory refers to the overuse of the commons that can result in the degradation of the commons at local, national, and global levels. The tragedy of the anticommons theory holds that the underuse of the commons also leads to its degradation at all levels. In Japan, a once-populated satoyama (mountain landscape) has transformed into a depopulated and degraded landscape. Extant studies conceptualize the present-day satoyama as a new commons and apply the two widely popular tragedy theories to illustrate its resource degradation and institutional evolution. This article demonstrates that the present-day satoyama can be viewed as a new commons, but from an overly generic perspective, whereas the two theories are nearly irrelevant when analyzing its degradation and institutional evolution. Contrary to existing studies, neither overuse nor underuse occurs in the present-day satoyama. The satoyama experiences resource underutilization rather than resource underuse or overuse. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To reframe the imperfect review processes of nation-scale actions on area-based conservation through protected area (PA) networks, we first created novel infrastructure to visualize nation-level biodiversity information in Japan. We then assessed the performance of the existing PA network relative to land exploitation pressure and evaluated conservation effectiveness of PA expansion for the post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework. The Zonation software was used to spatially prioritize conservation areas to minimize biodiversity loss and the extinction risk for 8077 Japanese vascular plant and vertebrate species under constraints of the existing PA network and land use. The spatial pattern of the identified priority areas, which were considered candidate areas for expansion of the current PA network, was influenced by land-use types according to the mask layers of non-PAs, and low-, middle-, and high-ranked PAs. The current PA network reduced the aggregate extinction risk of multiple species by 36.6%. Indeed, the proportion of built-up areas in the existing PAs was generally smaller than that in the areas surrounding PAs. Notably, high-ranked PAs effectively restricted the built-up pressure (0.04% every 10 years), whereas low-ranked PAs in national park and wild-life protection areas did not (1.8% every 10 years). Conservation effects were predicted to substantially improve by expansion of high-ranked (legally strict) PAs into remote non-PAs without population/socioeconomic activities, or expansion of medium-ranked PAs into satoyama which have traditionally been used for agriculture and forestry, and urban areas. A 30% land conservation target was predicted to decrease extinction risk by 74.1% when PA expansion was implemented across remote areas, satoyama, and urban areas; moreover, PA connectivity almost doubled compared with the existing PA network. In contrast, a conventional scenario showed that placing national parks in state-owned and non-populated areas would reduce extinction risk by only 4.0%. Conservation prioritization analyses demonstrated the effectiveness of using a comprehensive conservation approach that reconciles land-sparing protection and land-sharing conservation in other effective area-based conservation measures (OECMs) in satoyama and urban green spaces. Our results revealed that complementary inclusion of various PA interventions related to their governance and land-use planning plays a critical role in effectively preventing biodiversity loss and makes it more feasible to achieve ambitious conservation targets.

Abstract The nature–culture divide is an artificial separation consolidated by Western modern science. It is a social construction that disseminated globally, but does not exist in some non-Western societies. Abandoning this framework to embrace an integrated system for sustainability is challenging. The concept of the Historic Urban Landscape (HUL) already attempts to integrate natural and cultural heritage into urban planning by focusing on a landscape approach. However, this approach consumes rural and nature into the urban. To uncover nature and return it to the forefront of urban conservation, this paper explores cultural landscapes as examples where natural and cultural values are inextricably related. Four case studies are presented of satoyama and satoumi, cultural landscapes of Japan where Shinto beliefs and traditional agricultural practices knit together nature and culture, rendering the divide unseen. This paper suggests connecting the HUL approach, with this inclusive understanding, by turning the focus to mapping seasonal relationships following a transdisciplinary approach in which indigenous and local knowledge are integrated, as well as a temporal dimension. In this way, one can find satoyama and satoumi in the urban environment: by looking beyond the attributes, the interrelationships with the natural substratum needed to support the development of quality and resilient environments can be revealed.

Agricultural intensification and socioeconomic changes over several decades have generated many abandoned fields. These changes have led to reduce plant and animal biodiversity, as well as associated loss of ecosystem services, and represent deterioration of a unique socio-ecological production landscape known as “Satoyama” in Japan. Appropriate management measures should be implemented to restore these abandoned fields. The objectives of this study were to: (1) determine the effect of goat grazing on vegetation dynamics and animal performance in response to different stocking rates over a 5-years period; and (2) evaluate the economic potential of weed management through goat grazing by comparing this method to mowing with a brush cutter. We found that goat grazing changed vegetational composition, increased the number of plant species, and improved plant diversity in the abandoned field, although stocking rate had little effect on plant diversity. Goat grazing changed vegetation quality, even though goats maintained their nutritional status and body weight over 5 years. Goat grazing showed economic advantages over mowing during a relatively short period (up to 8–12 days per 1,000 m2). Overall, we found that goats would be ecologically and economically useful in restoring, managing, and conserving agricultural fields. However, a more comprehensive approach is still necessary for conserving “Satoyama.” Combination of grazing, mowing with a machine and prescribed burning may be more effective, and animal and biofuel production in these field would be a solution for reducing field abandonment.

Whereas the underuse of resources due to the tragedy of anticommons is well known, resource underuse due to demand loss has received little attention. In this paper, I examined the governance to regenerate underused natural resources by a case study on semi-natural grassland, called “Uenohara,” in Fujiwara District located in a Japanese mountain village. Uenohara served as local commons, providing roofs, fertilizer, forage, and food to local residents until the 1950s. However, changes in social conditions abolished its utility, and vegetation succession with a decline in biodiversity followed. Under these circumstances, Forest College Seisui comprising urban residents regenerated the traditional landscape of Uenohara through thatch cropping, controlled burning, and other activities in collaboration with local participants. The new governance, which regenerated underused resources, was characterized by (1) diversification and expansion of participants, (2) role sharing and organic structure, and (3) shifts in benefits. In addition, this study showed that three factors are important for solving underuse problems: (1) manage for use, (2) placeness of the object, and (3) succession of knowledge. In future, more case studies and creation of a theoretical framework are needed to achieve practical solutions.

This paper reports on a case study of a participatory evaluation of community-university collaboration in the Noto region of Japan, comprising capacity development and research programs. By modifying the Most Significant Change (MSC) technique, we designed our own methods using the "Horizontal MSC" technique to address the lack of a mechanism to collect and share the views of those engaged in the program implementation. The study found the Horizontal MSC useful in participatory evaluation, which itself can serve as a learning process for key actors to share future goals and has the potential to enhance overall cycles of planning, implementing, and evaluating programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Fukushima Daiichi power plant accident led to large‐scale and long‐term evacuation zones in which usual land‐use activities such as farming have been stopped. In particular, the loss of irrigated rice paddies is hypothesized to have seriously impacted freshwater biodiversity. In 2014, we started acoustic monitoring of frogs by using digital voice recorders in and around the evacuation zone. For the monitoring project, 52 and 57 monitoring sites were located within schoolyards (including those that had been converted into community centers) to examine the frog assemblages in the urban and rural landscapes of the region in 2014 and 2015, respectively. At each site, a digital voice recorder was installed during the period from May to July, and we recorded 10 min a day at night using a timed‐recording mode. We divided the audio data into 20‐s segments and identified species recorded in segments sampled from late May to late June (partly in early July). We identified eight frog species from 1,962 audio segments in total (correspond to 4 days per year in principal). For each species, intensity of calling at four levels was also recorded as an index of abundance. We are continuing to monitor and intend to update the dataset with new observations hereafter. Our dataset will support scientists and experts in recognizing the status and dynamics of anuran assemblages in and around the evacuation zone and will contribute to the promotion of open science. The complete data set for this abstract published in the Data Paper section of the journal is available in electronic format in MetaCat in JaLTER at http://db.cger.nies.go.jp/JaLTER/metacat/metacat/ERDP-2020-12.1/jalter-en. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Japan, abandonment of forest management and underuse of forest resources are substantial challenges to environmental protection and sustainable wood production, while in many other countries, leaving a forest untouched may be perceived as positive for conserving the forest. This study thus analyses the scientific knowledge landscape on the causes and consequences of reduced human intervention in formerly managed forests and compares differences between Japan and other countries. Advanced search rules in the bibliographic databases returned 188 publications [35 for Japan and 153 for other countries] related to reduced human intervention in formerly managed forests. Reduced human intervention in formerly managed forests occurred in developed countries in the mid-twentieth century because of socio-economic changes and was primarily directed by small-scale private landowners, causing structural homogenisation, stand ageing, and canopy closure, often followed by the consequences of decreasing biodiversity and ecosystem services in Japan and other countries. In Japan, heavy dependency on wood imports at the expense of biodiversity and ecosystem services and the impending need for harvesting abundant mature forests due to the unbalanced tree age distribution possibly enhanced the recognition and urgency of underuse as a threat to biodiversity and wood security, while in other countries, multiple management objectives of diverse landowners probably dispersed the recognition of underuse. Although less recognised in other countries, the absence of forest management can pose a risk to biodiversity and ecosystem services. Hence, reactivating forest management in underused private forests can be a cost-effective precautionary approach against possible damage from underuse-induced ecosystem disservices. Policy implications for sustainable forest management in underused private forests are discussed from a perspective beyond conventional private ownership. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Whereas the underuse of resources due to the tragedy of anticommons is well known, resource underuse due to demand loss has received little attention. In this paper, I examined the governance to regenerate underused natural resources by a case study on semi-natural grassland, called "Uenohara," in Fujiwara District located in a Japanese mountain village. Uenohara served as local commons, providing roofs, fertilizer, forage, and food to local residents until the 1950s. However, changes in social conditions abolished its utility, and vegetation succession with a decline in biodiversity followed. Under these circumstances, Forest College Seisui comprising urban residents regenerated the traditional landscape of Uenohara through thatch cropping, controlled burning, and other activities in collaboration with local participants. The new governance, which regenerated underused resources, was characterized by (1) diversification and expansion of participants, (2) role sharing and organic structure, and (3) shifts in benefits. In addition, this study showed that three factors are important for solving underuse problems: (1) manage for use, (2) placeness of the object, and (3) succession of knowledge. In future, more case studies and creation of a theoretical framework are needed to achieve practical solutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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.

Although biodiversity loss is a critically important topic, our understanding of how both land abandonment and land‐use intensification in semi‐natural grasslands alters the community diversity and assembly mechanisms is very limited. Large‐scale economic drivers of land‐use change might inadvertently result in the loss of vulnerable species and reduce ecosystem service provisioning.In this study, we assessed non‐random community change by examining patterns of low‐abundance species loss, and community assembly in semi‐natural grasslands due to land abandonment and intensification in southwest Japan. We analysed relationships between evolutionary distinctiveness and abundance for each species. In addition, we used metrics of species and phylogenetic diversity and phylogenetic structure to assess patterns of non‐random biodiversity loss due to both abandoned and intensified land‐use.We demonstrated that low‐abundance species were more evolutionarily distinct compared to high‐abundance (i.e. dominant) species. Furthermore, land‐use intensification resulted in further declines in low‐abundance species, whereas land abandonment resulted in declines in all species, regardless of their initial abundance.We found that both forms of land‐use change (abandonment and intensification) resulted in non‐random patterns of community change, with traditional land‐use maintaining the highest biodiversity and land‐use change coinciding with decreased species and phylogenetic diversity measures. Intensified land‐use caused phylogenetic community structure to be more closely related than expected by chance, whereas the metrics of how distant species are from one another on average based on phylogenetic tree (i.e. mean pairwise phylogenetic distance) did not change from land abandonment.Synthesis and applications. We show that the loss of phylogenetic diversity, and especially of low‐abundance species with high value of phylogenetic distinctiveness, resulted in non‐random community disassembly. Our results argue that in order to maintain biodiversity in these semi‐natural grasslands, traditional management practices should be encouraged over intensification and simple abandonment. Government agencies should adopt policies or provide incentives that encourage the maintenance of traditional practices in rural Japan, and elsewhere where the combination of land consolidation and abandonment are important conservation issues. We show that the loss of phylogenetic diversity, and especially of low‐abundance species with high value of phylogenetic distinctiveness, resulted in non‐random community disassembly. Our results argue that in order to maintain biodiversity in these semi‐natural grasslands, traditional management practices should be encouraged over intensification and simple abandonment. Government agencies should adopt policies or provide incentives that encourage the maintenance of traditional practices in rural Japan, and elsewhere where the combination of land consolidation and abandonment are important conservation issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Under the influence of global trends, most regions are at risk of losing their local-food knowledge. In this context, analyzing the transmission of the knowledge, understanding the context of transmission, and implementing precise activities and policies are required. Noto is known for its unique ethnic fermented food products. Methods: Through our questionnaire survey and analysis of the Noto peninsula, we explore the relationships between the attributes of local food producers and the variety of foods they produce, attempting to identify the key attributes related to making diverse local foods and the transmission of local food knowledge. Results: Our analysis showed a correlation between the diversity of local foods made by residents and the number of years they had lived in the municipality. Conclusion: The results implied that adequate management of social networks by local residents, who depend on the local environment, is required in transmitting the knowledge of local foods.