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The Japanese Archi- Pelago and Nature Status of Wetlands in Japan

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The Japanese Archi- Pelago and Nature Status of Wetlands in Japan contents Status fo Wetlands in Japan............. 2 Location Map of Ramsar Sites in Japan ............................................ 8 Kutcharo-ko........................................ 9 Sarobetsu-genya.............................. 10 Tofutsu-ko...... .................................. 11 Uryunuma-shitsugen....................... 12 species of birds, 30,000 species of insects Notsuke-hanto and Notsuke-wan... 13 The Japanese Archi- and 7000 species of vascular plants as well Akan-ko............................................. 14 as many endemic species. Miyajima-numa................................ 15 pelago and Nature The population of Japan is 127.5 mil- Furen-ko and Shunkuni-tai.............. 16 lion, most of which is concentrated in Kushiro-shitsugen............................ 17 Kiritappu-shitsugen ......................... 18 The Japanese Archipelago is an island the very small fl atland areas. The average 2 Akkeshi-ko and Bekambeushi- chain spanning 3000km from north to population density is 343 persons per km . shitsugen.................................... 19 south along the Japan Sea in the east of Human intervention and the changing Utonai-ko.......................................... 20 the Eurasian continent. It consists of four lifestyle induced by rapid urbanization Onuma.............................................. 21 Hotokenuma..................................... 22 major islands of Hokkaido, Honshu, Shi- during the high economic growth have Izu-numa and Uchi-numa................ 23 koku, and Kyushu, with 6000 islands sur- increasingly exerted pressures on the Kabukuri-numa and the surround- rounding them. natural landscape, as well as biosphere in ing rice paddies.......................... 24 The geography of Japan is diverse as Japan. As a result, many fl ora and fauna Kejo-numa........................................ 25 seen in its high altitude mountain ranges are faced with extinction. Oyama Kami-ike and Shimo-ike .... 26 Hinuma ............................................. 27 exceeding 3000m in height, coastlines Oze .................................................... 28 of over 30,000km, and hundreds of riv- Oku-Nikko-shitsugen ....................... 29 ers and streams fl ow down the generally Watarase-yusuichi ........................... 30 steep, eroded slopes. Yoshigadaira Wetlands ................... 31 Status of Wetlands in Yatsu-higata ..................................... 32 Spanning subarctic to subtropical Hyo-ko............................................... 33 zones, climatic conditions are varied as Japan Sakata ............................................... 34 well, infl uenced by seasonal monsoon Tateyama Midagahara and winds, with distinct weather patterns for Because of the large amount of precipi- Dainichidaira .............................. 35 each season and average precipitation ex- tation and the surrounding oceans, Japan Katano-kamoike ............................... 36 Nakaikemi-shicchi............................ 37 ceeding 1000mm per annum. is a country blessed with water. Conse- Mikata-goko...................................... 38 Forests cover over 25 million ha, or 67% quently, within its small land area there Tokai Hilly Land Spring-fed of the total area of Japan, with most found are numerous marshlands, rivers, ponds Mires........................................... 39 in mountainous areas. The slopes of the and lakes, beaches, tidal fl ats, coral reefs, Fujimae-higata ................................. 40 Biwa-ko............................................. 41 mountains are generally steep and dis- mangrove forests, seagrass/seaweed Lower Maruyama River and the sected by many ravines and gorges. Most beds, rice paddies, reservoirs, springs, surrounding rice paddies.......... 42 plains and basins are small in size and and underground water systems, which Kushimoto Coral Communities ...... 43 scattered among hills or along the coasts. represent the myriad of wetland types Nakaumi ........................................... 44 Shinji-ko............................................ 45 Many of them were shaped by the river supporting Japan’s rich biodiversity. Miyajima........................................... 46 sediments. Akiyoshidai Groundwater System Land use is quite complex in Japan, due Marshlands: .................................................... 47 mainly to its topography. Most mountains In the fi eld of soil science, marshlands Higashiyoka-higata.......................... 48 and hilly areas are covered by forests with are known as peatlands. These can be clas- Hizen Kahima-higata ....................... 49 Arao-higata....................................... 50 some parts converted to pastures and sifi ed into high moors which are rich in Kuju Bogatsuru and Tadewara- orchards. Flatlands including plateaus, plant species such as sphagnum sustained shitsugen................................... 51 terraces and plains are generally used only by nutrient-poor rainfall, low moors Imuta-ike........................................... 52 for agricultural and residential purposes. where reeds and sedge thrive enriched Yakushima Nagata-hama................ 53 Streams in Kume-jima..................... 54 Rice paddies dominate the plains except in with trophic salts from rivers, and the in- Keramashoto Coral Reef ................. 55 sprawling urban areas. termediate moors characterized by colo- Manko............................................... 56 In such a country where there is a rich nies of plants such as Moliniopsis japonica. Yonaha-wan ..................................... 57 growth of all forms of life, the Japanese As low moors tend to be directly im- Nagura Amparu ............................... 58 have nurtured a culture to live in accord- pacted by human activity, those at lower ance with the changing seasons while they altitudes in southern Honshu have long were forced to live with natural disasters been converted into rice paddies and resi- such as earthquakes and volcanic erup- dential areas. tions. However, instead of confronting While they are found as far south as nature, the Japanese acclimated to na- Yakushima Island, intermediate moors are ture and cultivated wide-ranging knowl- generally distributed in cool temperate edge, skill, arts, sensitivity, and a sense zones throughout Japan. of beauty. High moors are found extensively in Japan’s rich biodiversity has been shaped the Chubu region of central Honshu and by the climate, intricate land use, diverse Hokkaido in the north, and provide impor- natural environment and traditional view tant habitats for relict species of the Ice Age. of nature in each region where people live The largest existent marshland in Ja- harmoniously with nature. Approximately pan is Kushiro-shitsugen, a Ramsar site in 69,000 species have been identifi ed in Ja- Hokkaido, with an area of 18,000ha. There pan including 160 species of mammals, 700 are many other marshlands designated 2 RAMSAR SITES in JAPAN.
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