PARENT SESSION
Poster Session 13: Landscape Ecology / Geomorphology
Tuesday, August 9, 5:00 PM - 6:30 PM, Exhibit Hall 220 A-E, Level 2, Palais des congrès de Montréal

Influence of human impact on landscape structure in a hilly agricultural area, Zhejiang Province, China.

Fujihara, Michiro^{*,1, 2}, Hara, Keitaro³, Da, Liangjun⁴, Yang, Youchuan⁴, Qin, Xiangkun⁵, ¹ University of Hyogo, Hokudan-cho, Hyogo, Japan² Awaji Landscape Planning and Horticulture Academy, Hokudan-cho, Hyogo, Japan³ Tokyo University of Information Sciences, Chiba, Japan⁴ East China Normal University, Shanghai, China⁵ Shanghai Museum of Natural History, Shanghai, China

ABSTRACT- Hilly Rural areas characterized by paddy fields and surrounding secondary forests form one of the most characteristic countryside landscapes in Asia. This type of landscape has resulted from, and is maintained by agricultural activities. These rural landscapes, however, are deteriorating due to changes in the local and regional economic and social systems. In order to conserve these landscapes, the diversity of land use systems in local area and relationship between the human impact and landscape structure should be analyzed. In the present study, we focused on a hilly agricultural area, Zhejiang Province, China. In this area local people still collect firewood from forests. Landscape map was made by using ICONOS data and field surveys. One to three plots were established in each main landscape element type. In each plot, the species name, cover-abundance and sociability of vascular plants were recorded, and height and diameter at breast height (DBH) of trees were measured. Tree ring analysis was also conducted. Amount of firewood collected from forests was measured. Ten landscape element types were recognized: evergreen broad-leaved forest, evergreen and deciduous mixed broad-leaved forest, evergreen coniferous forest, bamboo forest, Phyllostachys praecox plantation, grassland, dry arable field, paddy field, residential area and pond. Distribution of each patch of these landscape element types depended on agricultural activities and firewood collection. Many component species of secondary forests were common to those of natural forests, but the structures of the stands were quite different. Cycloalanopsis glauca was the most preferred species for firewood and this species adapted to tree cuttings.

Key words: evergreen broad-leaved forest, species composition, firewood, stand structure