Local Meteorology and Agriculture on a Mountain-Slope in Central Japan

抄録

　Small scale labor-intensive agriculture on steep slopes has been practiced for years in mountainous villages of the central part of Japan. Mountain-slope agriculture relies heavily on topographical features and weather conditions that play significant roles not only for harvesting crops but also in the land management system. However, in recent days, abandonment and advancing desolation of cultivation land in the mountainous area have reduced productions of agriculture and have caused severe environmental degradation.
　Therefore, re-establishing mountain farming that overcomes the complicated topographic and severe climatic conditions, is important from the aspect of conserving the mountainous environment. The purposes of this study are to clarify how the mountain-slope agriculture could be adapted to such severe natural conditions and indicate the existing skills that have been enhancing mountain agriculture.
　A small agricultural settlement in the central part of Japan, Shimoguri, was selected as a study area. Meteorological and topographical conditions and traditional farming practices in the area were investigated through detailed field surveys and observations.
　The results obtained from the study are:
　(i) As the study area is located on a south-facing slope and receives an above-average amount of solar radiation in all seasons, the period of coldness in the area is very short even in mid-winter despite being situated at a high altitude.
　(ii) In spite of having narrow and steep farmlands, the study area has been successfully cultivating more than fifty types of crops by implementing a multiple cropping system.
　(iii) Local skills for mountain-slope agriculture that have been developed, adapted and integrated through severe meteorological and topographical conditions of Shimoguri have shown successful outcomes in maintaining the agro-ecosystem of the area.