中山間地域等直接支払制度が集落レベルの多面的機能の維持増進に及ぼす効果
新潟県十日町市における事例研究
2003 年 22 巻 1 号 p. 17-25
詳細
2003 年 22 巻 1 号 p. 17-25
This paper aims to clarify the effects of direct payment in hilly and mountainous areas for maintaining ecological functions of farmlands. Two villages in the upstream district of Tokamachi-shi, Niigata Prefecture were selected as study sites for a comparison of land use and farmland management.
First, patterns of land use and aspects of the local environment that made farming difficult were analyzed by using GIS. Topographic differences between still-cultivated farmlands and abandoned ones were compared in terms of two of these aspects: distance from managed farm roads and degrees of slope. We found that abandoned farmlands were further from roads and steeper than cultivated ones. Maintenance of the levees around the farmlands ceased completely after cultivation was abandoned.
Secondly, we conducted a survey to determine how the local farmlands were managed and how the subsidy was affecting the maintenance of farmlands. We found that the scheme was having little effect on the re-cultivation of once-abandoned farmlands or the maintenance of farmlands. However, the subsidy was being used for joint activities by the villagers and was having a positive effect on village revitalization.
It was apparent that a clear vision of those measures that could help promote the ecological functions of local farmlands was needed for the effective use of the subsidy.
In conclusion, we made the following points on the maintenance and promotion of the ecological functions of farmlands and woodlands. 1) To maintain the ecological functions of farmlands, and as an alternative to the current scheme, we need a new scheme that has clear objectives with regard to the management of both abandoned farmlands and still-cultivated ones. 2) Farmers need to receive assistance in the management of woodlands, because afforestation is a legitimate way to prevent decline in the ecological functions of abandoned farmlands in areas where re-cultivation is difficult and where shrubs and trees have already begun to invade.
