Environmental Conservation Issues of Mt. Shibutsu from the View Point of Visitor Activities

Abstract

In recent years, due to their increasing popularity, mountainous natural parks have begun to face a number of serious problems, such as the degradation of mountain trails, trampling of natural vegetation, and the dispersion of human waste. This paper examines the typical behavior of visitors at Mt. Shibutsu in Oze National Park. To address these problems, our research classified the type of visitor, their behavioral patterns, and finally their awareness to the regulated utilization and conservation of Mt. Shibutsu. This research also described and clarified effective environmental conservation measures for the mountain natural park such as a broader distribution of visitor information, a comprehensive reform plan for the mountain trails and visitor facilities, and proposals to divide larger tour groups into smaller ones, along with suggesting a wider deployment of nature guides.