The present study concerns the use of conserved forest fragmented by residential development, and attempts, from the twin viewpoints of ecology and human behavior, to establish guidelines for conservation and use to be applied at the stages of land use surveying, design and management. The study area was the Flower Town district of Sanda City, Hyogo Prefecture. In terms of land use, it was found that the reduction of forested area accompanying forest fragmentation had led to a decline in the number of tree species present, and that the visual appreciation of conserved forest was influenced by its proximity to residential sites and its ease of access. In terms of design, it was found that residents tended to prioritize the function of conserved forest as a habitat for plants and animals, but also that they favored its use as a human amenity of conserved forest accessible on an everyday basis. In terms of management, it was found that the higher the amenity value of the forest, as measured by the condition of the forest floor, the greater the willingness of residents to participate in maintenance activities .This suggests that, to encourage such participation, a public-friendly program linking environmental education with recreational use would be desirable. It is therefore apparent that the optimum scale and location of conserved forest, and guidelines for its use, must be examined from both the ecological viewpoint, of the forest as the habitat of plants and animals, and from the human amenity viewpoint. By applying the above findings to the case study of the Flower Town district ,an attempt was made to establish concrete guidelines for the conservation and use of conserved forest in the development of residential environments.
