Abstract
One of the main aims of conservation ecology is to conserve ecosystems under human influence. Consequently, many conservation projects require correspondence between conservationists and members of the public. However, few examinations of this social-scientific exchange have been conducted. In this paper we examined local environmental history in a reed bed along the lower Iwaki River in Aomori Prefecture, Japan, and determined that local social change with regard to the use of natural resources is an important factor in landscape formation. This paper discusses the mutual relationship between society and nature, and the monitoring of that relationship. We report that ecologists must consider local 'right' owners who have managed natural resources thus far when executing conservation projects, as it is important for these owners to accept the management plan. Ecologists must also take into account the probable influence conservation projects will have on local communities. These social dimensions should be a target of the social-scientific monitoring that should be a part of adaptive management systems, together with natural-scientific monitoring.
