Ecosystem Services Assessment in Satoyama and Satoumi affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake

Abstract

The March 11 Great East Japan Earthquake and resulting tsunami have caused significant direct and indirect impacts on ecosystem services provided by satoyama and satoumi in the affected area. In addition, the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident has left a long lasting scar on the region's ecosystem. This paper assembles available government reports, scientific studies and news articles regarding ecosystem services in satoyama and satoumi, and summarizes changes in ecosystem services before and after the disaster, based on the assessment framework developed by Japan Satoyama Satoumi Assessment (JSSA, 2010). We found that the inundated municipalities lost about 25% of farmland for rice production and 5% for other crops. The amount of woody material in the rubble is estimated at approximately 4 million tons, the carbon content of which is equivalent to 5% of total forest carbon stock in the area. The number of visitors during the holiday season dropped by 30-40% in Tohoku region, and 17% of cultural assets were damaged by the quake and tsunami.