2022 Volume 48 Issue 1 Pages 62-67
The object of this study is to determine the motivation of locals by questionnaires to consider the biodiversity of forests on the embankment slopes of expressways (hereafter referred to as “expressway forests”) in management planning. As results, the expressway forests were recognized by 65.5% of the locals, who had neutral or affirmative impressions. They recognized that the expressway forests improved the surroundings with natural environments and biodiversity, and required management plans to maintain such forests. The interest in expressway forests was primarily due to "green scenery" and “seasonal changes", just as other forests. However, local interest in expressway forests was lower than that for other forests. Therefore, consideration for "seasonal changes", "birds chirping", and "tree shade" could be the required conditions to make expressway forests with higher value.
