2023 Volume 49 Issue 1 Pages 69-74
In the traditional Kurama Fire Festival in Kyoto, brushwood of medium-sized broad-leaved shrubs such as Rhododendron reticulatum D. Don with a thickness of 1 to 2 cm have been used for the torches. In recent years, however, it has become difficult to procure forest resources within Kurama. We estimated the potential habitat of R. reticulatum in Kurama, and conducted a field survey to identify its resource use potential. Based on the growth characteristics of the species, 33.2% of the entire Kurama area was identified as the potential habitat, using GIS. In addition, as a result of interviews and field surveys, the amount of shoots of R. reticulatum that can be used per year is about 1/30 of the amount needed for bushes. It was indicated that the potential for resource utilization is low and that the growth environment of the species needs to be improved.
