Changes in rural landscape between 1890's and 1970's in the Awaji Island, central Japan

Abstract

This paper intended to analyze changes in rural landscape between 1890's and 1970's in the middle of the Awaji Island, central Japan. Changes from woodland or paddy-field to other type of land-use could be explained by differences in topographical factors such as altitude, slope angle and topographic wetness. Especially, it was revealed that a topographic wetness index (TWI) was effective to explain land-use changes in the Awaji Island where has a relatively low annual precipitation. Total length of boundary lines between woodland and paddy-field was decreased to 85% in the period 1890's-1970's, but the number of them was twice in the same period. It seemed that boundary areas between woodland and paddy-field were fragmented by land-use changes.