The aim of this paper is to definite the problem about conservation and the rearing of the landscape of Satochi, through the analysis of landscape master plans of Satochi-type towns in Iwate prefecture.
Subjects of analysis of landscape master plans are as follows: 1) Method of data survey of landscape, 2) Fundamental object of landscape planning, 3) Measure of landscape planning, 4) Measure of pushing on with landscape planning.
As the results, we made clear the actuallies of landscape master plans of Satochi-type towns, and we could give guide of conservation and the rearing of the landscape of Satochi.

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Frog is one of most popular rural animals in paddy fields. We studied the relationship between rural landscape structure and frog inhabitation in Tonami area where was famous as landscape of dispersed hamlet (houses surrounded by stands of trees dot the entire plain). The surveys conducted in paddy fields of three types conditions (mountain area, hilly area, plain area), and on transect lines with a grid of 250 by 250m cells. The number of eggs deposited and the density of each species calling were recorded as the relative abundance of frogs.
In result, the paddy fields on plain area have poor species composition (1-3 species). In contrast, the paddy fields on mountain and hilly area have rich species composition (4-6 species). It is considered that the absent of frog species is occurred by land consolidation involving formation of landscape structure which block frog migration and dispersal route. The entering distance from the foot of mountain and hillside to inner plain area, were maximum 1km on Rana japonica, Rana ornativentris and Rhacophorus arboreus, about 4km on Rhacophorus schlegelii, about 10km on Rana nigromaculata. And Hyla japonica was observed commonly on all types of paddy fields. It has not related the abundance of frogs to density of homesteads in cells. However, it seems that Rhacophorus schlegelii is observed only cells presenting homesteads on inner plain area.
We discussed the model of rural landscape structure for frogs and improvement of rural environment with rich biota. Especially, paddy fields of foot area have importance on the spatial arrangement to conserve frog. Because the concept of frog conservation in Tonami plain, which read the dispersal of frog from foot area to inner plain area. Therefore it is necessary to clear the dispersal route for frog of barriers in various scale level.

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This study aims to clarify the process of landscape change in a semi-mountainous rural area in Tohoku District, Japan. Shizukuishi Basin in Iwate Prefecture was selected as the study area, where agriculture has been highly developed after World War II. For this purpose, a grid blocking method was introduced to quantitatively analyze changes in landscape structure.
The grid data set was made from land use and topological maps by 150 m square grids. Each grid had six properties: altitude, slope, and land use in 1912, 1951, 1971 and 1990. Land use in the study area was classified into six major types: paddy fields, upland fields, builtup area, coniferous forests, broadleaved forests and wasteland. Land use blocks were made by clustering adjacent grids which have the same land use type in each data year. Block size, block number, total area and complexity were selected as the indexes of block feature. Change ratios of indexes were calculated in each time period of land use change: period I is 1910 to 1951, II is 1951 to 1971, and III is 1971 to 1990. The ratios were put into a Cluster Analysis to identify block change patterns.
In the results, seven patterns of block change, A to G, were identified. Each pattern can be explain by four major processes of block change: appearance of new blocks (pattern A, B, D, F), disappearance of small blocks (pattern E, D), unification of some large blocks (pattern B, C) and division of a few large blocks (pattern E, F, G). Increases in total area go with the appearance and the unification of blocks. Decreases in total area go with the disappearance and the division. Pattern B, that includes paddy fields in period II and III, is explained by both appearance and unification. It suggests that total area of paddy fields increased by these two processes.
The results suggest that paddy fields have changed from small patches located only in narrow lowland to a large matrix which occupies the most of the flat area, because paddy field has been the most powerful land use type in the last one hundred years. Landscape structure in Shizukuishi Basin has been changed from mosaic and highly heterogeneous structure to a highly homogeneous structure.

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