The purposes of this research are: 1) to explain risk perception that both "objective evaluation" and "subjective evaluation" about the earthquake disaster. 2) to propose that waterside area repair projects; and attempts to make a comprehensive analysis of it's area in urban stage. As a result of this research, latently it's expected prevention function at waterside area, and has shown that 1) for the type of "water activity park" is necessary that waterside green maintenance. 2) for the type of "urban river" is necessary that waterside road improvement.

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Sea tangle is one of the most important ingredients in Japan. Although total landing has stayed flat for 30 years, wild sea tangle has been reduced to two-thirds, and cultured one filled a deficit. It is suspected that future landings will be lower because of the increase of aging producers and the change of marine environment. This paper reveals the economic factors which affects regional decision of production. The following results were obtained. First, each region decides which products it makes according to not its price, but CPUE. Secondly, lacking of next target products constrains the number of producers, which maintain stability of CPUE. Thirdly, future action should emphasize on the conservation of L. ongissima, L. diabolica, and L. angustata.

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In this paper, using time series analysis and tank model, we estimated the objective probability of groundwater decrease and evaluated the preservation of groundwater in Kumamoto area by CVM. We found that the objective probability of forecasted groundwater decrease is about 50% and that the estimated value of preservation of groundwater with objective probability is much smaller than that without the objective probability.

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In order to cover appropriately the value newly recognized by the change of public projects, it is necessay to improve the methodology. The travel cost method for evaluating non-market value which environment has is often applied to evaluation of recreation sites. In most cases, it is that the direct cost of access is required. But, at a site like reservoir applied in this study, in order for almost all people to visit on foot, it is necessary to improve the conventional valuation method. So, in this study, the concept of the opportunity cost of time was reconsidered and the evaluation was tried. The optimal model was chosen from a viewpoint of the opportunity cost of access time using the grid search. As a result, it became clear that a difference exists between sites.

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The present paper attempts to analyze the quantitative effects of a community currency on a local economy, through increasing the multiplier in the local economy where the local currency, "Ithaca Hour" is implemented. In this research, firstly, the author clarified the mechanism of Ithaca Hours circulation and yearly trend of the number of goods and services provided by Ithaca Hours. Secondly, the author pursued interviews and a questionnaire survey to major business users of Ithaca Hours and estimated the input-output structure of the community currency. As a result, it is revealed that Ithaca Hours generate nearly 11000 Hours (about 1.2 million yen) as a regional output in 2002, and that the multiplier of Ithaca Hours is 1.34, while the multiplier of the county economy is 1.2. The difference between these multipliers would suggest the effect of local production and consumption by the community currency.

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Published in March of 2003 for the first time, PRTR system are expected to encourage effective risk communication for chemical substances control by private companies and various levels of governments. It is important to make clear current situation on practical use of those data and risk communication. We conducted a questionnaire survey for local governments of prefectures and mega-cities, as well as private companies in Tokyo. The results suggested that both groups have not fully implemented substantial measures of risk communication yet, while promoting the dissemination of PRTR data. In addition, some of requests for another group are different each other.

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This paper shows an investigation analysis about the decision factor of the environment education policy. Objects of this analysis are three environmental education policies, such as Kougai education in the Basic Law for Environmental Pollution Control in 1967, environmental education in the Basic Environment Law in 1992, and the Law Concerning the Encouragement of Willingness for Environmental Conservation and the Promotion of Environmental Education in 2003. In accordance with six models such as cost, benefit, environmental pressure, public opinion, learning and local models, each scenario is made for those six environmental education policy decisions, and investigation to the specialists was conducted. Consequently, about these three environmental education policies, it became clear that each specialists chose different models as determining factor. It reveals that the factors differed when decided upon these three environmental education policies.

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This study evaluates the effect of the social capacity for environmental managements, as well as other economic factors, on air pollution reduction in 47 prefectures in Japan. This objective is achieved by using the 19-year panel data and the seemingly unrelated regression analysis. Our empirical results suggest that air pollution reductions associated with the social capacity for environmental management area greater than those with natural economic growth.

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The rice terrace ownership system is being implemented in Asuka village, Nara prefecture. The aim of this study is to research the problem of this system and to consider the countermeasures by questionnaire survey. According to the survey, it becomes clear that they need participation of young people in the district and proficiency in farm work of owners. Instructors think that they can pay young people daily wages if young people participate the system though young people are not good at farm work. About proficiency of owners, difference is found between instructors and owners. It is necessary to develop the system with more communication.

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This study aims to verify the significance and the role of "the project of the Common Welfare Facilities (C.W.F.)" in the greenery spaces development, from the aspect of both the project system and the project effect, on which the buffer-green has been constructed between housing and urban areas and industrial areas in order to prevent the industrial pollution which took place in the period of rapid economic growth. Concerning the characteristics of the system of this project under the social background at the time when the project of the C.W.F. was established, the financial support by the central government such as subsidy was surveyed. Also, the period needed for the appearance of the effect of the project was verified in comparison with the city parks projects for nearly the same scale. As the result, it was clarified that the period needed for the completion of the projects is in average less than 5 years. This period is about 1/3 of that for the ordinary city parks projects.

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This research tends to verify from an enterprise system side and the enterprise effect side about consciousness and a role in green-tract-of-land maintenance for the Community Welfare Facilities (C.W.F.) which has maintained the buffer green belts between the housing and urban area, and the industrial area, in order to prevent the industrial pollution generated of the rapid economic growth. In this paper, chose the Himeji District as a case, where an investment scale is the largest among the Common Welfare Facilities, and the project evaluation analysis was performed using Probabilistic Utility Model which was developed by the Japan Environment Corporation. As a result, the rate of the indirect use value occupied to the gross benefit accounted for 70 percent and also, because of the benefit ratio in the whole area was set to 2.53, the expression of the enterprise effect corresponded to the investment became clarified.

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In general, the ecological footprint (EF) has been known as an index for the environmental impact of human activities. First, the article has discussed the significance of EF for a land-use planning tool and has verified that the land-use intensity make a contribution to the improvement of environmental impact. Then, the study has proposed the Floor-Area-Ratio (FAR) as a density indicator and has presented a model to examine the environmental impact. The feature of the model is a non-linear relationship between FAR and the improvement of environment. The model has been applied to some districts in Japan and its applicability to the environmental planning has been discussed. The fact findings have indicated that the high density of land-use is not effective for the improvement of environmental.

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Full cost (including social cost) for electricity supply business through whole life cycle was analyzed as a case study for environmental cost accounting of each corporation. Social cost on each life stage was estimated based on the endpoint modeling LCIA method (LIME). The ratio of social cost to full cost through all life cycle was accounted as nearly 10%. Most effective impact on the increase of total social cost was seen on the electricity production stage (excluding construction / demolition and maintenance processes) and CO₂ emission from fuel furnace on electricity production stage showed largest contribution of all social cost for electricity supply business (around 39%). It is necessary for further precise and reliable analysis to quantify uncertainty of impact assessment method and accumulate especially important inventory data for target activity.

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This research aims to the estimating method of CO₂ emission from household sector in municipal level in Japan. The energy consumption by each fuel is estimated by energy utilization efficiency and building-type-coefficient, and this value are corrected by whole amount in bigger region. The result of estimate shows that electricity, LPG and paraffin oil consumption are larger as population decrease. In contrast to this, city gas consumption is larger as population increase. Furthermore CO₂ emissions from cities which have over one million population occupy about 20% in Japan. On the other hand emissions of the cities which have below 100 thousand people occupy about 40%. These results present the importance of global warming prevention policies in medium and small city.

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Index of environmental efficiency, so-called eco-efficiency is paid attention internationally as a tool considering both information of environment and value of product. However, there is no consensus regarding the elements of eco-efficiency and that itself. This makes it difficult to use eco-efficiency as external communication tool. This study aims at the development of an index of eco-efficiency which enables us to use for multipurpose. This index can be obtained from the division value added of assessed objects by external cost. Eco-efficiency in national level was obtained, which can be used as a criterion of all of the assessed objects, because this index can be seen as a mean value of Japanese products. This is applied in the assessment for various products and evaluation for company. The development of this indicator is expected to promote the application of eco-efficiency and share the results of eco-efficiency as a common language of environmental management.

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We conducted measurements of energy uses and performances for 5 desktop PCs and 5 portable PCs, and studied the appropriate definition of energy efficiency and its standards for personal computers. We found that the ration of power requirement to performance, which is the definition of energy efficiency for personal computers in Japanese law, is not appropriate for it, because more than 95% of energy use has no relationship with computing loads. Instead, annual energy use, which is calculated from the average usage and the power requirement in each operating mode, is an appropriate definition of energy efficiency. The power requirement in idle mode, which decides more than 80% of annual energy use, can also be a simplified definition of energy efficiency. We also found it difficult to decide the standards of energy efficiency for personal computers, because there is almost no correlation between the performance and the energy use.

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The effects of reduction in the elevator operating numbers on energy saving at a high-rise office building were evaluated. Increase of user waiting time for elevator arrival and decrease of electricity use in elevator operation are predicted when the operation numbers of elevator are reduced by 1-3 in the time zone which is crowded and not crowded. From this study it was suggested that 1 elevator of 5 can be allowed to stop operation even in the crowded morning time zone and 2 elevators of 5 could be stopped in another time zone not crowded. As a result, the electricity consumption of one office building could be reduced by 90kWh daily and the CO₂ reduction potential could be 13.7tons-CO₂ yearly.

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Seasonal Changes in Soil Respiration Rates was measured at a artificial green space site, different with planting trees and planting year. Soil Respiration Rates averaged 3.41μmol CO₂ m^-2 s^-1 (minimum 0.93, maximum 6.67) at broad-leaved evergreen forest, and 4.09μmol CO₂ m^-2 s^-1 (minimum 1.65, maximum 7.91) at broad-leaved mixed forest of evergreen tree and deciduous tree. Both sites showed a clear seasonal change like soil temperature. Both sites had become the rule factors of the amount change of soil breathing with a main change of soil temperature. In the exam, it was shown by the difference between planting types of trees and forest age that a difference is in seasonal change of the amount of soil breathing.

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This study dealt with the effects of fertilization applied to whole layer and soil surface on bio-diversity of soil mesofauna in research plots. Simpson's and Fisher's indices of diversity were employed for evaluating bio-diversity. There was no certain tendency for the changes in species, abundance and Simpson's diversity index. So the effects of fertilization on bio-diversity of soil mesofauna were investigated on the basis of Fisher's logarithmic series. It was concluded that the whole layer application of fertilizer contributed well for balancing population of soil mesofauna comparing to the surface broadcasted application of fertilizer.

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This study aims to understand the relationship between the land use and the water quality of springs in Shimousa upland, central Japan. The correlation was analyzed between the spring water quality and the classified land use at that watershed using GIS soft and multi-variable analysis. In results, concentration of springs was getting higher because of human activities. The agricultural land use had a great impact to the water quality, especially NO₃^-, SO₄^2- and Cl^- ions. And Ca²⁺, SO₄^2- ions were increasing in the residential area where the sewer was not fixed. Therefore, this study suggested that two land types using human activities had strong influence to the chemical changing of water quality.

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The objective of this study was to compare the porous settling ponds of gravitational flow and of inverse gravitational flow for improving the decrease in drainage discharge by clogging of filter layer. Additionally, the drainage discharge through the porous settling pond of inverse gravitational flow having a washout treatment was investigated. For the comparison of porous settling ponds, permeability and suspended solids of discharged water were observed. The experimental results showed that the decrease in drainage discharge through the porous settling pond of inverse gravitational flow was smaller than that of gravitational flow, and the porous settling pond of inverse gravitational flow had also a sufficient function to control suspended solids. Additionally, it was judged that a washout treatment was effective for improving the decrease in drainage discharge thorough the porous settling pond of inverse gravitational flow.

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The purpose of this study is to clarify the effect of using carbon fibers to improve water of eutrophic lake. Carbon fibers have strong affinities for microorganisms and absorptivity for sludge. Therefore, the biological activated carbon fibers can remove the pollutant from water. The artificial algal bed of carbon fibers was laid to improve the water quality in a small eutrophicated bay of lake Oshima-Ohnuma. Water in and out of the artificial algal bed of carbon fibers can blend easily. After six months, BOD and TN were decreased and transparency was improved. Evolution of scum was reduced. Tank experiment using the biological activated carbon fibers indicated that the effect of water quality was improved in COD, SS, TP and NH_4-N.

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For the purpose of conserving biodiversity in urban areas, the activity of Apodemus speciosus and the relationship between environmental conditions and habitat were studied in an urban forest in Yokohama City, Japan. The major factors affecting the population of A.speciosus were clarified by Quantification Theory I: herb cover, herb height and litter-soil cover. A.speciosus changed their activity area with relation to floor vegetation management. For conserving their habitats and activities of A.speciosus in urban forests, it is necessary to limit floor vegetation management and to include environmental elements into the planning and management of urban forests.

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Oryzias latipes is an endangered species that lives in paddy fields and irrigation canals. This paper investigates Oryzias latipes distribution by category of individual size, as well as some environmental factors. In the paddy field, small individuals were mostly distributed where Chlorophyll a was abundant and the leaf area index was high. In the irrigation canal, small and medium-large individuals were mostly distributed where flow velocity was slow and emergent plants were growing. This suggests that paddy fields are places for growth and feeding and a haven from birds, and irrigation canals are places for hibernation. In order to maintain a sustainable population of Oryzias latipes, it is important to conserve the environment of both irrigation canals and paddy fields as their habitat.

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The purpose of this study was to explore how seeds of Tribulus terrestris disperse in the Osaka Bay Area after being sprayed over the sea. The results found that, in Atsuhama Beach, the seeds floated over the surface of the sea to a distance of about 550 meters from the spraying point on average, and in Suma Beach was about 350 meters. And that more than 60% of them attached to seaweed. In Atsuhama Beach, where the seashore has been kept in a more natural condition, the larger the angle between ocean current and the coastline was, the higher the number of the floating seeds was. In Suma Beach, where artificial constructions are built, it was found that there was the trend that the longer the accumulated length of all jetties vertical to ocean current was, the lower the number of the floating seeds was. These observations suggested that constructions vertical to ocean current serve as a factor which prevents the floating seeds from dispersal at a farther distance.

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A study aims to discuss the species composition of the grassland community around the trail in the Kirigamine Heights, Central Japan. 73 quadrats measuring 1m x 1m were set on the secondary grassland around the main trail. Ordination by Detrended Correspondence Analysis and Two-Way Indicator Species Analysis showed that two environmental factors had significant effects in determining the species composltion: altitude and human disturbance. The higher place community is composed of the disturbance species and the gregarious species. The lower place community is composed of the montane species.

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We examined the influence of habitat isolation on avifauna in urban landscapes. Using meta-analysis approach considering many previous studies, we found that avian fauna in species-poorer locations are subsets of that observed in species-richer ones. The exception was domestic pigeon, jungle crow and water wagtail that were recorded particularly in the sites where species richness was low. This species compositional change pattern corresponded to the variation in area of each site covered with trees. The number of species also correlated strongly to the tree-covered area. In addition to that, the sites surrounded mainly by urban land uses showed low increasing rate related to area, compared to the other sites.

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The circulation use of a woody waste has been required in order to decrease quantity of the incineration refuse. In order to clarify the effect of wood chip mulching on soil and vegetation, the basic test was carried out on soil environment change, dynamic phase of the water-soluble material, the effects which suppress the growth of the grass. The following results were obtained, the effect which suppresses the growth of the plant except for Equisetum arvense is remarkable, the organic matter quantity in the soil increases together with the decomposition of the wood chip, water soluble inorganic cations dominated by potassium ion. In addition, daily fluctuation of soil temperature 10cm below the surface is 2 to 3 degrees smaller than that of the air. Measurement of soil moisture 5cm below the soil surface shows the tendency to retain water in the drying process.

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This study is the purpose about grasping of the mineral nutrient balance of payments in a fundamental circulation system that research towards development of Aquaponics that performs Aquaculture and Hydroponics products sustainable and simultaneously within a closing circulation system. Agricultural products absorbed much DIN in the Aquaculture drainage of carps, but DIP precipitated and decreased, so its processing and reuse are a subject. When the comparison of the mineral nutrient in each agricultural products, the tomatoes and herbs absorbed many DIN and DIP, and the amounts of edible biomass harvest were tomatoes (849g/m²), water convolvulus (2677g/m²), and herbs (964g/m²) for four months. It was considered that Aquaculture of carps could be performed, DIN they are 18 and DIP 75 carps from the excretion speed measurement experiment of carps.

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In this paper, we try to evaluate risk reduction benefits by counter-measures against echinococcosis using baits with anthelminthics. We applied contingent valuation method based on double-bounded dichotomous choice approach at 4 areas in Hokkaido. As a result, the median WTP estimated are between about 2000-3000 yen per year. The mean WTP are between about 2500-4500 yen as well.

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Several recycling laws have been enacted in Japan towards loop-closing society, but they mainly depend on the cascade recycling system that turns wastes and residues into low quality products or heat for energy use. Therefore, it is indispensable to develop a current system as an advanced loop-closing system to construct sustainable society. This paper shows the material balance of Hyogo eco-town that has green technology and infrastructure in the steel industry, and suggests the micro level concept of resource productivity as the evaluation indicator, and applies this indicator to the evaluation of Hyogo eco-town. As the result, the resource productivity of the advanced loop-closing system increased by 16% compared to the current social system.

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In the process to achieve recycle-oriented society, industry are asked to seek the most efficient solution of products and material circulation. In that context supplying service can be an answer. This study analyzes the consumer acceptance to the parts reusing and repair services of home appliances with conjoint measurement. As a result, consumers accept reused parts with equivalent to -6000 yen in condition of repairing refrigerator. Using reused parts is just an additional value among product main functions, but it is evaluated relatively higher from green-consumers, second hand products holder. In the condition of choice between repairing and renewing appliances, consumer's decision varies with the repairing cost particularly in the case that products have used already 6 to 10 years. Using reused parts for repairing can bring cost reduction of manufacturing and management of repair parts for producers.

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A regression analysis was undertaken concerning the formation of corporate environmental brand image. Explanatory variables are based on users' evaluation on corporate Web sites. The data is collected from general Web user survey about three forestry-related corporate Web sites. The results of this analysis indicated some practical suggestions on effective usability and impression that contribute to form corporate environmental brand image.

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The growing solid waste from industrial sectors is a structural problem of modern society, which has been supported by the system of mass production, mass consumption and mass disposal. The Input-Output model is a useful tool to examine the situation of structural environmental problems and to draw up measures to cope with them. The study employs a regional input-output model to analyze the relationship between the economic structure and the solid waste from industrial sectors in Japanese regions for years 1985, 1990 and 1995. The findings have revealed that the determinant factors on industrial waste differed between the major metropolitan regions and the local regions. Furthermore, the emissions from metropolitan regions had been transferred to local regions through the interregional trade.

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It is important to explain the characteristic of the lakes and marshes for the improvement and preservation of water environment. In this paper, the arranging/collecting data that is a set of lake origin, area and water quality, is analyzed by a statistical method in water environment for the classification of the characteristic on the typical lakes in Japan. Results are as follows: It is accounted for a high rate that the inland sea-lakes are classified in eutrophic type of water quality. Furthermore, other three types, that are the caldera lakes in oligotrophic type, and the dammed lakes or tectonic lakes in a type intermingled eutrophic/mesotrophic/oligotrophic, are frequently appeared with high propotion in Japanese lakes. The transparency has an exponential function that is decreasing with the increasing of COD concentration. The boundary value for main factor on the aqua-pollution in lake is appeared in population load as a value of one hundred persons per a square kilometer. Water environment regarding ecosystem is observed as a high stability in the inland sea-lake and the dammed lake, and as a low values in the caldera lake and the crater lake by a reason of the species of diversity.

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To clarify the characteristics of inflow waters and bottom sediments as formative factors on water environments of small ponds in Ishikari peatlands, the discharges and quality of inflow waters, compositions and physical properties of bottom sediments, and quality of pore water in sediments were investigated. Inflow discharges into ponds were twice or thirteen times the actual mass of pond waters, and the quality of pond water with large discharges depended basically on the quality of inflow waters. Organic matter contents of sediments within 1m-depth ranged 30 to 60%, having small differences between surveyed points, and volumetric water contents of sediments ranged 80 to 90%, indicating large amount ofpore waters. Pore water showed high concentrations in NH_4-N and low concentrations of DO, compared with pond water.

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In order to examine the effects of Aigamo duck farming on aquatic biota and water quality in a paddy field, the present status of Aigamo duck paddy field was investigated and was compared with that of paddy field adopting conventional farming, with a focus on the diversity and biomass of aquatic biota and water quality. The results indicated that suspended matter and phosphorus levels in the water were increased by the movement of Aigamo ducks on the field, which stirred the paddy soil up into the water, the NH_4+-N level was raised by duck excretion, as was the level of nitrate-nitrogen, the nitrified product of te latter. The number of species and the biomass of aquatic biota were lower in the Aigamo paddy field than in the conventional paddy field, raising concerns that Aigamo ducks may reduce the diversity and the biomass of the aquatic biota that constitute the paddy field ecosystem.

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Recently, the water quality in stream basins has become a serious problem in rural areas. The two primary threats to water quality in rural river basins are fertilizer from fields, and water pollution caused by livestock waste. In this paper, the effects of land use and management of cattle on the stream water quality were investigated in the Komagome Watershed, Aomori Prefecture. Total nitrogen concentration and flow rate of stream were measured. It was clear that total nitrogen concentration was on the increase in promotion to the percentage of upland field and grassland. Total nitrogen of out flow from upland field and grassland were greatly influenced by grassland stocking density. Outflow rate of total nitrogen from grassland was 3 percent.

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Recently, consciousness for the environment preservation rises. Harmony with the preservation of the ecosystem in consideration of the character of the agriculture area and the beautiful landscape is necessary. Wetland has various functions such as the purification function of the water resources, the flood prevention function, the relaxation function of the weather, the preservation function of the creature kind and the water quality and an environment education function. Therefore wetland is taken high evaluation. In this paper, the historical change of the development and the use, the weather, groundwater and plants were investigated in the high moor peatland in Tashiro wetland, Aomori prefecture. It was clear that the geographic, hydrology, environment and conservation in the high moor peatland in Tashiro wetland.

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