Geographical Review of Japan
Online ISSN : 2185-1719
Print ISSN : 0016-7444
ISSN-L : 0016-7444
Volume 51, Issue 4
Displaying 1-6 of 6 articles from this issue
  • Michio OWADA
    1978Volume 51Issue 4 Pages 283-300
    Published: April 01, 1978
    Released on J-STAGE: December 24, 2008
    JOURNAL FREE ACCESS
    In this paper, the distribution of prevaling wind direction and wind velocity in the following six regions in Hokkaido was studied: the Ishikari Plain, the Shari-Abashiri Region, Konsen-Genya, the Tokachi Plain, Sarobetsu-Genya and the Lake Saroma and the surrounding Region as shown in Fig. 1. The wind conditions were made clear by the field observations of wind-shaped trees and the wind observation at the agrometeorological stations. The main species of wind-shaped trees observed in this study were Larix leptolepis, Fraxinus mandshurica, Alnus japonica, Populus spp., Picea jezoesis, Betula platyphylla var, japonica.
    The grade and direction of deformation of wind-shaped larch trees (Larix leptolepis) was measured at about 140 points in the Tokachi Plain in August, 1973 and 1974. Five wind systems can be recognized in the Tokachi Plain:
    1) The first branch of the westerly winds from the Karikachi Ridge blows northeastwards in the Plain.
    2) The second branch of the westerly blows eastwards crossing the central part of the Plain.
    3) The third branch of the westerly winds changes the direction from the region around Memuro to south or southeast.
    4) The southeasterly winds from the Pacific Ocean blow up into the lowland along the Tokachi River.
    5) The other southeasterly winds blow up northwards along the Hidaka Mountains.
    The observations in the Sarobetsu-Genya were made in November, 1973, and August, 1974. The main species of the observed wind-shaped trees were Fraxinus mandshurica, Alnus japonica and Larix leptolepis. Sarobetsu-Genya can be divided into three wind regions:
    1) The first branch of the westerly winds from the Japan Sea changes their direction slightly northeastwards due to the local topographical conditions.
    2) The second branch of the westerly winds from the Japan Sea blows eastwards.
    3) The third branch of the westerly winds changes their direction slightly southeastwards into the lowland area along the Teshio River after crossing the Teshio Region.
    Further, an attempt was made to clarify the relation between the mean wind velocity (m/s) observed at the meteorological stations and the grade of wind-shaped trees. The relation is expressed by the following equation:
    _??_
    where, Wsp is the mean wind velocity (m/s) observed at the agrometeorological stations in spring (March, April and May) and Gspl is the grade of wind-shaped trees of Larix leptolepis deformed by the westerly winds in the Tokachi Plain. For summer, the relation is expressed by the following equation:
    Ws(m/s)=0.86+1.07 Gsfa
    where, Ws is the mean wind velocity (m/s) obsrved at the agrometeorological stations in summer from May to September and Gsfa is the grade of wind-shaped trees of Fraxinus mandshurica and Alnusjaponica in the Ishikari Plain and the Sarobetsu-Genya. This means that the mean wind velocity in summer is approximately equal to the value obtained by adding 0.9_??_1.1m/s to the grade value of wind-shaped trees of Fraxinus mandshurica and Alnus japonica.
    The distribution of mean wind velocity (m/s) estimated by wind-shaped trees over the Plains in Hokkaido, can be summarized as follows:
    The strongest wind regions with mean wind velocity of 4.0_??_5.0m/s are found (i) on the mouth of Ishikari River in the Ishikari Plain, (ii) the area along the coast of the Sea of Okhotsk and the southern mountain regions in the Shari-Abashiri Region, (iii) the area around the Lake Saroma, (iv) the Shiriu Cape, Hamanaka Bay and the Kombumori around regions in the Konsen-Genya, (v) the area around the City of Shintoku and the Urimaku regions in the Tokachi Plain, and (vi) in the area of about 5_??_10km wide along the Sea of Japan in the Sarobetsu-Genya.
    Download PDF (2949K)
  • Kazuko URUSHIBARA
    1978Volume 51Issue 4 Pages 301-317
    Published: April 01, 1978
    Released on J-STAGE: December 24, 2008
    JOURNAL FREE ACCESS
    This paper is to clarify the relationship between climatic conditions and hue of the Mediterranean red soils developed in the limestone regions of Yugoslavia. The soil samples were collected at 48 locations in the Inland region of northern Slovenia, the Istria Peninsula and Adriatic coastal region, where the climatic conditions are different from one another. The Thornthwaite's P/E index is perhumid in the Inland region, but humid in most parts of the Istria Peninsula. In the northern area of the Adriatic coastal region, it is humid to sub-humid, and semi-arid in the southern area(Fig. 2). The clay percentage, the cation exchange capacity and the organic matter of soils vary to a great extent in these three regions. Especially, the clay percentage increases greatly from A to B horizons in the Inland region (Fig. 3). From the distribution of the cation exchange capacity, it is noted that the kinds of clay mineral in the Inland region are different from those in the Adriatic coastal region.
    In the Adriatic coastal region, the amount of exchangeable cation in B2 horizon decreases, in the following order: Ca++>Mg++>Na+>K+. In the Inland region, in this order: Ca++>Mg++>K+>Na+ (Table 2). However, both types can be found in the Istria Peninsula. This revealsthat the base saturation and exchangeable sodium in B2 horizon relate strongly to the climatic conditions. The exchangeable sodium content shows a significant positive correlation with d (Thornthwaite's water deficiency) in all three regions (Fig. 5). The amount of exchchangeable sodium has no relationship with the distance from the coast line.
    Thus, the amount of exchangeable sodium can be determined by the d values. In other words, the amount of exchangeable sodium in B2 horizon is determined by the degree of dryness during the summer season. High negative correlation was found between the base saturation and Im (Thornthwaite's moisture index) (Fig. 4). The above facts reveal that the base saturation and exchangeable sodium represent the present climatic conditions.
    The relation curve between base saturation (which reflects the annual humid condition) and free iron oxide (which is an index of the red color) in the Inland region is different from that in the Istria Peninsula and the Adriatic coastal region (Fig. 6). This regional difference is quite clear. The amount of free iron oxide was determined by the analysis, based upon the Tamm solution.
    The hue of the soil color in B, horizon shows a significant correlation with the amount of free iron oxide in all regions, but the tendency curves of the Adriatic coastal region are not similar to those of the Istria Peninsula and the Inland region (Fig. 7). It is further noted that the hue is related to free iron oxide and hematite, whose peak intensity was obtained by X ray analysis. The lower limit values of free iron oxide and hematite taken from the same hue of soil color in B2 horizons are highest in the Inland region, while they are lowest in the Adriatic coastal region (Fig. 9). Regionality of such relationship among free iron oxide, the hue of soil color and hematite is found clearly. These values from the Adriatic coastal region to the Istria Peninsula show the greatest difference from those in the Inland region.
    Free manganese oxide extracted by the Tamm solution is affected by the hue of soil color. Especially, if the amount of free manganese oxide has reached a certain limit, the soil color will become nearer to the YR (Yellow Red) side than to the R (Red) side. But, the tendency curve of Adriatic coastal region show the greatest difference from those in the Inland region plus the Istria Peninsula (Fig. 8).
    The amount of free iron oxide has a good correlation with d, and has weak correlations with P/E and Im.
    Download PDF (2132K)
  • Akitoshi HIRAOKA
    1978Volume 51Issue 4 Pages 318-326
    Published: April 01, 1978
    Released on J-STAGE: December 24, 2008
    JOURNAL FREE ACCESS
    The South Daito Island is a remote island 370 kilometers to the east of the main island of Okinawa, and its economy is dependent upon sugarcane monoculture. Since 1967, sea-sonal laborers from foreign countries have been employed to harvest sugarcane on the island. After World War II, seasonal laborers were recruited from Okinawa Island during the harvesting seasons. As it became difficult to recruit laborers from the main island due to the increase of employment opportunities in the main island, laborers were recruited from remote islands of low wages, especially the Miyako Islands.
    Since 1964, the low price of sugarcane and the increases of wages in other sectors of the economy in the Ryukyu islands and Japan proper negatively affected the sugarcane cultivation of South Daito Island (Fig. 4). As the island suffered a population decrease, the use of labor in the cultivation became less intensive. The increasing difficulty in the recruitment of laborers even from the Miyako Island aggravated the problem. Finally in 1967 low-wage laborers were introduced from Taiwan, and their number increased rapidly to the point that they became indispensable to the sugar industry of the island (Fig. 7). Thus the outflow of the islanders and the seasonal inflows of foreign laborers presented a strange paradox.
    The severance of diplomatic relation between Japan and Taiwan concomitant with the restoration of diplomatic relation between Japan and the People's Republic of China in 1972 prevented the recruitment of the Taiwanese. In the 1972-73 harvesting season, sugarcane had to be harvested without the help of foreigners, which was a great shock to the island community. In the 1973-74 season Koreans were recruited for the harvest, and since then they have come to South Daito Island every year.
    It may be safely said that the easy going resort to the low-wage laborers from Taiwan retarded the mechanization of sugarcane agriculture, and caused the shock in 1972. On the other hand, it is also true that the very shock led to the mechanization. In fact, South Daito Island is now one of the areas in Japan that have made good use of machines in agriculture. But hand-reaping of sugarcane is still widely practiced, and a large part of it is carried out by the Koreans. With the abrogation in 1977 of the Okinawa Prefecture Reversion Act of 1972, whereby the seasonal employment of the Koreans in the prefecture is permited, it is impossible to secure foreign laborers in the following seasons. Can the farmers introduce more machines on an economically sound basis? Response of the sugar industry of South Daito Island to this pressing problem remains to be seen.
    Download PDF (1885K)
  • Shinji UEMOTO
    1978Volume 51Issue 4 Pages 327-333
    Published: April 01, 1978
    Released on J-STAGE: December 24, 2008
    JOURNAL FREE ACCESS
    It has been said that the feature of longitudinal profile of divides are dependent on different rates of erosion controlled by the difference of geological structures i.e.: density of faults and joint fractures, and lithological differences.
    In this paper, the author has tried to make clear the relationship between the structures and the feature of longitudinal profile of high-standing divides located in the Shirouma Range (2, 300_??_2, 933m), Central Honshu, Japan.
    He examined the influence of geological structures on the divide form, by measuring the joint density and by making detailed geological maps. The joint density is represented by the number of joints intersecting the circular line of 1m-long on unweathered bedrocks. The joint density was measured at about 300 locations. The relationships between the joint bensity and variations of longitudinal profiles of the divides for different areas are graphically shown in Fig. 2 and Fig. 3, and Table 1 lists them numerically along with sites and lithologies.
    The altitude of divides becomes lower with the increase of joint density when the intervals between neighbouring locations are 1m to 2m, as illustrated in Figs. 2-a_??_e. The same relationshipalso exists for measuring-interval of 4m to 20m as shown in Figs. 2-f_??_h. Such relationship cannot be recognized, however, when the intervals are increased to 30m to 112m, as shown Figs. 2-i_??_k, Figs. 3-I and II.
    From these examinations, it can be concluded that the small-scale undulation of the longitudinal divide form with horizontal distances of shorter than 20m are strengly controlled by the difference of the joint density, but the large-scale undulation with horizontal distances of longer than 20m seems to be dependent not on the joint density but on the other geological structures.
    Download PDF (1123K)
  • 1978Volume 51Issue 4 Pages 334-337,342
    Published: April 01, 1978
    Released on J-STAGE: December 24, 2008
    JOURNAL FREE ACCESS
    Download PDF (1324K)
  • 1978Volume 51Issue 4 Pages 341
    Published: 1978
    Released on J-STAGE: December 24, 2008
    JOURNAL FREE ACCESS
    Download PDF (65K)
feedback
Top