This paper first classifies agricultural land use patterns by examining the form and origin of human settlements, agricultural land use components, and their spatial arrangement around settlements or farmhouses, based on previous empirical studies of the lower Asama Volcano. The paper then analyzes the distribution of agricultural land use patterns on the principal lower volcanic slopes in Central Japan.
Low-altitude agricultural land use pattern (Type A), characterized by the combination of rice cultivation with fruit or vegetable production, dominates on the lowest part of the volcanic slopes where water is easily available from adjoining rivers, springs, and ponds. The Type A pattern prevails in the zone below 700 meters in altitude. Mid-altitude agricultural land use pattern (Type B) is characterized by variegated land use components including rice, fruits, vegetables, industrial crops, fodder crops, flowers, and seedlings. The Type B pattern dominates in the middle part of the volcanic slopes with an altitude below 1, 000 meters where water is not easily available. High-altitude agricultural land use pattern (Type C), consisting mainly of vegetables, fodder crops, flowers, and seedlings, is predominant in the highest part of the lower volcanic slopes which corresponds to a cool highland climate. The Type C pattern can be divided into two sub-types according to the form of settlement. Among Type C pattern, the dispersed settlement type (Type C 1) generally reflects the characteristics of the agricultural land use patterns found in the newly reclaimed land represented by the reclamation settle-ments of the post-World War II era. Vegetable production and viable dairy farming prevail in Type C 1 settlements. On the other hand, the agglomerated settlement type (Type C 2) represents the characteristics of the agricultural land use patterns found in the high-altitude old settle-ments, where farm households attained large-scale vegetable production after World War II. In general, the Type C pattern dominates in the zone between 900 and 1, 400 meters in altitude.
Vertical zonation of agricultural land use patterns, which was clarified on the lower Asama Volcano in previous studies, is the common basic feature of the larger volcanic areas in Central Japan. This is due to the similarities of both physical conditions, e.g., water facilities, tempera-ture, topography (relief), and soil, and socio-economic conditions, e.g., the distribution of settlements by attribute and altitude, traffic facilities, and the distribution of national forests or common lands that could be used for the enlargement of farmland, in addition to the similar processes of historical development on the principal lower volcanic slopes in Central Japan.
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