300px, Aya laurel forest (Ayagawa River)
The Aya Biosphere Reserve (established in 2012) is a
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...
Man and the Biosphere Programme
Man and the Biosphere Programme (MAB) is an intergovernmental scientific program, launched in 1971 by UNESCO, that aims to establish a scientific basis for the improvement of relationships between people and their environments.
MAB's work engag ...
in the south of
Kyushu Island,
Japan. It harbours one of the country’s largest remaining
lucidophyllous forests. The forest shows high biodiversity and embraces many indigenous species. Forest therapy and traditional recycling based agriculture in Aya Town are an ecotourism draw to the Biosphere Reserve.
Ecological characteristics
Aya Biosphere Reserve consists of a plateau containing high relief mountains (over 600m), low relief Mountains (200–400 m) and
Shirasu (deposits of volcanic ash and sand) layers, as well as a flat alluvial plain around the confluence of the
Ayakita and
Ayaminami Rivers. It is located near the centre of
Miyazaki Prefecture
is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located on the island of Kyūshū. Miyazaki Prefecture has a population of 1,073,054 (1 June 2019) and has a geographic area of 7,735 Square kilometre, km2 (2,986 sq mi). Miyazaki Prefecture borders ...
in Southeastern Kyushu, where the
Kyushu Central Mountains and the
Miyazaki Plain meet.
Lucidophyllous forests within the Biosphere Reserve consist of many species endemic to Japan. Lucidophyllous forests in East Asia are unique as they have lain on the border of two floras (one is formed by mainly tropical evergreen trees, and the other by temperate deciduous trees) since the
Cretaceous Period
The Cretaceous ( ) is a geological period that lasted from about 145 to 66 million years ago (Mya). It is the third and final period of the Mesozoic Era, as well as the longest. At around 79 million years, it is the longest geological period of t ...
when
angiosperms
Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (), commonly called angiosperms. The term "angiosperm" is derived from the Greek words ('container, vessel') and ('seed'), and refers to those plants ...
were first born (143 - 65 million years ago).
Forests account for 88% (12,839ha) of the total area of the Biosphere Reserve out of which about 16% (2,330ha) are natural lucidophyllous forests and about 25% (3,675ha) are secondary lucidophyllous forests (secondary vegetation).
1033 botanical species, 145 fungal species, 70 avian species and 19 mammal species have been identified in the Biosphere Reserve. The area around Aya Town is the southern limit of habitats for the
Japanese serow
The : (''Capricornis crispus'') ( 羚羊) is a Japanese goat-antelope, an even-toed ungulate mammal. It is found in dense woodland in Japan, primarily in northern and central Honshu. The serow is seen as a national symbol of Japan, and is subj ...
and
golden eagle
The golden eagle (''Aquila chrysaetos'') is a bird of prey living in the Northern Hemisphere. It is the most widely distributed species of eagle. Like all eagles, it belongs to the family Accipitridae. They are one of the best-known birds of ...
s.
Socio-economic characteristics
The Biosphere Reserve includes
Aya Town in the transition zone, which has a population of 7,283. The core area is made up of the preserved district of the Aya Forestry Ecosystem Protected Area and is included in the
Kyushu Central Mountains Quasi National Park. The area has never been used for human activities and is the object of scientific studies on the structure, function and dynamics of the lucidophyllous forest. The transition zone is mainly used for organic agriculture, and Aya Town is the first community in the country to develop a traditional recycling-oriented agricultural system, put in place in 1988. Ecotourism, including “forest therapy” (for healing purposes) and forest environmental education, is actively developed.
See also
*
Kyūshū Chūō Sanchi Quasi-National Park
Sources
References
External links
English brochur of Aya UNESCO EcoparkAya in UNESCO website
{{Use dmy dates, date=March 2020
Biosphere reserves of Japan
Protected areas of Japan
Miyazaki Prefecture
