1.4 THE ENVIRONMENT

(1) Characteristics of The Environment in the Seto Inland Sea

　　The Seto Inland Sea is typical of the outstanding beautiful scenery in Japan, and there are many national parks, quasi-national parks, and the other parks in this area. The Seto Inland Sea National Park is designated firstly as one of the national parks. Many people have evaluated "peaceful and beautiful scenery with diversity" of this area, which is unique from the other national parks that is characterized by grand and unaffected scenery

　　As for the vegetation around the Seto Inland Sea, there originally almost occupies warm temperate laurilignosa. The tree layer is dominated by chinquapin, oak, camphor tree, macilus tunbergii. The bush layer is dominated by the vegetation which are tolerance of shade, such as holly, camellia etc.

　　Because the culture has been developed since the old time in the coastal areas around the Seto Inland Sea, these original vegetation remains only in parts of grounds and yards in shrines and/or temples and places of scenic beauty and historical importance. Almost all the species of the present vegetation has been impacted artificially and is characterized by the secondary forests of Japanese red pine and Japanese black pine with the granite soil. Forests of holm-oak which we can find easily in this area is wonderful and unique vegetation scene.

(2) The Seto Inland National Park

　　The area of the Seto Inland sea, which is punctuated by the 4 straits (Kitan, Naruto, Kanmon and Hoyo Straits), is 2,200,000 ha (width of 440 km and 15-45 km in east-west and south-north directions, respectively) which is 32 times as large as that of the Lake Biwa. 62,000 ha of this area is designated as a national park. The Seto Inland Sea National Park is summarized in Table 1-5. The history as the national park, the land area of the each classified level of the park, and the land area of each classified owner are shown in Table 1-6, 1-7 and 1-8, respectively.

　　The most important characteristic of the Seto Inland Sea is the beautiful sea zone with many small islands, therefore, this national park comprises Ieshima Islands, Bisan Islands, Geiyo Islands, Boyo Islands and the other islands. Furthermore, this park includes the scenic spots for the islands such as the Rokko Mountain areas that is located behind Kobe City.

　　The another important characteristic of the Seto Inland Sea is the human activities, which makes this scenery familiar. The distinctive feature of this park is the symbiotic relationship between human and nature such as terraced fields, houses in old port towns, busy movement of cruisers and ships. The number of tourist of this park is the best second behind the Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Parks as shown in Table 1-9.

Note: after data by Association of National Park

Note: after data by Association of National Park

Table 1-7 Land Area of the Each Classified Level of the Park

Note: after data by Association of National Park

Table 1-8 Land Area of Each Classified Owner

Note: after data by Association of National Park

Note: after data by Association of National Park

Note: after data by Association of National Park

Figure 1-6 National Parks in Japan

Note: 1) National and quasi-national parks associated with the sea area of the Seto Inland Sea are illustrated.
　 　 　2) The strictly protected regions relating to only sea area of the Seto Inland Sea are illustrated.

Figure 1-7 Arrangement of Main Natural Parks

(3) Marine Forest and Tidal Flat

　　The marine forest and the tidal flat in the Seto Inland sea area have been decreased. The former is considered to be important as the zone for grown-up place of shells and fishes, The latter plays an important role for ecosystem and self-purification. Area of the marine forest and the tidal flat in the Seto Inland Sea is shown in Table 1-10, and their trends of each total area are shown in Figure 1-8 and 1-9.

　　Table 1-10 shows that Zostera zone is 6,381ha, which is largest area in the Seto Inland sea, and Garamo (Japanese) zone is 5,511ha and Ulva and Enteromorpha zone 4,667ha. As for the area of the tidal flat, the largest one with 6,409ha is located in the western part of Subou Open Sea and the second largest one with 1,022 ha is in Hiuchi Open Sea.

　　Since the old time, the coastline of the Seto Inland Sea has been changed by the reclamation for the agriculture and the salt farmland because of its shallows. The rapid industrialization from 1960s required plenty of reclamation, as a result, natural coastline is only 37 % of total coastline of Seto Inland Sea at present, which is less than the value of all over Japan (55.2 %). Artificial beach has been created to restore the lost natural beach. The state of the coastline of the Seto Inland Sea is shown in Table 1-11 and Figure 1-10, and the state of protected water areas are shown in Figure 1-11.

Note: 1) Figures in ( ) show the reduced area after the second survey in 1978.
　　 　 2) Area is doble-counted if plural types exist in the same marine forest.
　　　　3) afetr data by Environment Agency of Japan in 1994 (the 4th syrvey)

Note: after data by Fisheries Agency (1960, 1966 and 1971)
　　　　　　　　and by Environment Agency (1978 and 1989-1990) of Japan

Figure 1-8 Trend of Area of Marine Forest in the Seto Inland sea

Note: after data by Ministry of Construction (1898, 1925, 1949 and 1969)
　　　　and by Environment Agency (1978 and 1989-1990) of Japan

Figure 1-9 Trend of Area of Tidal Flat in the Seto Inland sea

Note: 1) after data Environment Agency of Japan (the second Survey in 1978, the third survey in
　　　　　 1984 and the fourth survey in 1993)
　　　　2) Regins of the Seto Inland Sea are based on the Law Concerning Special Measures For
　　　　　 Conservation Of The Environment of The Seto Inland Sea.
　　　　3) The upper figures, middle figures and lower figures show the results in the fourth survey in
　　　　　 1993, the third survey in 1984 and the second survey in 1978, respectively.

Note: 1) after data by Environment Agency of Japan (the fourth survey in 1993)　　　　　　　　　　
　　　　2) Regins of the Seto Inland Sea are based on thr Law Concerning Special Measures
　　　　　 For Conservation of The Environment of The Seto Inland Sea.　　　　　　　　　　

Figure 1-10 The State of the Shore Line of the Seto Inland Sea

Note: 1) Summation of the State on March 1 in 1998.
　　　　2) Figures in (　) show the fiscal year of designation.
　　　　3) "Protected water surface" means the water zone which is designated on the basis of
　　　　　 the Law for Conservation of Fisheries Resources as the zone to be protected with
　　　　　 respects of spawning of fishes and shell fishes, growth of the fry, and/or production
　　　　　 of fishes and shell fishes.
　 　　 4) after data by Fisheries Agency of Japan

Figure 1-11 The State of Protected Water Spaces in the Seto Inland Sea

(4) Flora and Fauna (Plants and Animals) in the Seto Inland Sea

　　The pine forests is especially important as a component of natural scenery in the Seto Inland Sea. But recently, these pine forests are damaged by the pine-worm. the damage area increased year by year, 80,000 m3 in 1970, about 840,000 m³ in 1980 and the peak is in 1979. It has been gradually decreased to 330,000 m³ in 1996.

　　The protected districts for birds and beasts have been designated 819 sites (total area of 519,000ha) by April 1998, among which the strictly protected zone have been designated 135 sites (total area of 22,000 ha). The location of the each strictly protected zone for birds and beasts in the Seto Inland Sea is shown in Figure 1-12.

　　As bird-watching facilities in the nature, there are 13 sites of wild-bird forests in Takamatsu City in Kagawa Prefecture, in Ishii Town in Tokushima Prefecture, Uwajima City in Ehime Prefecture and so on.

Note: only the zones which include shore line in the Seto Inland Sea are illusted.

Figure 1-12 The Strictly Protected Zone for Birds and Beasts in the Seto Inland Sea

(5) Culture in the Seto Inland Sea

　　There are a lot of cultural assets of famous historic sites and structures, as the area around the Seto Inland Sea has been developed from the old time. Many of them have been become excellent as natural scenery by harmonization with the circumstances, and designated as historical relics, beautiful places and natural monuments as well as the other peculiar nature. Location of the main cultural assets in the coastal zone of the Seto Inland Sea is shown in Figure 1-13.

Figure 1-13 Location of the Main Cultural Assets in the Coastal Zone of the Seto Inland Sea