I visit this area regularly, almost once a week, to survey birds and other animals. The photo is of the rivermouth of the Tobetsu, flowing into the Ishikari River. Extensive shortcuts were made to the rivers of Hokkaido, which resulted in the river water to flow rapidly downstream like rain water gushing straight through a gutter. This resulted in the degradation of the biodiversity of both the aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems.
To restore what had been lost in the "efficiency-centered era," parts of the rivershores (still a very small area), were dug to give them semi-natural undulations. This operation worked quite well and now we have river mudflats where various shorebirds utilize as a feeding/resting ground and fishes found only in mud- or silt-dominant riverbeds are coming back.
The landscape has improved as well.
No comments:
Post a Comment