[H-GG01_29PO1] International comparison of landscape appreciation

[HGG01-P04] Analysis of Scenery Transition and Residents' Opinion in Dalai Lake Nature Reserve

*Guorong HAN¹, Katsunori FURUYA¹ (1.Graduate School of Horticulture, Chiba University)

Keywords:Dalai Lake Nature Reserve, Scenery Transition, Resident, Scenery factors, Opinion, Grasslands

IntroductionGrassland scenery has been diminishing in Inner Mongolia in People's Republic of China. It is said that increase in farmland and desertification of grasslands are the cause of diminishing grasslands. This is a serious issue for the Mongolians who make a living from pasturing. In this research, Dalai Lake Nature Reserve, which is located in the Hulunbuir Grasslands has been selected as a study subject. The objective is to clarify the transition of the scenery in the nature reserve by extracting scenery factors in relation to usual lives of the residents in the area.Study MethodsAn opinion research was conducted between the end of December, 2013 and the middle of January, 2014. The survey subjects were the residents who are nomadic in the grasslands of Dalai Lake Nature Reserve. Interviews were conducted and 409 responses were obtained. In this research, demographics of the respondents and the composition factors of grassland scenery in Dalai Lake Nature Reserve were confirmed. The composition factors of grassland scenery were studied in three different time frames: 10 years ago, present, and future vision (for example, 10 years later). For this research of scenery composition factors, 25 factors had been obtained from the initial literature research, and typical factors had been pre-selected among those for multiple choice questions. Multiple answers were accepted for this question, and an open answer section was also provided. Responses to the grasslands management which local residents would expect were also obtained. A chi-square test was applied to statistical analysis.ResultsScenery factors of Dalai Lake Nature Reserve obtained from literature research included; 1) natural scenery such as lake, river, swamp, wild animals, and wild vegetation, 2) cultural landscape like Mongolian gels, and 3) factors which developed along with economic development, including electricity, mining and building.The demographics of respondents showed that residents within the nature reserve counted 236; therefore, the number of the effective responses has been determined as 236. The average age of the respondents was 41.1 years old. These respondents include 170 Mongolians (72%), the Hans (23%), and the Evenk (5%).The following factors are the ones that all effective respondents selected as typical scenery composition factors of 10 years ago: wild animals, wild vegetation, grasslands, and river, whereas 99%selected lake, sandy soil, and livestock. Only1%selected railroad, ger camp, signboard, tourism facilities, and camping car. Next, the following factors are the ones that all effective respondents selected as current factors: village, railroad, sandy soil, and livestock, while 232(98%) selected roads and electric lines. Following these, 229(97%) selected mining field. The factor mentioned by the least respondents was wild animal with 54respondents (23%).Lastly, in the question of future scenery composition factors, the following ones are those that all respondents selected: wild vegetation, grasslands, livestock, and river. Road was selected by 233 respondents (98%), and lake by 227 (96%). A small number of respondents selected mining field (41 respondents, 17%) and electric wire (50 respondents, 21%).Comparing the scenery composition factors of 10 years ago and those of current, natural scenery factors decreased from 93% to 60%. On the other hand, future natural scenery factors counted 87%. In terms of grasslands management which residents would expect, major responses were as following: 1) maintain status-quo (103 respondents, 44%), unplanned succession(79 respondents, 34%), and reinforce management (51 respondents, 22%).ConclusionThis study clarified the scenery which residents in the nature reserve area have in mind and specified it in three different time frames: 10 years ago, present, and future vision (approximately 10 years later). Grasslands management which residents would exp