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Conservation efforts

Aso Grassland Maintenance Initiative

photo of Mowing Conducted Based on Cooperation

Mowing Conducted Based on Cooperation

For many centuries, Aso's grasslands have been maintained by people through activities such as grazing, controlled burning, and mowing. However, it has become increasingly difficult to manage and conduct controlled burning due to a shortage of successors and a decrease in livestock farmers. As a result, the grasslands are diminishing, and bushes and forests are increasing. The Aso Grassland Restoration Council aims to support the conservation of the grasslands with a plan to ensure that the grasslands remain unchanged 30 years into the future. They are implementing various initiatives to support local efforts in maintaining the grasslands.

Kuju Miyama Kirishima Conservation Activities

photo of Improvement-cutting of overgrowing trees aiming conserving <em>Rhododendron kiusianum</em>

Improvement-cutting of Overgrowing Trees Aiming Conserving Rhododendron kiusianum

The large colonies of Miyama Kirishima (Kyushu Azalea) in the Kuju Mountain Range have long been a symbol of Kuju's landscape. However, in recent years, the understory, which refers to the layer of vegetation beneath the main canopy of a forest, has become overgrown with shrubs such as Noriutsugi (Hydrangea paniculata), leading to a decline in the Miyama Kirishima population. Therefore, the management plan has been revised, and clearing activities are being carried out in various areas in collaboration with relevant organizations, including special protected areas.