Year of publication 2016

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Place of publication Rome, Italy ;

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Pages 34 p.

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Publisher FAO ;

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Product type Project

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Edition 1

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Synopsis (short abstract) With their ecosystem complexity, the satoyama and the satoumi landscapes in Sado Island harbor a variety of agricultural biodiversity, such as rice, beans, vegetables, potatoes, soba, fruit, grown in paddy fields and other fields, livestock, wild plants and mushrooms in forests, and many seafood in the coastal areas. Rice, beef and persimmon from the Sado are among the best in Japan. The satoyama in Sado was also the last habitat of the wild Japanese crested ibis, a cul-turally valued bird in Ja pan that feeds on paddy fields and roost on the tall trees. The history of rice cultivation and other agricultural practices in Sado can be traced back to the Yayoi period, 1700 years ago. Over the centuries, a diversified landscape has been produced and maintained by the communities inhabiting the island, that have developed locally adapted practices for resource use and management. For example, ingenious water management practices with over 1000 irri-gation ponds to cope with a scarcity of wat er resources coupled with rapid drainage of rainwater into the sea, while creating a rich local culture of rice farming, such as Kuruma Rice Planting listed as national important intangible cultural heritage. Pressures on food production during the gold rush of the Edo period (1603-1868) led to the development of rice terraces on hill slopes, which contribute to the landscape‟s aesthetic appeal as well as to the feeding ground of Japanese crested ibis.

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Language English

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