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Red Data Book of Kyoto Prefecture 2015

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Kyoto Prefecture's Natural Environment

Kyoto Prefecture is located in the Kinki region roughly in the center of Honshu, the main island of Japan. It covers an area of 4,613.21 square kilometers in a slim shape extending approximately 150 km from northwest to southeast. The prefecture is characterized by low mountains at elevations below 1,000 m. The northern region hosts the Tango Mountains and the Fukuchiyama basin. The hilly area of Tanba and the Kameoka basin are found in the middle region. The Kyoto basin is located in the southern region. The northern region is in the Sea of Japan climate zone, characterized by abundant snow in winter. The southern region is classified into the relatively mild Seto Inland Sea climate zone. Mountain-ringed regions and basins, with large temperature differences between day and night and between winter and summer, exhibit the characteristics of inland climate. In the cool-temperate climate zone, native vegetation is characterized by deciduous broad-leaved forests, in which beech and other similar trees grow, while in the warm-temperate climate zone, evergreen broad-leaved trees, such as oaks, exist naturally. However, substitutive communities have replaced native vegetation in most areas of Kyoto Prefecture due to natural disturbances and, among other causes, human activities. Consequently, many second-growth satoyama forests, including red pine and konara oak are found in the prefecture. Native vegetation communities, with little alteration from human activities, remain only in limited areas, such as headwaters and temple- or shrine-owned woods. Thus Kyoto Prefecture exhibits diverse ecological systems characterized by many types of flora due to variable climate, complex terrains, and other natural conditions.

Survey Areas for Kyoto Prefecture Red Data Book

Forest
Ashiu (Nantan City)

River
Kamo River (Kyoto City)

Sea
Amanohashidate (Miyazu City)

Arable field
Terraced paddy fields in Kamiseya (Miyazu City)

Shrine-owned woods
Iwashimizu Hachimangu shrine woods (Yawata City)

Natural scenic beauty
Sea of clouds in the Oe mountain range (Fukuchiyama City)

Top > Kyoto Prefecture's Natural Environment

Contact: Kyoto Prefecture Department of the Environment
Nature and Environmental Conservation Division
Tel 075-414-4706 FAX 075-414-4705
e-mail: [email protected]
〒602-8570 Yabunouchi-cho, Nishiiru, Shinmachi, Shimodachiuri-dori, Kamigyo-ku, Kyoto-shi

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