＜Review＞

Potential and Prospects for Interdisciplinary Research on Water Cycle and Biodiversity in Ryukyu Islands Watersheds

Satoshi WATANABE^*1, Kunio ARAYA^*1, Nobuyuki UTSUMI^*2, Haruki KARUBE^*3, Tadashi KITANO^*4, Masaomi KIMURA^*5, Nahoko SHIMADA^*6, Atsushi TOMINAGA^*7, Yasuyuki NAKAMURA^*8, Yuichiro FUJIOKA^*1, and Shin NAGAI^*9*10

^*1Faculty of Social and Cultural Studies, Kyushu University, 744 Motooka Nishi-ku Fukuoka 819-0395, Japan
^*2School of Environment and Society, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 2-12-1 Ookayama, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 152-8552 Japan
^*3Kanagawa Prefectural Museum of Natural history, 499 Iryuda, Odawara, 250-0031, Japan
^*4School of Humanities and Culture, Tokai University, 4-1-1 Kitakaname, Hiratsuka, Kanagawa 259-1992, Japan
^*5Faculty of Agriculture, Kindai University, 3327-204 Nakamachi, Nara, Nara 631-8505, Japan
^*6Strategic Planning and Management Department, Research Institute for Humanity and Nature, 457-4 Kamigamo Motoyama, Kyoto, 603-8047, Japan
^*7Faculty of Education, University of the Ryukyus, Senbaru 1, Nishihara, Okinawa, 903-0213, Japan
^*8Fujukan, the Museum of the University of the Ryukyus, Senbaru 1, Nishihara, Okinawa 903-0129, Japan
^*9Earth Surface System Research Center, Research Institute for Global Change, Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC), 3173-25 Showa-machi, Kanazawa-ku, Yokohama 236-0001, Japan
^*10River Basin Research Center, Gifu University, 1-1 Yanagido, Gifu 501-1193, Japan

Abstract

The potential and prospects for interdisciplinary research on the water cycle and biodiversity in the Ryukyu Islands are discussed. The biodiversity of the Ryukyu Islands is in critical condition, especially in the terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. The socioeconomic aspects of the island, such as agriculture, tourism, and the livelihood of the islanders, as well as changes in the water environment due to climate change, are important in implementing these countermeasures. Based on these points, we have identified three key elements of interdisciplinary research in the Ryukyu Islands: collaboration with stakeholders, relationships inside and outside the islands, and changes in conditions at different points in the past, present, and future, and have discussed each of these elements.

Key Words : interdisciplinary; Ryukyu islands; water cycle; agriculture; biodiversity

(Received January 13, 2023. Accepted July 9, 2023)