Current Status and Nationwide Database of the River and Floodplain Ecosystem in Japan

Abstract

The species richness of plants and animals in Japanese rivers and floodplains is high owing to the geohistorical formation of the Japanese Archipelago, variation in the seasonal climate along the latitudinal gradient, and the complex river morphology created by active volcanic and tectonic activities. However, rivers and floodplains have been altered intensively over the last five decades due to agricultural and urban development. Consequently, the biodiversity of aquatic and terrestrial organisms that are dependent on river and floodplain ecosystems has been reduced greatly, and some species have become extinct or are on the verge of extinction. This chapter introduces the current status of river and floodplain ecosystems in Japan and discusses the detrimental effects of river modification with dams and channelization on those ecosystems and their linkages.