Assessing integrity in cultural landscape: A case study from Japan

This paper investigates the concept of integrity to assess the condition of cultural landscape. Integrity concept usually refers to a system's wholeness, including presence of all appropriate elements and occurrence of all processes at appropriate rates. Angermeier and Karr (1994) suggest a high state of biological integrity can be determined for a system that has little or no human influence. If the reference condition is pegged as an unaffected system, or even that which existed before widespread human modification, then invariably the condition of the human-modified landscape has deteriorated. However, human-modified landscape also has outstanding universal value to be conserved. For example, IUCN( 1994) has identified the following definition of a Protected Landscape/Seascape as one category of protected area: 'area of land, with coast and sea as appropriate, where the interaction of people and nature over time has produced an area of distinct character with significant aesthetic, ecological and/or cultural value, and often with high biological diversity. Safeguarding the integrity of this traditional interaction is vital to the protection, maintenance and evolution of such an area'. This paper attempts to make a contribution toward application of the integrity concept to cultural landscape. In addition, we discuss the potential of assessment methods through the use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) based on findings from a case study in Japan. A framework for assessing integrity of cultural landscape is three-step process. First, the actual landscape conditi0n.k compared by some reference period (historical reference) to depict landscape transformation. It seems inappropriate to use specific period as reference condition, because the conservation goal of cultural landscape is not preservation but management of change such that the qualities of the landscape are conserved for future generations. However, historical reference is supported by the recent studies that many of cultural landscape have deteriorated with development and/or abandonment in our modern era. Without understanding landscape transformation and historical developments, it is impossible to determine the appropriate context for assessing integrity. Second, several attributes or indicators are selected that adequately identifies the patterns and processes needed to conserve the entire landscape over time. They are ideally sensitive to a range of stress, relevant to societal concern