Shigeyuki Izumiyama

Estimation of feeding history by measuring carbon and nitrogen stable isotope ratios in hair of Asiatic black bears

Abstract To investigate feeding habits, carbon and nitrogen stable isotope ratios were measured in hair sampled from Asiatic black bears (Ursus thibetanus) inhabiting an alpine area, including the Northern Japanese Alps and the periphery of villages in Nagano Prefecture, in central Japan. Asiatic black bears in the Northern Japanese Alps are subject to little human influence, but in rural areas human encounters with bears seeking food in cornfields and garbage have become an issue that needs to be resolved. We investigated the feeding habits of bears by analyzing the isotopic changes along the entire length of hair samples. Rural bears, including nuisance bears, showed slightly higher δ15N and δ13C values than alpine bears, suggesting that rural nuisance bears may have greater access to anthropogenic food resources than their alpine counterparts. Hair samples were further examined by growth section analysis (GSA), in which sectioned samples from the root to the tip are used for isotopic analysis, to estimate feeding history during hair growth. Hairs of alpine bears exhibited low δ15N and δ13C values from the root to the tip, and the deviation was small. In contrast, hairs of rural bears, particularly of nuisance bears, showed large deviations in isotope values. One bear captured in a cornfield showed high δ13C values at its hair root. Another bear that thrived on garbage showed high δ15N and δ13C values at its hair root, similar to those of Japanese people. One captured bear, assumed to be part of nuisance activities, showed low δ15N and δ13C values from hair root to tip, suggesting that captured bears are not always the ones causing damage. By comparing and classifying GSA fluctuation patterns, we estimated the dependence of nuisance bears on human-related food sources. We expect these methods to provide relevant information for bear conservation and management programs.

Troop size, home range area and seasonal range use of the Japanese macaque in the Northern Japan Alps

Home range area and habitat use of the wild Japanese macaque (Macaca fuscata) were investigated between elevations of 600 m and 3000 m in the Northern Japan Alps, in areas where there is great variation in vegetation type. A total of 22 troops were located either visually or by radiotracking from December 1996 to February 2000. The average troop size was 48.4 individuals, the average ranging area (65% probability distribution calculated using the adaptive kernel method) was 3.7 km2 and the average elevation of each troop varied from 740 m to 1458 m. Two troop types were distinguished according to their habitat use: (i) ‘rural’ type groups frequently utilized cultivated land (n = 12); and (ii) ‘natural’ type groups never utilized cultivated land (n = 10). Natural groups inhabited higher elevation areas and showed a greater dependency on deciduous broad-leaved forests during all seasons. In contrast, rural groups utilized the larch plantation more in spring, and the red pine forest in summer. Rural groups were observed on cultivated lands more often from summer to winter than in spring. The size of the rural groups was twice as large as that of the natural groups. Troop size and home range area showed significant correlation within each group type. The per capita home range area of rural groups was smaller than that of natural groups. These results suggest that per capita home range area is negatively correlated with habitat quality.

Habitat Selection of a Large Carnivore along Human-Wildlife Boundaries in a Highly Modified Landscape

When large carnivores occupy peripheral human lands conflict with humans becomes inevitable, and the reduction of human-carnivore interactions must be the first consideration for those concerned with conflict mitigation. Studies designed to identify areas of high human-bear interaction are crucial for prioritizing management actions. Due to a surge in conflicts, against a background of social intolerance to wildlife and the prevalent use of lethal control throughout Japan, Asiatic black bears (Ursus thibetanus) are now threatened by high rates of mortality. There is an urgent need to reduce the frequency of human-bear encounters if bear populations are to be conserved. To this end, we estimated the habitats that relate to human-bear interactions by sex and season using resource selection functions (RSF). Significant seasonal differences in selection for and avoidance of areas by bears were estimated by distance-effect models with interaction terms of land cover and sex. Human-bear boundaries were delineated on the basis of defined bear-habitat edges in order to identify areas that are in most need of proactive management strategies. Asiatic black bears selected habitats in close proximity to forest edges, forest roads, rivers, and red pine and riparian forests during the peak conflict season and this was correctly predicted in our human-bear boundary maps. Our findings demonstrated that bears selected abandoned forests and agricultural lands, indicating that it should be possible to reduce animal use near human lands by restoring season-specific habitat in relatively remote areas. Habitat-based conflict mitigation may therefore provide a practical means of creating adequate separation between humans and these large carnivores.

Community attitudes toward forest conservation programs through collaborative protected area management in Bangladesh

Abstract The formulation of conservation policies with options for creating protected areas is significantly influenced by the social factors of the surrounding communities. Therefore, indigenous knowledge, attitudes and perceptions of the local communities need to be explored during the planning and implementation stages of conservation projects. A government-initiated experiment in co-management was conducted in the Rema-Kalenga Wildlife Sanctuary, Bangladesh. This paper analyzes the attitudes toward conservation by members of local communities living in and around the wildlife sanctuary. Training incentives on alternative income-generating (AIG) activities and allotment of agricultural lands were distributed among the Forest User Groups. It is of interest to policy makers and resource managers whether this technique leads to improved attitudes on the part of local people. Although there were different attitudes toward protected areas and conservation, overall, a favorable attitude of the respondents was observed. The opinions of respondents also varied based on factors such as village position, village dependency level on forest resources, ethnicity and gender. Increase in annual income resulting from the augmented skills by trainings on AIG activities and getting agricultural lands leased from the Forest Department contributed significantly to the variation in respondents’ conservation attitudes. It is suggested that eliminating inequity and inequality in incentive distribution, discovering and launching training on more need-based livelihood activities, and liberalizing the restriction of resource extraction from the protected area by fixing the harvesting limit would encourage the community to be more cordially and actively involved in the conservation efforts of the sanctuary.

The Effect of Hunting on the Behavior and Habitat Utilization of Sika Deer (Cervus nippon)

Abstract. The effect of hunting on sika deer (Cervus nippon) was investigated through detailed investigations of their pasture utilization during autumn and winter by using a Global Positioning System (GPS) tracking collar. The study was conducted around a pasture in Nagano Prefecture, Japan. Before the hunting season, while the stockmen stayed in the pasture during the daytime, the collared deer preferred to utilize the pasture during the nighttime. However, at the beginning of the hunting season, the collared deer moved to a precipitous plantation of Japanese larch, located approximately 4 km north-east of the pasture. During the hunting season, the collared deer stayed there and avoided the pasture during the entire day, while after the hunting season, the collared deer preferred to utilize the sunny and clement pasture during the day as there was no human disturbance. These results showed that the behavior and habitat utilization of sika deer were affected by hunting. Thus, it was concluded that sika deer sensed the hunting activities and the presence of humans in the pasture, and altered their behavior to utilize the pasture when it was comparatively safer and more comfortable.

An evaluation of habitat selection of Asiatic black bears in a season of prevalent conflicts

Abstract Identifying the relationships between human land use and wildlife habitat use is an essential component in any attempt to mitigate human–wildlife conflict and conserve imperilled wildlife populations. We studied habitat selection by Asiatic black bears (Ursus thibetanus) by employing a resource selection function (RSF), using GPS relocation data for 9 bears in 2008 and 2009. We focused on habitat selection in summer when human–bear conflicts are most frequent in the central Japanese Alps. Logistic regression indicated that bears were positively associated with red pine (Pinus densiflora) forest and regenerating lands and negatively associated with both larch (Larix leptolepis) and coniferous plantation. Almost all bears tended to select areas with steep slopes that were close to roads and rivers. An index of human–bear encounter risk, estimated using the predicted RSF map and road density, suggested that only 5.3% of the study area was secure habitat with low human access for bears. Selection by bears for red pine woodlands is one of the reasons for the prevalence of conflicts in summer. We recommend that wildlife managers exercise caution because lethal control of bears in the most frequently selected areas may have a serious effect on the population. Our study, as well as further spatially defined habitat research, can provide information crucial to the appropriate habitat management needed to conserve bears and mitigate conflict in the long term.

Seasonal Migration of Sika Deer in the Oku-Chichibu Mountains, Central Japan

Abstract. Movements and seasonal home ranges of 6 GPS collared sika deer were investigated at the Oku-Chichibu Mountains, central Honshu, from April 2009 to March 2010. All deer migrated between discrete summer and winter home ranges. The linear migration distance ranged from 2.5 to 31.9 km. Mean elevation during the summer and the winter ranged from 980 to 1,782 m, and from 1,204 to 1,723 m, respectively. Two deer were upward migrants and 4 deer were downward migrants. Taking into consideration of the relatively small snow accumulation in the summer home range, the possibility of autumn migration to avoid deep snow is low. The percentage of steep slope in the winter home range was higher than that in the summer. Bamboo grass was not found in the summer home range, but was predominant in the winter home range. Road density decreased in the winter home range compared to the summer. Only 2 out of 6 deer stayed mainly in the wildlife protection area during the winter. Our results indicate that the autumn migration was affected by winter forage and human disturbance, thereby assured the survival of the deer during winter.

Dietetic use of wild animals and traditional cultural beliefs in the Mro community of Bangladesh: an insight into biodiversity conservation

Meeting the demand for regular animal protein, for human consumption, through hunting wild animals is a worldwide, common phenomenon in traditional communities. Hunting, which constitutes an essential part of the tribal culture, is also contributing to the steady loss of faunal diversity. Equally, however, traditional cultural beliefs and taboos which exist in tribal societies are in fact favorable for species conservation. There is increasing global interest surrounding this paradoxical relationship, as well as efforts being made for finding more effective ways of biodiversity conservation and sustainable development within indigenous, tribal communities. This study is a preliminary attempt to explore such a culture and its impact on local biodiversity in the hill forests of southeast Bangladesh, based on a case study of the Mro tribe, the oldest aboriginal group of the country. A total of 45 wildlife species were recorded currently available in the neighbouring forests, from which the Mro harvest for food and other complementary daily uses. Eight species (five mammals and three birds) were revealed to be at risk of disappearance from the region due to over-harvesting. Conversely, long-established ritual taboos were found to be effective in the protection of five species (two mammals, two birds and one reptile). Careful investigation and official recognition of these practices, along with community awareness and stakeholder involvement, may heighten the success of conservation programmes. It is argued that finding alternative protein sources for this marginal local community should be a key incentive for encouraging their involvement in conservation programmes.

Partial migration and effects of climate on migratory movements of sika deer in Kirigamine Highland, central Japan

Abstract. Studies on migration pattern of sika deer in Japan are limited. We captured 27 sika deer and identified movement for 24 deer (17 females and 7 males) from 2008 to 2011 in Kirigamine Highland, Nagano, central Japan. Four juvenile males dispersed from their original home range, and we documented migration pattern for 23 deer (17 females and 6 males), including 3 dispersed males. Deer exhibited partial migration, regardless of sex: 65% (n = 15) of the deer were migratory, whereas 35% (n = 8) were non-migratory. All but 1 of the migratory deer migrated between high-elevation summer range and low-elevation winter range. Mean migration distance was 9.9 km (range = 3.2– 22.9 km). Fidelity to summer home range was stronger than fidelity to winter home range. In order to determine the effect of climate on the onset of migration at Kigiramine Highland, we examined 39 seasonal movements during 4 migratory periods. Most of autumn migrations occurred before the snow depth reached 20 cm. Spring migrations occurred after the daily temperatures > 0°C persisted for more than 3 days, and during periods when either snow had completely disappeared or snow melted rapidly.

Impact of Co-management on Rural Development: Evidence from Community Survey in and Around Rema-Kalenga Wildlife Sanctuary

Community involvement in protected area management is a recent initiative in Bangladesh. It was started with two major goals of checking forest degradation and enhancing the community development. In this section, we focused on the latter by conducting an exploratory community survey in and around Rema-Kalenga Wildlife Sanctuary. A total of 302 randomly selected members of the Forest User Groups (FUGs) were interviewed, 23 % being the female. A satisfactory level of development has been observed in the socio-economic conditions of the community as the impact of the new management strategy. The provision of incentives in terms of training for Alternative Income Generating (AIG) activities and allotment of available vacant lands for agriculture had significant contribution to the increase in the community’s annual income. Empowerment and improved social dignity of women participants signifies the introduction of the co-management approach there. Lack of accurately need-based AIG options, inequality and inequity in the distribution of trainings among the FUG members and absence of pro-people manners of the local Co-management Committee were identified as the key incongruities, which need to be addressed properly for achieving the absolute success of the participatory programs of protected area management in Bangladesh.