Evaluation of a quantitative measurement of sighting opportunity for wildlife and its enhancement techniques

2019 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 17K08189
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Environmental agriculture(including landscape science)
• Research Institution: Azabu University
• Principal Investigator: Tsukada Hideharu 麻布大学, 獣医学部, 准教授 (60343969)
• Project Period (FY): 2017-04-01 – 2020-03-31
• Keywords: ニホンアナグマ / 野生動物 / 観察資源 / 観察可能性 / センサーカメラ / 非消費的資源 / 定量的評価 / 人工巣穴

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Although viewing wildlife can become a suitable natural resource in ecotourism and environmental education, but how to make wildlife viewable have not been fully explored. In this study, I tried to develop how to evaluate and increase the observability of wildlife. After evaluating the observability of badgers in a mixed environment of grazing land and forest land based on their land use, it was found that the pastures and the forests around them became badgers’ sett sites and their feeding sites, and these areas could be suitable for observation. In addition, two types of artificial setts that mimic badgers' setts were installed to promote badger settlement. As a result, I confirmed that badgers began to settle in the artificial sett with two chambers and that the artificial sett could enhance the observability of badgers.

Free Research Field

野生動物保全管理

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

エコツーリズムや環境教育において野生動物は観察対象として価値の高い自然資源となる。しかし、野生動物を観察対象として資源利用するには、観察可能性を高める手法が必要となるが、その手法の確立はいまだ未開拓であり、研究蓄積も不足している。本研究では、野生動物を観光や環境教育などに活用する、非消費的資源利用の拡大を図るため、野生動物の観察可能性を定量的に推定する方法、ならびにその資源価値を向上させる新しい手法の開発を試み、観察資源として未開拓であったアナグマの観察可能性を高める条件として、放牧地とその周辺地域を観察適地とし、さらに、人工巣穴の設置により観察適地を人為的に操作する可能性を示した。