Impact of overabundance of sika deer on vegetation and feedback effects on their life history

2016 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 25292085
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Partial Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Forest science
• Research Institution: Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology
• Principal Investigator: Koichi Kaji 東京農工大学, (連合)農学研究科(研究院), 教授 (70436674)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 吉田 剛司 酪農学園大学, 農学生命科学部, 教授 (00458134) ; 五味 高志 東京農工大学, (連合)農学研究科(研究院), 准教授 (30378921) ; 小池 伸介 東京農工大学, (連合)農学研究科(研究院), 准教授 (40514865) ; 日浦 勉 北海道大学, 北方生物圏フィールド科学センター苫小牧研究林, 教授 (70250496) ; 赤坂 宗光 東京農工大学, (連合)農学研究科(研究院), 講師 (70446384) ; 石川 幸男 弘前大学, 白山自然環境研究所, 教授 (80193291)
• Co-Investigator(Renkei-kenkyūsha): MIYAKI MASAMI 酪農学園大学, 農食環境学群, 教授 (60442604) ; IGOTA HIROMASA 酪農学園大学, 農食環境学群, 准教授 (60442604) ; TAKAHASHI HIROSI 独立行政法人森林総合研究所, 主任研究員 (60399780)
• Research Collaborator: MATSUURA YUKIKO ; UENO MAYUMI ; IKEDA TAKASHI ; TAKESHITA KAZUTAKA ; MASUDA YASUSHI ; AZUMAYA MUNMITSU ; UEHARA HIROYO
• Project Period (FY): 2013-04-01 – 2017-03-31
• Keywords: 過採食 / ニホンジカ / 個体群動態 / 森林植生 / 生物多様性 / 土壌侵食 / 昆虫類

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Chronic overgrazing by sika deer has caused smaller body size due to density dependent resource limitation and various impacts on ecosystems. These involved feedback mechanism that available nitrogen for canopy tree increased and supplied litter with low C/N subject to degradation into soil. In addition, we found the complex changes in species diversity and phylogenetic diversity of vegetation, possibility of decrease in bumblebee population due to extinction of bloom phenology. For insects, the responses to high density of deer were different among taxon and functional group, and overgrazing by deer might cause negative feedback effects on insects which depend on understory vegetation through depression of food resources and habitat.

Free Research Field

野生動物管理学