Habitat Evaluation of Japanese Black Bear using GIS

摘要

In this research, GIS based evaluation methods werernapplied to habitats of Japanese black bear (Ursus thibetanusrnjaponicus Schlegel) in northern Honshu. The study area wasrndivided into 828 small watershed units, and five GIS indexes,rnVegetation Type(V.T.), Extent of Forest Cover (E.F.C.)rnSlope Incline (S.I), Average Altitude (A.A.) and RoadrnDensity(R.D.), were used to evaluate each watershedrnunit in terms of suitability as black bear habitat. Inrnaddition, Interspersion and Juxtaposition spatial indices wererncalculated for each watershed unit. The results clearlyrnidentified the regions with the most suitable habitats, indicatingrnthat this methodology is suitable for application to variousrnenvironmental planning efforts, such as regional developmentrnmaster plans, project-specific environmental impactrnassessments, species management plans and biodiversityrnconservation plans.