Winter habitat selection of Japanese squirrels in a snowy region of northeastern Japan

Honda, Suzuka; Saito, Masaichi; Watabe, Ryoga; Watanabe, Kiyohiko

doi:10.1007/s11355-022-00510-0

Cited by 6 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 14 publications

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“…1), located in the cool temperate zone with an annual precipitation of 2191.4 mm and an average annual temperature of 12.9 °C (Japan Meteorological Agency 2020). The mountainous areas of the study area experience heavy snowfall with snow depths exceeding 3 m. Japanese squirrels are widely distributed in the forested sites of the study area and are well-suited for field surveys as they often use conifer plantations (Honda et al 2022, Honda & Saito 2023. The study area was divided in three areas: Kaminagawa (elevation: 195-410 m a.s.l.…”

Section: Study Areamentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Japanese squirrels are primarily arboreal but are known to often use the ground (Yatake & Tamura 2001, Yatake 2016). In the cool temperate zone, Japanese squirrels occupy parts of cedar plantations as their habitat (Honda et al 2022, Honda & Saito 2023. This study focused on fallen dead trees, a common form of deadwood in planted forests, and aimed to verify whether fallen dead trees affect behavioral patterns of Japanese squirrels.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Use of fallen dead trees by Japanese squirrels within cedar plantations in northeastern Japan

Honda,

Saito

2023

iForest

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Deadwood in forests plays a critical role in maintaining the ecological functions. Small mammals use deadwood, and thus deadwood can mitigate the negative impacts of plantation on small mammals. This study focused on fallen dead trees in planted forests, and aimed to verify whether fallen dead trees affect behavioral patterns of Japanese squirrels. To clarify the use of fallen dead trees by Japanese squirrels in a Japanese cedar plantation, we observed squirrel behavior by camera trap surveys at 61 survey sites. Our findings showed that fallen dead trees play a crucial role in the behavior of Japanese squirrels, serving as landmarks for movement, vigilance, resting, and hoarding sites. These functions are critical for the survival of Japanese squirrels, suggesting that fallen dead trees in planted forests have positive impacts on their microenvironment use. The increase of deadwood due to disturbances such as heavy rainfall and snowfall resulting from climate change may provide benefits to arboreal small mammals in poorly managed planted forests. Additionally, leaving some of the deadwood generated during the harvesting process in properly managed forests can improve the quality of habitat for arboreal small mammals.

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Section: Study Areamentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Use of fallen dead trees by Japanese squirrels within cedar plantations in northeastern Japan

Honda,

Saito

2023

iForest

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“…In snowy regions, we can easily detect footsteps of various ground-dwelling mammals on the snow; these are useful indices to assess their abundance and habitat use (Becker et al 1998;Sakamaki 2011, 2012;Kojola et al 2014;Honda et al 2022). In the three main islands of Japan (i.e., Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyushu), three ungulate species sympatrically occur under natural conditions: sika deer, Japanese serow (Capricornis crispus), and wild boar (Sus scrofa) (Ohdachi et al 2015).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Gait Patterns in Snow—a Possible Criterion to Differentiate Sika Deer and Japanese Serow Tracks

et al. 2023

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There is a compelling need to develop user-friendly and sensitive techniques to monitor sika deer (Cervus nippon) populations in snowy regions, where initial stages of deer invasion have been observed. In snow, we can easily detect footsteps of terrestrial mammals, which often serve as a useful index of population size. Here, we examined the possibility of identifying tracks with similar hoof prints left by two sympatric ungulates, sika deer and Japanese serow (Capricornis crispus), using gait patterns. We then recorded tracks of free-ranging deer and serows on the snow by following ~200-km survey routes in the Tohoku region. We successfully recorded the gait patterns of 27 deer and 34 serows. Our key findings were as follows: 1) the step width of deer tracks (mean and SE, 20.3 ± 0.7 cm) was substantially narrower than that of serow tracks (26.9 ± 0.8 cm); 2) step width was less sensitive to body size and ground conditions for both species; and 3) the step width of 22.5 cm became an optimal threshold to maintain a reasonable classification accuracy (> 80%) for both species. Thus, the gait patterns serve as a possible criterion for identifying the tracks of these two ungulates.

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Forest road use by mammals revealed by camera traps: a case study in northeastern Japan

Suzuki

Saito

2023

Landscape Ecol Eng

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Winter habitat selection of Japanese squirrels in a snowy region of northeastern Japan

Cited by 6 publications

References 14 publications

Use of fallen dead trees by Japanese squirrels within cedar plantations in northeastern Japan

Use of fallen dead trees by Japanese squirrels within cedar plantations in northeastern Japan

Gait Patterns in Snow—a Possible Criterion to Differentiate Sika Deer and Japanese Serow Tracks

Forest road use by mammals revealed by camera traps: a case study in northeastern Japan

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