Using GIS to Review Wildlife Habitat Information in the Kii Peninsula, Japan

Abstract

Over the last decade, various type of models, collectively referral to as “habitat models” have been developed to address different wildlife management issues of species-habitat relationships. Although there are demands in developing various “habitat models”, significant efforts tare not yet described in Japanese wildlife management. It is very difficult to propose a good “habitat model”, because lack of data sets for establishment of a habitat model is mortal in Japanese wildlife ecology. However, many species are facing to extinction in mountainous forests environment of Japan. This paper describes “present status” of wildlife management efforts and wildlife ecological data, then seeks an effective method in habitat modeling to maintain biodiversity of the study area, the Kii Peninsula, Japan.