抄録
Density of Sika deer has increased in Japan since the 1970s, and it has caused serious damage
to agriculture and forestry since the 1980s. We studied the relationships between Sika deer
density, hunting pressure and damage to agriculture in Hyogo Prefecture in 1999-2000. To
ascertain the relationship between deer density and hunting pressure, we analyzed data
corresponding to 4km (NS) X 5km (EW) grids. The hunting pressure on Sika deer tended to be
intense in the grids where deer density was high. An increase in deer density in a grid was
affected by hunting pressure on females in a wide range including neighboring grids, rather than
that on males and hunting pressure in the grid. The deer causing damage to agriculture seemed
to exist within 2.5 km from the border of farms. The higher the proportion of Japanese cedar or
Japanese cypress plantation in forest areas around farms was, the greater the damages to farms
by deer. Based on these results, we discuss how we should apply them to wildlife management
and what we should study to supplement the limitation sof existing research.
© 2001 兵庫県立人と自然の博物館