Abstract
Forest area has dramatically decreased with agricultural development in Tokachi, Hokkaido, Japan. The remaining riparian forests provide suitable habitats for various wildlife species, including sika deer (Cervus nippon), which seriously damage agricultural crops, and red foxes (Vulpes vulpes), which can transmit echinococcosis. We used 37 infrared cameras to examine the local- and landscape-scale factors affecting the frequency of riparian forest use by sika deer and red foxes in Tokachi from May 2011 to December 2012. In summer and autumn, the capture frequency of deer was positively correlated with areas of forest and farmland, as well as riverine areas within a 300-400 m buffer zone from each camera. Deer also preferred dense understorey vegetation in autumn. The factors influencing the capture frequency of foxes varied with season; it was negatively correlated with forest area within a 200 m buffer zone in spring, positively correlated with relative abundance of small birds in summer, and positively correlated with urban areas within a 200 m buffer in winter.
