The present study was performed to examine the pteridophyte species richness of Japanese gardens in the city matrix as urban wildlife habitats. We investigated the relationships between the number of species in 24 Japanese gardens with ponds or streams and various landscape factors in the Kyoto city area. Our results demonstrated a significant positive correlation between species richness and garden size. Comparison of the pteridophyte species-area curve of Japanese gardens with that of fragmented forest patches indicated greater species richness in the former as compared with the latter. This was considered to be because the fragmented forest floor undergoes drying with increases in edge effect with reduction of patch size or increases in the isolation distance, while the ponds and streams in Japanese gardens mitigate the dehydration of forest floor plants by providing a moist environment.
