Fundamental Study of Avifauna and Land-use in the Urban Area

Abstract

The avifauna are at the top of the food chain in the urban ecosystem. They are important in maintaining the balance of the urban ecosystem and give pleasure to many residents.
This study focused on the relation between the avifauna, the form of land-use and the extent of green covered areas in Matsudo.
The results are summarised as follows;
(1) 24 species were observed. The Japanese Tree-Sparrow (Passer montanus stauranus), the Brown-eared Bulbul (Hypsipetes amaurotis amaurotis) and the Grey Starling (Sturnus cineraceus) comprised 76% of the total observed. One may say that these 3 species are the representative avifauna there.
(2) The number and kinds of birds is determined by the general condition of the environment. Variety in the green covered areas attracts a great variety of birds. In the farming areas where conditions are relatively uniform, the number of species is limited, although the number of birds of each species is large.
(3) It is necessary to establish on open space system within the city. Particularly in the built-up areas that cannot accommodate much open space, it is important to plant many trees in the garden to attract avifauna.
(4) Certain kind of avifauna are attracted to specific environments. With detailed research the presence or absence of such avifauna can be used as an index for the environment.