A case study of the ecological network planning method for avifauna conservation based on the analysis of satelite data by GIS

Abstract

An ecological network planning method was proposed in the south part of Nishinomiya City, Hyogo Prefecture, Central Japan, based on the analysis of satellite data by Geographic Information Systems (GIS). Vegetation covers were identified by NDVI of SPOT-4 data. The covers were classified into two categories, which were the tree layer and non tree layer, by field surveys and aerial photographs. The result showed that there were large woodlands in the northwest part of the study area and along the Mukogawa River, and few woodlands were located in the southeast. The ecological network planning was built up by three points of view, which are the conservation of large woodlands, the restoration of fragmented woodlots around large woodlands and planting trees in the area where there is a lack of vegetation cover.