2002 Volume 19 Issue 1 Pages 61-67
The population of Sika deer (Cervus nippori) has recently increased in a flat area of Nara Park at the foot of Mt. Kasugayama, which has been designated as a precious natural monument and a World Heritage site. In order to achieve an ecological balance between the Sika deer and the forest of Mt. Kasugayama, there is a need to clarify the ecological effects of Sika deer, such as browsing, bark-stripping and fraying on the forest. In this paper, I summarize ecological issues relating to following : Sika deer of Nara, the flora of Mt. Kasugayama, species composition and forest regeneration, Sika deer preference for tree species, and coexistence of the primeval forest and the protected herbivores.
