Of the five species in the genus Platypleura, P. yayeyamana and P. albivannata are distributed in Ishigaki Island. Among these, P. albivannata was designated as a critically endangered species in 2002, and is one of the most vulnerable insect species in Japan. There is an urgent need to develop methods for estimating the number of individuals that occur in the habitat area of P. albivannata and for searching for new habitats of P. albivannata. To simplify the methods of species identification, this study aimed to develop an application that performs voice recording and species identification by recording calling songs with a mobile terminal. We developed an application that can extract the characteristics of each species based on the sound data of these species recorded so far, and can determine the species. Due to the problem of epidemic COVID-19, we were unable to conduct the monitoring survey originally planned, but we completed the prototype of application and it is now ready for the practical use at conservation sites.

The Hokkaido subspecies of the silver-studded blue (Plebejus subsolanus ssp. iburiensis) has been rapidly declining in recent years, and it became the first butterfly species in Hokkaido to be specified by the law of the “Act on conservation of endangered species of wild fauna and flora” in 2016. In this study, we examined suitable habitat management methods for this butterfly and conducted a population genetic study. Recently, mowing has been implemented with the aims of habitat management in Engaru town, Hokkaido. Therefore, we investigated the effects of mowing on this butterfly and its resources (e.g., host plants). The results showed that the densities (/m²) of both larvae and adults were significantly higher in the mowed area. The number of blooms of the two-leaf vetch (Vicia unijuga), a host plant, was also higher in the mowed area. These results suggest that mowing is effective for the conservation of this butterfly. Meanwhile, genetic analyses based on polymorphisms of the nuclear and mitochondrial genomes revealed that the Hokkaido population of the silver-studded blue clearly diverged from the Honshu, Sakhalin, and Far Eastern continental populations, and the genetic population structure was also detected within Hokkaido. It was also shown that the genetic diversity of the Hokkaido population is low and has been declining due to the loss of local habitats in recent years. Management for conservation that takes into account the genetic population structure is recommended.

In the Tsushima Islands, which are inhabited by the Tsushima leopard cat Prionailurus bengalensis euptilurus, the sika deer population has rapidly increased since the 2000s, and the decline of the forest understory has been noticeable. Given that the decline of the understory is likely to lead to a decline in small rodent population, it is imperative to understand the extent of the effect of the increase in deer on small rodents. The increase in knowledge can support conservation of the Tsushima leopard cat population, which primarily feed on small rodents. We conducted four trapping surveys of small mammals in the spring and fall of 2021–2022 at four study sites in two areas located inside and outside the deer-fence that has been set up in the forest, and in the grassland and adjacent forests. Apodemus speciosus was only captured inside the deer fence, while A. argenteus was captured in the forests rather than the grassland habitat. Only Crocidura shantungensis was found in the grassland area. The results of this study suggest that the population density of A. speciosus, which is the main prey of the Tsushima leopard cat, is highly threatened and in a critical condition. To maintain the Tsushima leopard cat population, installing more deer fences as an emergency measure is urgently required to protect the forest understory.

We aimed to clarify geographical pattern in population densities at micro- and meso-geographic scales, and gene flows between habitat patches in the Miyako glass lizard in order to estimate necessary condition for population growth in this endangered species. First, we examined distribution pattern of individuals within high-density areas and found that they exhibited aggregated distribution irrespective of microhabitat in many months. Next, we conducted distribution survey at wider geographic scale in the autumn seasons of 2020 and 2021. More than one individual was found in two consecutive years in 8 out of 136 sites we surveyed. These 8 sites were assigned to 3 geographic groups, each surrounded by apparently “absent areas” of the lizard. We attempted the microsatellite analysis to evaluate gene flow between the habitat patches, but this is still unconducted due to failure of gaining sufficient number of microsatellite loci. The aggregated distributions at both two geographical scales suggest that high population density itself is important for maintaining and growth of the populations in this species.

The recent increase of turbidity in the Fuji River system has received a great concern because the huge amounts of suspended solids (SS) transported by the river may impact on biodiversity and fishery of the coastal waters of Suruga Bay. We conducted a field survey to identify the source and ecological impacts of turbid water occurring at the Hayakawa tributary and the downstream reach of the Fuji River system. Intensive monthly or biweekly sampling of river water and sediments in 26 study sites revealed that strong turbid flow of water tended to occur associated with heavy rainfall in the system. Moreover, one of the main sources of such strong turbidity was from the Amehata River watershed, a steep mountainous tributary of Hayakawa River. The almost all of SS transported from Amehata River was inorganic fraction, which was likely composed of rock-derived clay particles (< 2 μm). Our ecological survey revealed that there was no significant change in the abundance, biomass, species diversity and food webs of stream communities between SS-impacted and non-impacted study sites, even though careful interpretation for our data should be made due to the lack of historical comparisons. We organized a local workshop on river environment and management, as one of the activities of the present study, in order to improve the collaborative watershed governance that involves a large and diverse cast of stakeholders in the Fuji River system.

The effects of the invasive alien species such as Oryctes rhinoceros and Anoplolepis gracilipes on the native species and the status of the native endemic species such as Daito flying fox and Oryctes hisamatsui on the Daito Islands of the Ryukyu Archipelago were investigated. The damage by O. rhinoceros has been decreasing with the implementation of its eradication project. Chinese fun palms grown as planted trees or solitary trees are prone to damage; a higher number of individuals growing in the shelter belt forest (Hagu-rin) are less damaged and less dead. This point should be taken into consideration for the future restoration of the forests. The yellow crazy ant is distributed throughout the entire Minami- and Kita-Daito Islands. Although this survey showed no effects on birds, the effects on crustaceans on Minami-Daito Island have been suggested. Therefore, continued survey is needed. The population of the endemic subspecies Daito's flying fox was found to be stable. On the contrary, the endemic O. hisamatsui has not been observed for 11 years and is threatened with extinction.

Since April 1997, the inner part of Isahaya Bay has been isolated from Ariake Sea by a dike for reclamation. We periodically monitored water quality, grain-size of bottom sediments and benthic animals by the samples collected at (1) 50 fixed stations around inner part of Ariake Sea and (2) 16 fixed stations inside of the dike in June 2021 and June 2022. Both in the inner and outer parts of Isahaya Bay, the number of species and mean individual density of benthic animals have been still smaller than the past. After the shut-off, benthic animals rapidly decreased from 1998 to 2001, and then only few species increased from 2002 to 2003. However, from 2004 to 2022, most of them have disappeared or decreased rapidly around the central part of Ariake Sea. Based on the data obtained in these 25 years, the future trends in changes of benthic animals were predicted in both cases of opening and non-opening gates of the dike. The results of our research were published in scientific journals as well as explained to the public at local meetings. It is greatly expected that the results of our research will be helpful for future investigations on effects of the dike to the status of Isahaya Bay as basic scientific information.

In the Shiretoko National Park, human-habituated bears that are not afraid of humans have been increasing, which has become one of the concerns for human safety. In this study, based on DNA analysis of hairs and feces collected in and around the national park, we aimed to clarify how habituated bears are produced and how human habituation affects the occurrence of human-bear conflict in the town adjacent to the national park. DNA-based parentage analysis revealed that human-habituated bears tend to be produced by human-habituated mother, however, there were a few cases that they were produced by non-habituated mother. Next, among all cases of human-bear conflicts that happened in the adjacent town, those caused by human-habituated bears or by their offspring accounted for less than 30 % of total cases. Furthermore, there were no statistical differences in human-caused mortality between offspring born to habituated mothers and those born to non-habituated ones. These findings did not support an original assumption that human habituation of bears in the national park promotes the occurrence of human-bear conflicts, which results in high possibility of removals of human-habituated bears.

The Tottori Sand Dunes are large coastal sand dunes, which provide important habitats for many coastal animals. In contrast, the Tottori Sand Dunes are one of famous tourist spots where more than one million tourists visit every year. Thus, development of monitoring system for animals in the area will be needed to conserve animal diversity while utilizing the area as tourist spot. Firstly, we investigated the number of individuals of tiger beetle Cylindera elisa. It was 313 in 2021 and 225 in 2022, which were distinctively larger than those in 2018-2020. The increase in population density might be derived from decrease in visitors due to COVID-19 pandemic. Secondly, we searched animals for about 250 km in the Tottori Sand Dunes and found animals or signs at more than 3,400 sites. Based on the data, we proposed a monitoring system, counting number of grids, for animals in the Tottori Sand Dunes. Thirdly, we tried a night survey for wolf spider Lycosa ishikariana, and the survey might be an effective monitoring method for the spider.

Amami archipelago is an important area for biodiversity conservation because it is home to many endangered animals such as Amami rabbit, spiny rat, and Ryukyu long-furred rat. However, non-native species such as the domestic cat, black rat, and giant African snail have become widely established and have had negative impact on these ecosystems. In this study, we constructed a database of parasitic organisms in wildlife of Amami-Oshima and Tokunoshima islands in order to estimate the factors causing damage to the ecosystem by pathogens. As a result, the number of reported cases of eukaryotes (excluding fungi and dipteran species) was 153 in mammals, 28 in birds, 54 in reptiles, 15 in amphibians. The pathogens reported included 41 acarids, 47 nematodes, 10 protozoans, 14 trematodes, and 17 cestodes. Among these, transmission of pathogens from non-native animals to domestic species was observed in Toxoplasma gondii, Angiostrongylus cantonensis, Hydatigera taeniaeformis, and Spirometra erinaceieuropaei. In addition, we performed histopathological examinations of specimens from injured individuals and individuals found dead, and attempted to identify the pathogens obtained. We found a protozoan infection suspected to be T. gondii in brain, and three novel intestinal protozoans, Eimeria furnessi, E. hilleri, and E. sagentae, in Amami rabbits. In addition, a variety of parasitic organisms were detected in birds.

Geranium robertianum is an annual herb of the family Geraniaceae that grows only in limestone areas in Shiga, Gifu, and Tokushima Prefectures in Japan. Because its distribution is restricted to limestone sites, the number of individuals is small, and it is listed as an endangered species in each prefecture. On the other hand, this species has been found growing along roadsides and forest edge throughout Japan. This is thought to be introduced from overseas as an ornamental plant and naturalized. In this study, we collected leaves and seeds of G. robertianum from 26 sites across Japan and conducted MIG-seq analysis, common garden experiments, and crossing experiments to evaluate the degree of genetic differentiation, adaptation, and hybridization potential of native and non-native individulas. The MIG-seq analysis showed that at least two exotic lineages had invaded Japan, with one lineage distributed in cooler regions, mainly in Hokkaido and Tohoku, and the other in warmer regions south of Tohoku. The native lineage showed genetic differentiation among mountain ranges and between low- and high-elevation populations. Morphological differentiation according to elevation was also observed, indicating that they are adapted to their respective growing environment. The exotic individulas produced more seeds than the native individuals under growing conditions with direct sunlight. Crossing experiments between exotic and native individuals produced fertile seeds, so we should take care to ensure that exotic individuals are not introduced into native habitats.

Hachijo-Kojima is the only island free of both weasels and snakes and retains the typical food web of the Izu Islands. Since the island became evacuated in 1969, an increase of feral goats and damage to vegetation through intensive browsing became apparent. Extermination of feral goat was implemented and successfully completed by 2017. The black-footed albatross began breeding and by 2022 the breeding pairs exceeded 100. On the other hand, the adjacent small island, Kojima, has been a breeding ground for small rare seabirds such as the crested murrelet, while slope erosion and collapse of the island narrowed the possible nesting sites which may cause disappearance of their breeding colonies. Therefore, while using monitoring of black-footed albatross as a basis, we surveyed birds on Hachijo-Kojima using sound loggers. As a result, 17 forest bird species and 3 seabird species were confirmed to inhabit the island, but small rare seabirds could not be discovered. Rodent species that exert predation pressure on birds and landsnails were surveyed, and we confirmed the presence of high densities of rats in a wide area from the coast to the top of the mountain. Predation traces were found on seven species of land snails, and were discussed as an indicator for monitoring rat population. We discussed several proposed measures to see if it would be possible to reduce rat population throughout the Hachijo-Kojima in the future.

For the purpose of preventing the occurrence of new invasive species problems in "Amami-Oshima Island, Tokunoshima Island, the Northern Part of Okinawa Island and Iriomote Island" registered as a Natural World Heritage Site in July 2021, we conducted an online questionnaire survey for 2 months from June to August in 2022 targeting residents (44,354 households) in this area. The number of responses was 408, and the number of valid responses was 378 (response rate 0.85 %). In the valid responses, households with pets (57.7 %) were slightly more than households without pets (42.3 %). The kind of pets are 1) dogs (39.4 %), 2) domestic cats (36.6 %), 3) tropical fish (5.3 %) and others. Exotic pets were also included. A large number of respondents (83.5 %) answered that they "know and follow the proper rearing practices" in order to prevent problems with invasive species. Most of the cats were kept and reared indoors (79.2 %), but many were free-ranging (7.9 %). It was clarified that obtaining information on the proper pet rearing causes changes in attitudes toward rearing, suggesting the need for appropriate information provision and education. In the regions, public awareness campaigns have been frequently conducted by the government and media so far, and it is considered that more detailed public awareness and guidance will be necessary for the proper pet rearing.

In Benguet Province, Luzon Island, the Philippines, we conducted a bird survey and studied vegetation management to increase the number of birds at coffee plantations to develop a suitable habitat for birds in the coffee plantations, which are operated by planting trees on abandoned chayote fields made by burning the forest. Although the survey of wintering migratory birds from Japan was insufficient because it could not be conducted due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the breeding season survey recorded 4 to 20 bird species in the coffee plantations and 5 to 23 species in the natural forests. Since many insectivorous species were recorded, it is thought that increasing the number of birds through better vegetation management will help maintain biodiversity and control coffee pests. Since summer birds such as siberian rubythroat and brown shrike have been found wintering in and around coffee plantations, sustainable coffee plantations will also help protect the wintering grounds of migratory birds from Japan.

Since 1999, we have been monitoring the dynamics and regeneration at three typical and structurally different types of beech forests in the Shirakami Sanchi World Heritage area. The survey has been conducted by researchers, local citizen volunteers and student volunteers. The year 2022 was the 24th year of the survey. In the period during 2021-2022, due not only to the spread of the COVID-19 but also to the disruption of access roads caused by heavy rainfall in 2022, the survey had to be scaled down. We conducted analyses on the dynamics of beech seed production and seedlings and the culm dynamics of Sasa kurilensis, and clarified the factors related to them. The survival rate of beech seedlings was higher with lager size and with lower mean annual temperature. The survival rate of Sasa kurilensis culms was higer with larger diameter, with lower density of understory vegetation, and with higher winter temperature. For the long-term continuation of monitoring, we also printed more copies of the manual and the guidebook on Shirakami.

The village Mbomo, where the headquarters of Odzala-Kokoua National Park is located in north-western Republic of Congo, has suffered worsening agricultural damage caused by forest elephants over the past several years, leading to food shortages and poverty. In order to establish a way of life coexisting with wildlife in the village, where agriculture is the main means of livelihood, the project tried to train young leaders to work on village development by increasing tolerance against wildlife damage and creating source of income. However, the relationship between the park authority and the villagers was not good due to crop damage by elephants and employment problems, and it proved difficult to find leaders. Young people in the village had not completed school years and had no intention to learn a trade. In the first year, one step was taken for activities to generate an independent source of income for villagers through trial cultivation of crops that can be harvested in a short period of time, painting classes to identify talents who can paint pictures that can be sold as souvenirs for tourists, and beekeeping seminars with a view to running a beekeeper training school in the next year. These activities will gradually spread to other families through the local custom of working together as a family unit, and will continue to help build a village that can coexist with wildlife.

This project aims to promote three main activities: 1) forests and wildlife conservation and promoting ecotourism, 2) improving the quality of life for villagers and protecting forest resources by introducing improved cooking stoves, and 3) environmental education for local residents. Concerning 1), we conducted a monitoring survey of the habitat conditions, mainly for primates, and monitored deforestation and poaching by patrols. Starting in July 2022, four members were replaced with the aim of expanding the local community's understanding of forests. In addition, we regularly observed a chimpanzee group targeted for eco-tours conducted by the local forestry department and exchanged information on conducting appropriate eco-tours. As for 2), in cooperation with the women's group in the village, improved stoves were installed in each house in the adjacent villages. To date, 41 furnaces have been installed in the nearest neighboring village, and 5 in each of the villages on both sides, for a total of 51 new cooking stoves. We also evaluated the usage of the new cooking stove oven as much as possible. As for 3), we continued free school and library activities at the Environmental Education Center and held a lecture by corporate members once at the end of the year.

We are engaged in a continuous a project to restore the semi-natural grassland by using local plants of typical species Miscanthus sinensis. To proceed environment-friendly restoration and introduction of local certified seeds and seedings, social consensus is indispensable. To obtain social preparation for conservation of local environment and biodiversity, we are cooperating with wide variety of stakeholders. In 2022, we tried to restore and maintain the grassland by transforming from tall-grass type to short-grass type with observations of plants and environment in the ASO grassland. We also gathered seeds of Miscanthus sinensis, Artemisia indica, Lespedeza bicolor, Indigofera pseudotinctoria for restoration. We are continuing studies about the supplying system and utilization of local seeds which can secure the traceability and sustainability. We are continuing studies about the supplying system and utilization of local seeds which can secure the traceability and sustainability.

In the mountaintop area surrounding the Shiraka Valley in Kagamino Town, Okayama Prefecture, the wind power plant construction plan is underway. The study group conducted an emergency comprehensive survey in the region. It was clarified in the survey of various biological research fields that this region is located at the border between warm- and cold-temperate zones, and is a rich biodiverse area as a refugia for biological communities with centers of distribution in both temperate zones. Reflecting the high-quality soil environment created by the beech forests once distributed, the small mammal fauna was kept healthy. Avifauna with many rare species has been formed reflecting the diverse environment. The rich benthic fauna can be seen, the Japanese giant salamander is only a native endemic species, and many amphibian reptiles are rare species. As an element supporting these, it became clear that the part where subsoil water was springing up from everywhere and the part where bedrock and megaliths were prominent coexisted in a mosaic pattern, maintaining a unique environment. Development in the ridgeline area not only destroys the rare forest environment, but also threatens to fatally affect the mountain stream environment due to sediment runoff downstream. For these reasons, we propose a natural environment that can sustain appropriate natural forests and grasslands over the long term, and propose a forest regeneration plan and a long-term plan based on it so that areas with rich biodiversity can be maintained in the future, based on the actual state of the clear stream environment consisting of various biological communities.