下北半島北西部の野生ニホンザルによる夏期の農地利用

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This paper analyzes the conditions and expansion of crop damage caused by wild Japanese monkeys in the Shimokita Peninsula in northern Japan. In Sai village, in the northwest part of the peninsula, the problem of crop damage has occurred for about the past ten years. Initially, one troop came down from the mountains and damaged only a part of farmland. After 3-4 years, however, the damaged area expanded rapidly in an elliptical shape along the coastline. Today this troop depends heavily on farmland and inhabits an artificial environment, using it not only as a feeding patch, but also as a resting site during the summer season. The monkeys spend more time on the newly damaged areas bordering their home range than on the early damaged area. It is suggested that a primary cause of this behavior is the installation of electric fences, one of the main measures used to prevent further crop damage. As the village is presently expanding the area enclosed by electric fences, it will be important to carry out planning measures based on forecasts of future damage.
2004-02-25