PRI, KYOTO UNIV.　＞FRC・Research

Research

We have the following three main research subjects.

1. Field station for the studies of Japanese macaques.
2. Conservation and management of Japanese macaques.
3. Studies on damage management of wildlife living in Japan.

FIELD STATION FOR THE STUDIES OF JAPANESE MACAQUES.

The center has five field research areas to study the evolutionary history of Japanese macaques and their adaptation to various environments (see figure). We provide facilities for visiting scientists as well as information on the monkeys.

(1) Shimokita (2) Joshinetsu (3) Kiso (4) Koshima (5) Yakushima

CONSERVATION AND MANAGEMENT OF JAPANESE MACAQUES.

We have been monitoring the present status of populations such as numbers, distribution and population trends of Japanese macaques. Present distribution of this species in Honshu island has been surveyed and published by the Working Group for Conservation and Management of Japanese macaques (President: Kazuo Wada), though the survey of that in Shikoku and Kushu islands has not been made.

We have also analysed the histrical changes in the distrubution of this species since the World War II by using the data of published and unpublished data.

We have also made a database on publications (papers, reports, articles, etc.) of the studies on wild Japanese macaques. The database is available here (Sorry in Japanese).

→　「Database of publications in Japanese macaques」

STUDIES ON DAMAGE MANAGEMENT OF WILDLIFE LIVING IN JAPAN.

1) Land use and habitat selection of Japanese macaques inhabiting urban environments.

We have studied land uses and habitat selections of several neighboring macaque troops by using radio-telemetry, and analysed the variation of population dynamics under different environments. The results obtained so far suggest that troops using croplands as feeding sites may have larger home ranges than those inhabiting less disturbed forests, that these troops may have the increased birth rate and survival rate of newborns, and that environment may affect the dependency of crops by monkeys. Models of damage management where crop feeding is assumed as a feeding strategy of monkeys have been also studied.

2) Applied ethological studies on behavioral control of Japanese macaques.

Conditioned taste aversions are studied both in captivity and in wild as a countermeasure of monkeys crop damages. Physical and psychological barriers to reduce crop damages by monkeys are also studied.

Mail to MUROYAMA, Yasuyuki, FRC, PRI, KYOTO UNIV.