We quantitatively evaluated the effects of landscape factors on the distribution of symptomatic raccoon dogs with sarcoptic mange along an urban gradient. We used 246 camera traps (182 traps from ...April 2005 to December 2006; 64 traps from September 2009 to October 2010) to record the occurrence of asymptomatic and symptomatic raccoon dogs at 21 survey sites along an urban–rural gradient in the Tama Hills area of Tokyo. Each occurrence was explained in terms of the surrounding forest, agricultural, and grassland areas and additional factors (i.e., seasonal variations and survey methods) at various spatial scales using a generalized additive mixed model (GAMM). In our analysis, a 1000-m radius was identified as the important spatial scale for asymptomatic and symptomatic raccoon dog occurrence. The peak of the predicted occurrence probability of asymptomatic raccoon dogs appeared in the intermediate forest landscape as opposed to non-forest and forest landscapes. However, a high occurrence probability of symptomatic raccoon dogs was detected in non-forest and intermediate forest landscapes (i.e., urban and suburban) as opposed to a forest landscape, presumably because of animals occurring at much higher densities in more urbanized areas. Therefore, our results suggest that human-modified landscapes play an important role in the high occurrence of sarcoptic mange in raccoon dogs.
Japanese unions, most typically known as enterprise unions, have realized extensive fringe benefits (welfare programs) through collective bargaining, but some unions, and their upper-level councils ...and federations, also have created their own welfare programs, including human services such as support for people with disabilities, the aged, women and children, consultation and counseling services, and career development. A pioneering example of the Denki Rengo (Japanese Electric, Electronic and Information Union) is presented. These programs have developed over decades in response to demographic changes such as an aging population, more women in the workforce, economic prosperity and stagnation, a shift toward service industries, globalization, and a philosophic change in emphasis from mutual help to self-help. Members' needs moved from economic affairs to broader life issues, became more individualized, and shifted toward the need to be secure in work and life, to which unions had to respond. Meanwhile, the base of enterprises, thus enterprise unionism, itself eroded. Unions lost power to play the game to yield economic gains. An emerging neo-classic society requested unions to take a role of welfare providers, not receivers. Unions escaped into, or steered toward, the welfare arena. Unions' welfare programs are being transferred to upper organizations, from individual enterprise unions, in cooperation with community organizations, and now are starting to extend their services not only to their own members but also to the community in general. Lacking is social workers' involvement. Many historic social work functions today are being carried out by unionists. Social workers, however, may start working for union programs soon, if Japanese social work, which has not shown a great interest in labor unions, expands its jurisdiction.
We focused on the current situation and issues of roadkill research in Japan. Road crossing infrastructures, which are developed as roadkill countermeasures, are important from the viewpoint of ...improving the permeability of wild animals and eliminating the barrier effect. Road crossing infrastructures are required to harmonize with the landscape from the viewpoint of biodiversity offset.
This study aimed to verify whether the identification of individual mammals using fecal DNA could be used to assess the environmental impacts of a road. We selected the Japanese hare, Lepus ...brachyurus, as target species for the DNA analysis. A total of 36 hares (28 males and 8 females) were identified from 344 fecal samples, and 4hares of them has crossed both sides of the road. I suggested that the individual identification method by fecal DNA would be applicable to difficult-to-capture mammals, herbivorous mammals and more sedentary mammals around the road.
To enable mitigation and overcome the problems of road-kill and barrier effects, road-crossing structures (RCSs) are being installed worldwide. Previous research has shown that the structure of RCSs ...and the surrounding landscape pattern affect their traverse by wild animals. This article examined the factors influencing the usage of RCSs by wild mammals on the Toyotomi Bypass (TTB) in Hokkaido and the Higashi Fujigoko Expressway (HFGE) in Yamanashi. The utilization of RCSs by wild mammals was monitored using infrared sensor cameras, and the effects of structural and environmental parameters were analyzed. The structural parameters were 1) volume of RCSs, 2) openness, 3) presence or absence of drainage, 4) presence or absence of shelves, and 5) distance between the RCSs. The environmental parameters were the proportions of 1) bush, 2) non-bush, 3) anthropogenic land use, and 4) the presence or absence of existing vegetation clusters using canonical correspondence analysis (CCA). The study found that the common factor affecting the utilization of RCSs was the presence or absence of drainage. Other influential factors were the effects of structural and environmental parameters.
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