Abstract
Background“Igune,” a traditional agricultural landscape in the Tohoku region of Japan, is characterized by small-scale artificial woodlots surrounding a farmer’s house that are interspersed with paddy fields. During the rapid economic growth of Japan over recent decades, some igune woodlots have been abandoned or logged. Biodiversity conservation is an important issue worldwide, and traditional agricultural landscapes are of particular interest. To elucidate the role of igune landscapes in conserving biodiversity, we examined the effects of environmental factors on avian communities.ResultsThe study was conducted in the suburban areas of Oshu and Hanamaki cities, Iwate Prefecture, Japan, at eight sites that varied in the density and area of igune woodlots within the landscape. Bird surveys were conducted from the middle to late breeding season, and several environmental factors of the igune landscape were also measured. The results of canonical correspondence analysis indicated that the characteristics of avian communities were mainly determined by the total forested area in the landscape. Increased total forested area and shrubs layer of igune woodlots did not cause a reduction in number of bird species of any habitat and foraging types, while increased both in species number and abundance of insectivores and forest species. The number of raptor species increased in igune sites without shrubs.ConclusionsOur results suggest that maintaining igune landscapes may enhance avian diversity within this landscape, although the effects of shrubs within igune varied; developed bush communities increased the evenness of the avian community, whereas some raptor species preferred an open forest understory.
Highlights
MethodsStudy site The study was conducted at eight sites within igune landscapes in the cities of Oshu and Hanamaki, Iwate Prefecture, Japan (Fig. 2)
We focused on the avian community to examine the relationship between biodiversity and the igune landscape
Environmental factors Several environmental factors were significantly correlated with one another (Table 3), so we adopted only four variables for correspondence analysis (CCA)
Summary
Study site The study was conducted at eight sites within igune landscapes in the cities of Oshu and Hanamaki, Iwate Prefecture, Japan (Fig. 2). The sites varied in the size and density of igune woodlots as well as the distance from continuous forests. Most of the farmland in the study area consists of paddy fields. Sugi was the most common tree species planted in igune woodlots, but occasionally, broadleaf trees such as chestnut (Castanea crenata) and elm (Zelkova serrata) were intermixed at varying densities. The shrubs in igune woodlots were clear-cut, recently, some farmers have abandoned this management regime. The proportion of igune woodlots that experienced such shrub clearing varied among the study sites
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
