The range of the Japanese subspecies of the Himalayan black bear (Selenarctos thibetanus japonicus) has declined in western Honshu. In Kyushu and Shikoku, local populations are approaching extinction. Meanwhile, the annual harvest of bears has increased from less than 1,000 to over 2,000 between 1950 and 1972, largely resulting from the increasing number of control kills. The distribution dynamics and the ecological consequences of the impact of human activities on 4 subpopulations were studied. Reductions in bear range and outbreaks of tree damage by bears were found closely associated with the rapid disappearance of natural forest. Present control practices and the various types of habitat destruction made these subpopulations increasingly vulnerable, and in 2 cases, partial or complete elimination of a subpopulation was confirmed.
- Volume 4
- Issue
- Pages 71-79
- Publication Date 1 January 1980
- DOI 10.2307/3872846
- File Size 713.50 KB
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