| Top > National survey on the natural environment > Environmental Indicator Species Survey |
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When reproduction and distribution this map
free of charge, please make acknowledgments
as follows: |
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| This survey was undertaken to learn more about the distribution of species which would indicate and represent the present state of natural environments existing close to areas of human habitation. It is hoped that the survey results will increase public awareness of these "backyard" environments and be useful in deepening their appreciation of the need to protect and preserve them. Rather than use technical specialists whose numbers are of course relatively few, the Environment Agency(*) recruited a large number of volunteers to make a simultaneous and consistent nationwide survey of the distribution of common species. |
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| The 3rd survey (the first Environmental Indicator
Species Survey) collected data on the distribution
("these species were found") of
70 species of flora and fauna in a Grid Square System (Standard Area Grid, also called "the
3rd grid", about 1 kilometer square).
The 4th survey (the 2nd Environmental Indicator Species Survey) collected data on 48 species along 10 routes under the headings, "found", "not found", and "uncertain." The 5th survey used data collected by volunteer participants together with verified evidence on distribution (1995, cicada exuvia (cast skin); 1996, Onamomi* (Xanthium strumarium) seeds; 1997, photos of swallows' nests) to confirm the reliability of data. The information gathered included specimen collections or photographs, the name of the place where gathered, specimen names, etc. Based on this information, specialists then established the precise characteristics of each species. Then a nationwide distribution map was prepared, using the Grid Square System format based on area names, to provide current information on the distribution of the target species. *Onamomi : This plant's seeds stick to animal fur or human clothes and can be thus dispersed. In the 6th survey, participants were asked to select a "backyard grove" near their residence, and to continually survey the fauna and flora which appear in the grove and the surrounding environment from season to season. The idea was to make people broadly interested in the backyard natural environment, and to determine the characteristics of nature (backyard grove) to which participants felt close, the problems and the directions for preservation, by aggregating the data acquired, identifying the species and analyzing the results. |
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| <The 3rd and 4th Survey> The survey was conducted on the basis of the following arrangement, including participants. |
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Summary of Survey Results (The 3rd and 4th Survey)
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These surveys were truly historic undertakings
- a totally new method of gaining understanding
of the country's natural environment, taking
advantage of the cooperation of a large number
of volunteer participants to conduct a simultaneous
nationwide survey using uniform data collection
and recording methods. These surveys generated
a great amount of information on trends in
the distribution of creatures living close
to human habitations. The effort of many
eyes raised the chances of observation and
produced many examples of new knowledge,
like the discovery that Japanese Marsh Crab
(Geothelphusa dehaani) inhabits Hokkaido. Focusing on the same
target species in both the 3rd and 4th surveys
made it possible to observe the process of
change between years especially in the areas
around cities. |
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| <The 5th Survey> The survey was conducted on the basis of the following arrangement, including participants. |
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The 3rd and 4th surveys had passed on the task of identifying species to volunteer participants. As a result, some of the data on species that are difficult to identify were found to be marred by misidentification. The 5th survey adopted a different survey method: actual specimens were sent, and the species were identified by experts. This resulted in highly accurate distribution data, which can be used for various analyses. This method is deemed to have been effective in identifying the current distribution status of so-called common species and widespread species. The survey yielded good results. In the cicada exuvia survey, interesting results were obtained on the northwardly spread of Cryptotympana facialis in the Kanto region, in addition to their distribution, habits and local names. The survey on Xanthium strumarium seeds revealed that naturalized species were more common than native ones. The swallow nest survey revealed that nests were often built in buildings, and that many people welcomed swallows building nests in the neighborhood, reflecting their good relationship with humans. |
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| <The 6th Survey> The survey was conducted on the basis of the following arrangement, including participants. |
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Groves defined as "backyard groves" were divided into 7 groups, such as "groves in parks in urban & residential areas" and "groves in large properties in farm villages and groves in shrine/temple precincts." They were further subdivided by region as necessary. The results revealed that a diverse ecosystem has been built, varying with regional characteristics and the relationship between people and "backyard grove" as shown below.
Such results are expected to be useful for studying the ideal form of "backyard groves" and the preservation of the natural environment in the future. Especially in the case of dandelions, exotic species were universally pointed out as indicators for urbanization. However, the National Institute of Agro-Environmental Sciences conducted DNA analysis on dandelion specimens collected in the survey and revealed that exotic species were found nationwide, while hybrids of exotic and native species were found in the Tokyo Metropolitan Area, Chukyo region, Kansai region and other large cities. <Latest Information> The latest information on the survey is available at the page below. http://www.biodic.go.jp/mijika/ |
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Target Species of the Environmental Indicator Species Survey (Scientific name of 3rd survey is from the report of the 4th Animal Distribution
Survey (1993), the Inventory of Fauna in Japan (1993) and the Inventory
of Flora (1987). Scientific name of 4th survey is from the report of the
4th Environmental Indicator Species Survey (1990). |
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The 5th Survey (Scientific name is from the report of the Cicada Shell Survey(1993), the report of the Onamomi Survey (1998) and the report of the Swallows' Nest Survey (1999) |
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*:no survey data |
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| All Rights Reserved, Copyright Ministry of the Environment. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
*) The organization was changed to the Ministry of Environment in 2000. |
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1. Survey Objectives