Human Dimensions of Wildlife Management / Biodiversity Conservation
Human–wildlife conflicts, such as agricultural damage and human casualties caused by wildlife, occur worldwide. The human dimensions of wildlife management constitute a field that aims to solve such conflicts by obtaining information necessary for decision making through social science research. My research under the theme of the human dimensions of wildlife management includes an understanding of the attitudes of the local residents toward wildlife and factors influencing such psychological features, understanding and fostering of the behaviors of residents to prevent damage to the wildlife, designing effective wildlife policies, and evaluating outreach and management interventions conducted by the government.
Participatory activities targeting wildlife damage prevention in rural villages of Japan
One of my goals has been to introduce the concepts and tools of human dimensions of wildlife management (developed in the US) to Japan and conduct various research from the Japanese context. The book summarizes the results of a series of my study as well as the significance of conducting research on human dimensions in Japan and Asian countries.
Example of papers on human dimensions of wildlife management research
Residents’ perceptions of black bears [collaborative research with Hyogo Prefectural Government]
- Sakurai, R. et al. 2013. Public perceptions of risk and government performance regarding bear management in Japan. Ursus 24(1): 70-82.
- Sakurai, R. et al. 2014. Public perceptions of significant wildlife in Hyogo, Japan. Human Dimensions of Wildlife 19(1): 88-95.
- Sakurai, R., & Jacobson, S. K. 2011. Public perceptions of bears and management interventions in Japan. Human-Wildlife Interactions 5(1): 123-134.
Evaluating management interventions [collaborative research with Tochigi Prefectural Government]
Media analysis on human-bear issues
Research on feasibility of reintroducing extinct species
- Sakurai, R. et al. 2020. Factors affecting attitudes toward reintroduction of wolves in Japan. Global Ecology and Conservation.
- Sakurai et al. 2018. Exploring social-ecological resilience via three megafauna in Japan: an exercise in integrating ideas of human dimensions of wildlife management, Satoyama, and SES thinking. Policy Science.