One of important contribution of a habitat study is to yield quantitative and spatial information for conservation planning. For example, identifying key habitat areas for a species could be necessary to implement effective habitat conservation and management as an initial step.

We estimated conservation core areas for Asiatic black bears using a seasonal resource selection function model to provide baseline for maintaining a local population while some are threatened in Japan.

During 2008-2011, we captured and relocated over 20 GPS collared bears in the central Japan Alps, and focused on two seasons, summer and autumn, that are important period for survival and reproduction, respectively. RSF: Resource Selection Function model was conducted to predict key habitats with high probability of bear use in each season, and assessed these areas under considerations of connectivity, human influences and conservation status.

We found some landscape features affecting on bear habitat selection which local governments and managers must concern to prevent human-bear interactions to reduce bear mortality in summer. And in autumn, we recommend restoration of larger areas of patchy distributed critical foraging forests for reproduction to sustain viability of the local population for a long term.