Kajima Develops New Method to Assess Ecological Network for Woodpecker

Image by Lip Kee. Some Rights Reserved.

Kajima Corp., a major Japanese construction company, announced on September 17, 2008, that it has jointly developed with the Urban Renaissance Agency and the Organization for Landscape and Urban Green Technology Development a new method to assess ecological networks to secure the habitat of the Japanese Pygmy Woodpecker. The Japanese Pygmy Woodpecker was selected as an indicator of biodiversity, with criteria such as possibility of inhabitation, public awareness and easy monitoring. It is an ecological key-stone species because it ranges all over Japan, in diverse types of woods and forests, and actively to hollows tree trunks for nesting.

The new method is as follows: the first actual situation of greenery in the targeted areas will be determined by overlapping two types of data, greenery data deduced from satellite images and tree-height data estimated from the differences between digital surface models (DSM) and digital terrain models (DTM). Then, by utilizing geographic information system (GIS), the effects of urban development projects on the habitats of the Japanese Pygmy Woodpecker will be evaluated in a visual manner.

This method makes it possible to simulate virtual situations with varying tree-height conditions, plant species and greenery areas, and to determine appropriate conditions for enlarging the Japanese Pygmy Woodpecker's habitat and active areas. The results of the simulated cases can be reflected in the planning of land use with regard to ecological conservation, such as in designing the layouts of buildings, designing greenery areas within land to be developed and selecting street trees.

The method has already been applied to several urban development projects. Kajima also intends to apply the method to public works such as road construction.

- Kajima Corp. official website
http://www.kajima.co.jp/welcome.html

Posted: 2009/01/13 06:00:15 AM