Figure 1

Damselflies inhabit still-water bodies such as ponds and lakes. It is known that damselflies can fly up to one kilometer between ponds and lakes. On this map, areas where damselflies can easily reach are marked in light blue.

Potential maps are produced on a scale of 1 to 100,000. The blue patches show ponds and lakes. The blue lines mark a radius of 500 meters around ponds and lakes. Thus, if a circle overlaps another, the distance between ponds is less than one kilometer. The areas in light blue represent green spaces where damselflies can travel.
To promote ecosystem networking for damselflies, the zones that are not in light blue need to be connected.
However, buying land is a tough choice, and it is important to consider how to use public land effectively.
The patches shown in pink represent public land including schools and parks.
It is assumed that a biotope made up of waterside environments and greenery is built here; a route can be established for damselflies.
Public land is not necessarily limited to land for public use. Networking can be promoted by utilizing such spaces as university campuses, green belts on the sites of factories and business establishments, roadside trees, river banks, and household gardens.

(2) Using the Potential Maps for The Formation of Ecosystem Networks
We have a project to promote ecosystem networking by using the Potential Maps. Specifically, these maps of potential habitats for living creatures are used to develop a prefecture-wide biodiversity master plan, and then efforts will be made to carry out the plan.
To do this, we need to develop pilot projects and gain expertise based on results and analyses. Three areas in the prefecture have been chosen for model projects.
The first area is Nagoya’s eastern hills, which are characterized by the traditional landscape of typical Tokai hill land elements. This urban area model is intended to restore the ecosystem in the developed area.
The second area is Chita Peninsula, which is one of Japan’s three major areas with reservoirs and still has more than 1,000 reservoirs.
This Satochi model is intended to attain harmony between people and living creatures, as symbolized in “Gongitsune,” the name of a fox, the main character of a work written by Nankichi Niimi, who was born in Chita Peninsula and wrote children’s stories.
The third area is man-made coniferous forest in the Yahagi River Watershed. Man-made coniferous forests will deteriorate if they are abandoned or not properly maintained by thinning and other activities. This Satoyama model is intended to strike a balance between maintenance and neglect.
Efforts are also under way to turn the coniferous forests into broad-leaved forests to help conserve the ecosystem without maintenance.

These are some activities in Nagoya’s hills, as an example.
This area spans about 20 kilometers in the east-west direction, from the Higashiyama Forest located in the eastern end of Nagoya City to the Kaisho Forest located on the edge of Toyota City. The former Expo 2005 venue, now called Moricoro Park in commemoration of the expo, is located here.

Figure2 shows that the 20 kilometer area in the east-west direction is dotted with 22 campuses of 18 universities.