Abstract
Objectives: We investigated the conservation impact of several potential management scenarios on animal populations and movement in a human-modified tropical landscape, focusing on the critically endangered Bornean orangutan, Pongo pygmaeus.
Methods: We used an individual-based modelling platform to simulate population dynamics and movements across four possible landscape management scenarios for a highly modified oil palm-dominated landscape in Sabah, Malaysian Borneo.
Results: Scenarios that maximised the retention of natural forest remnants in agricultural areas through sustainability certification standards supported stable orangutan populations. These populations were up to 45% larger than those supported under development-focused scenarios, where forest retention was not prioritised. The forest remnants served as corridors or stepping-stones, increasing annual emigration rates across the landscape, and reducing orangutan mortality by up to 11%. Sensitivity analyses demonstrated that this outcome was highly contingent on minimising mortality during dispersal.
Conclusions: Management that promotes maximising natural forest cover through certification, such as that promoted by the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil, can maintain viable orangutan populations over the lifespan of an oil palm plantation and facilitate movement among otherwise isolated populations. However, minimising hunting and negative human–orangutan interactions, while promoting peaceful co-existence between apes and people, will be imperative to insure positive conservation outcomes.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 2957-2975 |
| Number of pages | 19 |
| Journal | Landscape Ecology |
| Volume | 36 |
| Early online date | 26 Jun 2021 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 1 Oct 2021 |
Bibliographical note
AcknowledgementsThis research was funded by the University of Kent Vice Chancellor’s Scholarship. The field datasets that informed the modelling were funded by the UK Natural Environment Research Council via the Human‐Modified Tropical Forests research program (NE/K016407/1; https://lombok.nerc-hmtf.info/) as well as the Primate Society of Great Britain. We would like to thank the Sabah Biodiversity Council, Sabah Forest Department, Benta Wawasan, and Sabah Softwoods for permitting access. We also thank two anonymous reviewers whose comments improved the manuscript.
Funding
Research was undertaken with funding from the University of Kents’ Vice Chancellor's Research Scholarship Program.
Keywords
- Connectivity
- HIgh Carbon Stock Approach
- Oil palm certification
- RangeShifter
- Wildlife corridors
Access to Document
- Seaman_etal_LE_Orangutan_Movement_And_VoR
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