Wulan Pusparini | University of Massachusetts Amherst (original) (raw)

Papers by Wulan Pusparini

Current Biology, Jul 1, 2023

Scientific Reports

As more ambitious protected area (PA) targets for the post-2020 global biodiversity framework are... more As more ambitious protected area (PA) targets for the post-2020 global biodiversity framework are set beyond Aichi Target 11, renew thinking into spatial prioritisation is required to enable PA expansion that maximises environmental values. Our study focuses on the biodiverse and forest-rich Indonesian island of Sulawesi, which has a terrestrial PA network that covers 10% of the island. We used Marxan to investigate trade-offs in the design of an expanded PA network that prioritised different conservation features (biodiversity, forest cover, carbon stock, karst and valuable metal-rich areas) under varying island-wide coverage targets (17%, 30%, and 50%). Our first scenario, which required existing PAs to be selected, required larger areas to meet these coverage targets, in contrast to our second scenario, which allowed for any part of the island to be chosen, irrespective of PA status. The vast Mekongga and Bangkiriang Landscapes, and Gorontalo corridor were consistently identified...

Mammalian Biology

Niche partitioning is a result of interspecific competition between closely-related species to al... more Niche partitioning is a result of interspecific competition between closely-related species to allow coexistence. Multiple species of small carnivores co-occur throughout their ranges in Sumatra, but they are among the lesser studied group of mammal species. This study aimed to collate occurrence records of small carnivores, model their island-wide spatial distribution, and assess their spatio-temporal niche partitioning in Sumatra. We collated camera trap records of small carnivores that were mainly bycatch data from widespread tiger surveys. We used Maxent to predict suitable habitat for nine small carnivore species in response to environmental variables, calculated pairwise spatial niche overlap, and then assessed temporal overlap using Kernel density estimation. In total, we detected 16 of the 21 small carnivore species known to occur in Sumatra. We predicted the suitable habitat of nine species that were found in ≥ 20 locations. Species with the smallest extent of predicted suitable habitat were the Malay civet (Viverra tangalunga) and short-tailed mongoose (Herpestes brachyurus). Of 36 pairwise comparisons, five species pairs had high overlaps and four species pairs had low overlap on spatiotemporal niche. High overlaps did not necessarily indicate high competition pressure because these species have different behaviour to allow coexistence, such as food preference and arboreality. Camera trap surveys are commonly conducted for species-specific studies, yet they also yield abundant records of non-target species. We therefore encouraged collaboration among institutions working in the same region to use bycatch data to fill the knowledge gaps in the ecology of other lesser known species.

While we should celebrate the bicentennial of naming the Sumatran rhinoceros (SR), the only extan... more While we should celebrate the bicentennial of naming the Sumatran rhinoceros (SR), the only extant population on earth might be on the island of Sumatra. Since Strien's 1986 study in Mamas Valley, Leuser, very little more has been learned about how this species distributed and what factors are influencing its extirpation. This study is the first conducted in Sumatra at an Island-wide scale. Using hierarchical models, I estimate the occurrence rates (%) and indices of abundance of SR on three remaining population areas: Leuser Landscape (LL) in 2007 (2.77%, 26 (CI 12-61)), Way Kambas (WK) in 2008 (33.58%, 27 (CI 14-50)) and Bukit Barisan Selatan (BBS) in 2010 (36.4%, 31 (CI 19-66)). Primary dry land forest and rivers are factors affecting SR occurrence in LL, but the index of abundance also is affected by deforestation, roughness of terrain, and and a vegetation index. The index of abundance in WK is more affected by major roads, and brush and savannah cover types, and the occurr...

This article was republished on September 22, 2015, due to the release of confidential or copy-ri... more This article was republished on September 22, 2015, due to the release of confidential or copy-righted material. Please download this article again to view the correct version.

As more ambitious protected area (PA) targets for the post-2020 global biodiversity framework is ... more As more ambitious protected area (PA) targets for the post-2020 global biodiversity framework is set beyond Aichi Target 11, new spatial prioritisation thinking is required to expand protected areas to maximise different environmental values. Our study focuses on the biodiversity and forest-rich Indonesian island of Sulawesi, which has a terrestrial PA network that covers 10% of the island. We run scenarios to identified areas outside the current PA network and their representativeness of conservation features. We use Marxan to investigate trade-offs in the design of a larger PA network with varying coverage targets (17%, 30%, and 50%) that prioritises forest area, karst ecosystem, and carbon value as conservation features. Our first scenario required PAs to be selected at all times, and it required larger areas to meet these targets than our second scenario, which did not include existing PAs. The vast Mekongga, Banggai, and Popayato-Paguat landscapes were consistently identified a...

In the 200 years since the Sumatran rhinoceros was first scientifically described (Fisher 1814), ... more In the 200 years since the Sumatran rhinoceros was first scientifically described (Fisher 1814), the range of the species has contracted from a broad region in Southeast Asia to three areas on the island of Sumatra and one in Kalimantan, Indonesia. Assessing population and spatial distribution of this very rare species is challenging because of their elusiveness and very low population number. Using an occupancy model with spatial dependency, we assessed the fraction of the total landscape occupied by Sumatran rhinos over a 30,345-km2 survey area and the effects of covariates in the areas where they are known to occur. In the Leuser Landscape (surveyed in 2007), the model averaging result of conditional occupancy estimate was ĉðSEĉÞ 0:151ð0:109Þ or 2,371.47 km2, and the model averaging result of replicated level detection probability p̂ðSEp̂Þ 0:252ð0:267Þ; in Way Kambas National Park—2008: ĉðSEĉÞ 0:468ð0:165Þ or 634.18 km2, and p̂ðSEp̂Þ 0:138ð0:571Þ; and in Bukit Barisan Selatan...

Oryx, 2020

Primates are one of the most threatened groups of mammals. Understanding their patterns of popula... more Primates are one of the most threatened groups of mammals. Understanding their patterns of population occurrence and abundance, especially in response to threats, is critical for informing conservation action. The crested black macaqueMacaca nigrais the only Critically Endangered species of Sulawesi's seven endemic macaques. Little is known about its distribution or its response to deforestation and hunting. We conducted a camera-trap survey across the entire species range using an occupancy-based analytical approach to (1) establish the first range-wide baseline of occurrence, (2) investigate how environmental and anthropogenic factors influence occurrence, (3) identify priority conservation subpopulations, and (4) test the efficacy of the sampling and analytical protocol for temporal monitoring ofM. nigrausing occupancy as the state variable. From 9,753 camera-trap days,M. nigrawas detected on 473 days at 77 of the 111 camera locations. Species occupancy was 0.66 and highest i...

Animal Conservation, 2020

Conserving large carnivores that live in close proximity to people depends on a variety of socio‐... more Conserving large carnivores that live in close proximity to people depends on a variety of socio‐economic, political and biological factors. These include local tolerance toward potentially dangerous animals, efficacy of human–carnivore conflict mitigation schemes, and identifying and then addressing the underlying causes of conflict. The Leuser Ecosystem is the largest contiguous forest habitat for the critically endangered Sumatran tiger. Its extensive forest edge is abutted by farming communities and we predict that spatial variation in human–tiger conflict (HTC) would be a function of habitat conversion, livestock abundance, and poaching of tiger and its wild prey. To investigate which of these potential drivers of conflict, as well as other biophysical factors, best explain the observed patterns, we used resource selection function (RSF) technique to develop a predictive spatially explicit model of HTC. From 148 conflict incidences recorded from 2008 to 2018 across the Leuser E...

International Journal of Primatology, 2019

Integrative Zoology, 2010

The majority of wild Sumatran tigers are believed to live in 12 Tiger Conservation Landscapes cov... more The majority of wild Sumatran tigers are believed to live in 12 Tiger Conservation Landscapes covering approximately 88 000 km². However, the actual distribution of tigers across Sumatra has never been accurately mapped. Over the past 20 years, conservation efforts focused on the Sumatran tigers have increased, but the population continues to decline as a result of several key threats. To identify the status of the Sumatran tiger distribution across the island, an island-wide questionnaire survey comprised of 35 respondents from various backgrounds was conducted between May and June 2010. The survey found that Sumatran tigers are positively present in 27 habitat patches larger than 250 km 2 and possibly present in another 2. In addition, a review on major published studies on the Sumatran tiger was conducted to identify the current conservation status of the Sumatran tiger. Collectively, these studies have identified several key factors that have contributed to the decline of Sumatran tiger populations, including: forest habitat fragmentation and loss, direct killing of tigers and their prey, and the retaliatory killing of tigers due to conflict with villagers. The present paper provides management authorities and the international community with a recent assessment and a base map of the actual distribution of Sumatran tigers as well as a general overview on the current status and possible future conservation challenges of Sumatran tiger management.

Environmental Conservation, 2019

SummaryDestruction of tropical rainforests reduces many unprotected habitats to small fragments o... more SummaryDestruction of tropical rainforests reduces many unprotected habitats to small fragments of remnant forests within agricultural matrices. To date, these remnant forest fragments have been largely disregarded as wildlife habitat, and little is known about mammalian use of these areas in Sumatra. Here, we conducted camera trap surveys (2285 trap-nights) within Bukit Barisan Selatan National Park and five surrounding remnant forest fragments during 2010–2013 and used species composition metrics to compare use. We found 28 mammal species in the protected forest and 21 in the fragments. The fragments harboured a subset of species found in the protected forest and several species not observed in the protected forest. Critically endangered species such as Sunda pangolin (Manis javanica) and Sumatran tiger (Panthera tigris sumatrae) were found in the forest fragments, along with species of conservation concern such as marbled cat (Pardofelis marmorata) and Asiatic golden cat (Pardofe...

We conducted the first systematic survey on Sumatran rhinoceros following a robust patch occupanc... more We conducted the first systematic survey on Sumatran rhinoceros following a robust patch occupancy framework in 3,500 km 2 of Bukit Barisan Selatan National Park (BBSNP), Sumatra, Indonesia. We surveyed 55 grids (72.25 km 2 ) between November 2007 and July 2008 to generate a reliable estimate of the proportion of area occupied (occupancy) by the Sumatran rhinoceros. Rhinoceros signs, e.g. footprints, dung, tree twists and wallows, were recorded along 833 km of transect routes, and 1-km sampling interval was used to develop detection/nondetection history for each grid. Rhinoceros signs were detected on 11 grids producing a naive occupancy of 0.2. Occupancy modelling was used to control for imperfect detection probability (P). Based on the Royle/Nichols Heterogeneity model we concluded that Sumatran rhinoceros occupied approximately 32% of the BBSNP area (SE = 0.09). Occupancy can serve as a robust surrogate for an index of abundance in a population-monitoring framework. Further analy...

Forest gaps in the CTFS-AA Forest Dynamic Plot and surrounding Lambir Hill NP were studied to und... more Forest gaps in the CTFS-AA Forest Dynamic Plot and surrounding Lambir Hill NP were studied to understand the relationship between Macaranga spp. species composition and canopy openness, soil type, and altitude. This short study recorded environmental variables within 20 gaps and among 9 species of Macaranga found within a given plot inside the gaps. Results generated using the Spearman Rank Correlation Test revealed that canopy openness exhibits a weak, positive correlation with the species diversity of Macaranga stems inside the gaps (p-value = 0.11). However, no correlation was found between either soil type (p=0.96) or altitude (p=0.76) and species diversity.

The distribution of a species can help guide the protection activities in their natural habitat. ... more The distribution of a species can help guide the protection activities in their natural habitat. Conversely, the lack of information on this distribution makes the protection strategy of this species difficult. The research was conducted in Way Canguk Research Station, Bukit Barisan Selatan National Park from January until March 2018. The purposes of this research were to create a distribution prediction map of Sunda pangolin ( Manis javanica ) and estimating the environment variables that most influenced the probability of the distribution. Fourteen points of camera trap coordinates were used for presence data with nine types of environment variables such as elevation, slope, understorey, canopy cover, distance from roads, distance from rivers, distance from villages, food source, and distance from the threat. The result of maxent showed an Area Under the Curve (AUC) value of 0.909 categorized as very good. The highest probability of Sunda pangolin distributions was in the Pemeriha...

Oryx

The Sulawesi civet Macrogalidia musschenbroekii is endemic to the Indonesian island of Sulawesi, ... more The Sulawesi civet Macrogalidia musschenbroekii is endemic to the Indonesian island of Sulawesi, where it is the largest mammalian predator. Limited field data means that little is known about the species’ distribution, habitat preferences, conservation status and needs, but it is believed to depend on primary forest. We conducted camera-trap surveys across the forests of North Sulawesi, including in two of its main protected areas: Bogani Nani Wartabone National Park and Tangkoko Nature Reserve. From 148 camera trap stations and 10,371 trap nights, Sulawesi civets were recorded 17 times at 12 stations, and in almost equal numbers in primary forest, secondary forest and farmland, including the first photographic records from both the National Park and Nature Reserve. We also collected data on the Malay civet Viverra tangalunga, an introduced species of Viverridae and potential competitor. Our records (n = 21) revealed that it is established in secondary forest; it only co-occurred t...

Oryx

Reliable information on wildlife populations and the threats they face is crucial for assessing t... more Reliable information on wildlife populations and the threats they face is crucial for assessing the performance of conservation strategies. As part of its efforts to improve the effectiveness of Bukit Barisan Selatan National Park in Sumatra, Indonesia, and aid the recovery of flagship species, the Park's management authority designated a 1,000 km2 forest block an Intensive Protection Zone. To set a baseline from which to evaluate the performance of this zone, we investigated the density of tigers Panthera tigris sumatrae, and spatio-temporal interactions between tigers, their principle prey and threats. The estimated density of tigers was 2.8 per 100 km2, whereas in 2002 camera-trapping failed to record any tigers in the Intensive Protection Zone. We found the study area contained a rich prey base, with muntjac deer Muntiacus muntjak, macaques Macaca nemestrina and wild pigs Sus scrofa occupying 85–98% of the area, and sambar Rusa unicolor 61%. Despite these promising findings ...

Animal Conservation, 2020

Conserving large carnivores that live in close proximity to people depends on a variety of socioe... more Conserving large carnivores that live in close proximity to people depends on a variety of socioeconomic , political and biological factors. These include local tolerance toward potentially dangerous animals, efficacy of human-carnivore conflict mitigation schemes, and identifying and then addressing the underlying causes of conflict. The Leuser Ecosystem is the largest contiguous forest habitat for the critically endangered Sumatran tiger. Its extensive forest edge is abutted by farming communities and we predict that spatial variation in human-tiger conflict (HTC) would be a function of habitat conversion, livestock abundance, and poaching of tiger and its wild prey. To investigate which of these potential drivers of conflict, as well as other biophysical factors, best explain the observed patterns, we used resource selection function (RSF) technique to develop a predictive spatially explicit model of HTC. From 148 conflict incidences recorded from 2008 to 2018 across the Leuser Ecosystem, the areas that were closer to villages and with lower occurrence of wild prey were most susceptible to tiger attacks. From 18 districts monitored, 6 stood out for having disproportionately high levels of HTC. We recommend that these areas be prioritized with increased support from conflict mitiga-tion teams to prevent further injuries to people, livestock or tigers; district governments address one underlying cause of HTC by supporting improved animal husbandry practices, such as tiger-proof livestock pen construction; and, an increase in ranger patrol effort to recover wild prey populations. This type of priority setting approach has wide application for better determining the required management response to reduce conflicts between people and large carnivores in both tropical and temporal landscapes.

Current Biology, Jul 1, 2023

Scientific Reports

As more ambitious protected area (PA) targets for the post-2020 global biodiversity framework are... more As more ambitious protected area (PA) targets for the post-2020 global biodiversity framework are set beyond Aichi Target 11, renew thinking into spatial prioritisation is required to enable PA expansion that maximises environmental values. Our study focuses on the biodiverse and forest-rich Indonesian island of Sulawesi, which has a terrestrial PA network that covers 10% of the island. We used Marxan to investigate trade-offs in the design of an expanded PA network that prioritised different conservation features (biodiversity, forest cover, carbon stock, karst and valuable metal-rich areas) under varying island-wide coverage targets (17%, 30%, and 50%). Our first scenario, which required existing PAs to be selected, required larger areas to meet these coverage targets, in contrast to our second scenario, which allowed for any part of the island to be chosen, irrespective of PA status. The vast Mekongga and Bangkiriang Landscapes, and Gorontalo corridor were consistently identified...

Mammalian Biology

Niche partitioning is a result of interspecific competition between closely-related species to al... more Niche partitioning is a result of interspecific competition between closely-related species to allow coexistence. Multiple species of small carnivores co-occur throughout their ranges in Sumatra, but they are among the lesser studied group of mammal species. This study aimed to collate occurrence records of small carnivores, model their island-wide spatial distribution, and assess their spatio-temporal niche partitioning in Sumatra. We collated camera trap records of small carnivores that were mainly bycatch data from widespread tiger surveys. We used Maxent to predict suitable habitat for nine small carnivore species in response to environmental variables, calculated pairwise spatial niche overlap, and then assessed temporal overlap using Kernel density estimation. In total, we detected 16 of the 21 small carnivore species known to occur in Sumatra. We predicted the suitable habitat of nine species that were found in ≥ 20 locations. Species with the smallest extent of predicted suitable habitat were the Malay civet (Viverra tangalunga) and short-tailed mongoose (Herpestes brachyurus). Of 36 pairwise comparisons, five species pairs had high overlaps and four species pairs had low overlap on spatiotemporal niche. High overlaps did not necessarily indicate high competition pressure because these species have different behaviour to allow coexistence, such as food preference and arboreality. Camera trap surveys are commonly conducted for species-specific studies, yet they also yield abundant records of non-target species. We therefore encouraged collaboration among institutions working in the same region to use bycatch data to fill the knowledge gaps in the ecology of other lesser known species.

While we should celebrate the bicentennial of naming the Sumatran rhinoceros (SR), the only extan... more While we should celebrate the bicentennial of naming the Sumatran rhinoceros (SR), the only extant population on earth might be on the island of Sumatra. Since Strien's 1986 study in Mamas Valley, Leuser, very little more has been learned about how this species distributed and what factors are influencing its extirpation. This study is the first conducted in Sumatra at an Island-wide scale. Using hierarchical models, I estimate the occurrence rates (%) and indices of abundance of SR on three remaining population areas: Leuser Landscape (LL) in 2007 (2.77%, 26 (CI 12-61)), Way Kambas (WK) in 2008 (33.58%, 27 (CI 14-50)) and Bukit Barisan Selatan (BBS) in 2010 (36.4%, 31 (CI 19-66)). Primary dry land forest and rivers are factors affecting SR occurrence in LL, but the index of abundance also is affected by deforestation, roughness of terrain, and and a vegetation index. The index of abundance in WK is more affected by major roads, and brush and savannah cover types, and the occurr...

This article was republished on September 22, 2015, due to the release of confidential or copy-ri... more This article was republished on September 22, 2015, due to the release of confidential or copy-righted material. Please download this article again to view the correct version.

As more ambitious protected area (PA) targets for the post-2020 global biodiversity framework is ... more As more ambitious protected area (PA) targets for the post-2020 global biodiversity framework is set beyond Aichi Target 11, new spatial prioritisation thinking is required to expand protected areas to maximise different environmental values. Our study focuses on the biodiversity and forest-rich Indonesian island of Sulawesi, which has a terrestrial PA network that covers 10% of the island. We run scenarios to identified areas outside the current PA network and their representativeness of conservation features. We use Marxan to investigate trade-offs in the design of a larger PA network with varying coverage targets (17%, 30%, and 50%) that prioritises forest area, karst ecosystem, and carbon value as conservation features. Our first scenario required PAs to be selected at all times, and it required larger areas to meet these targets than our second scenario, which did not include existing PAs. The vast Mekongga, Banggai, and Popayato-Paguat landscapes were consistently identified a...

In the 200 years since the Sumatran rhinoceros was first scientifically described (Fisher 1814), ... more In the 200 years since the Sumatran rhinoceros was first scientifically described (Fisher 1814), the range of the species has contracted from a broad region in Southeast Asia to three areas on the island of Sumatra and one in Kalimantan, Indonesia. Assessing population and spatial distribution of this very rare species is challenging because of their elusiveness and very low population number. Using an occupancy model with spatial dependency, we assessed the fraction of the total landscape occupied by Sumatran rhinos over a 30,345-km2 survey area and the effects of covariates in the areas where they are known to occur. In the Leuser Landscape (surveyed in 2007), the model averaging result of conditional occupancy estimate was ĉðSEĉÞ 0:151ð0:109Þ or 2,371.47 km2, and the model averaging result of replicated level detection probability p̂ðSEp̂Þ 0:252ð0:267Þ; in Way Kambas National Park—2008: ĉðSEĉÞ 0:468ð0:165Þ or 634.18 km2, and p̂ðSEp̂Þ 0:138ð0:571Þ; and in Bukit Barisan Selatan...

Oryx, 2020

Primates are one of the most threatened groups of mammals. Understanding their patterns of popula... more Primates are one of the most threatened groups of mammals. Understanding their patterns of population occurrence and abundance, especially in response to threats, is critical for informing conservation action. The crested black macaqueMacaca nigrais the only Critically Endangered species of Sulawesi's seven endemic macaques. Little is known about its distribution or its response to deforestation and hunting. We conducted a camera-trap survey across the entire species range using an occupancy-based analytical approach to (1) establish the first range-wide baseline of occurrence, (2) investigate how environmental and anthropogenic factors influence occurrence, (3) identify priority conservation subpopulations, and (4) test the efficacy of the sampling and analytical protocol for temporal monitoring ofM. nigrausing occupancy as the state variable. From 9,753 camera-trap days,M. nigrawas detected on 473 days at 77 of the 111 camera locations. Species occupancy was 0.66 and highest i...

Animal Conservation, 2020

Conserving large carnivores that live in close proximity to people depends on a variety of socio‐... more Conserving large carnivores that live in close proximity to people depends on a variety of socio‐economic, political and biological factors. These include local tolerance toward potentially dangerous animals, efficacy of human–carnivore conflict mitigation schemes, and identifying and then addressing the underlying causes of conflict. The Leuser Ecosystem is the largest contiguous forest habitat for the critically endangered Sumatran tiger. Its extensive forest edge is abutted by farming communities and we predict that spatial variation in human–tiger conflict (HTC) would be a function of habitat conversion, livestock abundance, and poaching of tiger and its wild prey. To investigate which of these potential drivers of conflict, as well as other biophysical factors, best explain the observed patterns, we used resource selection function (RSF) technique to develop a predictive spatially explicit model of HTC. From 148 conflict incidences recorded from 2008 to 2018 across the Leuser E...

International Journal of Primatology, 2019

Integrative Zoology, 2010

The majority of wild Sumatran tigers are believed to live in 12 Tiger Conservation Landscapes cov... more The majority of wild Sumatran tigers are believed to live in 12 Tiger Conservation Landscapes covering approximately 88 000 km². However, the actual distribution of tigers across Sumatra has never been accurately mapped. Over the past 20 years, conservation efforts focused on the Sumatran tigers have increased, but the population continues to decline as a result of several key threats. To identify the status of the Sumatran tiger distribution across the island, an island-wide questionnaire survey comprised of 35 respondents from various backgrounds was conducted between May and June 2010. The survey found that Sumatran tigers are positively present in 27 habitat patches larger than 250 km 2 and possibly present in another 2. In addition, a review on major published studies on the Sumatran tiger was conducted to identify the current conservation status of the Sumatran tiger. Collectively, these studies have identified several key factors that have contributed to the decline of Sumatran tiger populations, including: forest habitat fragmentation and loss, direct killing of tigers and their prey, and the retaliatory killing of tigers due to conflict with villagers. The present paper provides management authorities and the international community with a recent assessment and a base map of the actual distribution of Sumatran tigers as well as a general overview on the current status and possible future conservation challenges of Sumatran tiger management.

Environmental Conservation, 2019

SummaryDestruction of tropical rainforests reduces many unprotected habitats to small fragments o... more SummaryDestruction of tropical rainforests reduces many unprotected habitats to small fragments of remnant forests within agricultural matrices. To date, these remnant forest fragments have been largely disregarded as wildlife habitat, and little is known about mammalian use of these areas in Sumatra. Here, we conducted camera trap surveys (2285 trap-nights) within Bukit Barisan Selatan National Park and five surrounding remnant forest fragments during 2010–2013 and used species composition metrics to compare use. We found 28 mammal species in the protected forest and 21 in the fragments. The fragments harboured a subset of species found in the protected forest and several species not observed in the protected forest. Critically endangered species such as Sunda pangolin (Manis javanica) and Sumatran tiger (Panthera tigris sumatrae) were found in the forest fragments, along with species of conservation concern such as marbled cat (Pardofelis marmorata) and Asiatic golden cat (Pardofe...

We conducted the first systematic survey on Sumatran rhinoceros following a robust patch occupanc... more We conducted the first systematic survey on Sumatran rhinoceros following a robust patch occupancy framework in 3,500 km 2 of Bukit Barisan Selatan National Park (BBSNP), Sumatra, Indonesia. We surveyed 55 grids (72.25 km 2 ) between November 2007 and July 2008 to generate a reliable estimate of the proportion of area occupied (occupancy) by the Sumatran rhinoceros. Rhinoceros signs, e.g. footprints, dung, tree twists and wallows, were recorded along 833 km of transect routes, and 1-km sampling interval was used to develop detection/nondetection history for each grid. Rhinoceros signs were detected on 11 grids producing a naive occupancy of 0.2. Occupancy modelling was used to control for imperfect detection probability (P). Based on the Royle/Nichols Heterogeneity model we concluded that Sumatran rhinoceros occupied approximately 32% of the BBSNP area (SE = 0.09). Occupancy can serve as a robust surrogate for an index of abundance in a population-monitoring framework. Further analy...

Forest gaps in the CTFS-AA Forest Dynamic Plot and surrounding Lambir Hill NP were studied to und... more Forest gaps in the CTFS-AA Forest Dynamic Plot and surrounding Lambir Hill NP were studied to understand the relationship between Macaranga spp. species composition and canopy openness, soil type, and altitude. This short study recorded environmental variables within 20 gaps and among 9 species of Macaranga found within a given plot inside the gaps. Results generated using the Spearman Rank Correlation Test revealed that canopy openness exhibits a weak, positive correlation with the species diversity of Macaranga stems inside the gaps (p-value = 0.11). However, no correlation was found between either soil type (p=0.96) or altitude (p=0.76) and species diversity.

The distribution of a species can help guide the protection activities in their natural habitat. ... more The distribution of a species can help guide the protection activities in their natural habitat. Conversely, the lack of information on this distribution makes the protection strategy of this species difficult. The research was conducted in Way Canguk Research Station, Bukit Barisan Selatan National Park from January until March 2018. The purposes of this research were to create a distribution prediction map of Sunda pangolin ( Manis javanica ) and estimating the environment variables that most influenced the probability of the distribution. Fourteen points of camera trap coordinates were used for presence data with nine types of environment variables such as elevation, slope, understorey, canopy cover, distance from roads, distance from rivers, distance from villages, food source, and distance from the threat. The result of maxent showed an Area Under the Curve (AUC) value of 0.909 categorized as very good. The highest probability of Sunda pangolin distributions was in the Pemeriha...

Oryx

The Sulawesi civet Macrogalidia musschenbroekii is endemic to the Indonesian island of Sulawesi, ... more The Sulawesi civet Macrogalidia musschenbroekii is endemic to the Indonesian island of Sulawesi, where it is the largest mammalian predator. Limited field data means that little is known about the species’ distribution, habitat preferences, conservation status and needs, but it is believed to depend on primary forest. We conducted camera-trap surveys across the forests of North Sulawesi, including in two of its main protected areas: Bogani Nani Wartabone National Park and Tangkoko Nature Reserve. From 148 camera trap stations and 10,371 trap nights, Sulawesi civets were recorded 17 times at 12 stations, and in almost equal numbers in primary forest, secondary forest and farmland, including the first photographic records from both the National Park and Nature Reserve. We also collected data on the Malay civet Viverra tangalunga, an introduced species of Viverridae and potential competitor. Our records (n = 21) revealed that it is established in secondary forest; it only co-occurred t...

Oryx

Reliable information on wildlife populations and the threats they face is crucial for assessing t... more Reliable information on wildlife populations and the threats they face is crucial for assessing the performance of conservation strategies. As part of its efforts to improve the effectiveness of Bukit Barisan Selatan National Park in Sumatra, Indonesia, and aid the recovery of flagship species, the Park's management authority designated a 1,000 km2 forest block an Intensive Protection Zone. To set a baseline from which to evaluate the performance of this zone, we investigated the density of tigers Panthera tigris sumatrae, and spatio-temporal interactions between tigers, their principle prey and threats. The estimated density of tigers was 2.8 per 100 km2, whereas in 2002 camera-trapping failed to record any tigers in the Intensive Protection Zone. We found the study area contained a rich prey base, with muntjac deer Muntiacus muntjak, macaques Macaca nemestrina and wild pigs Sus scrofa occupying 85–98% of the area, and sambar Rusa unicolor 61%. Despite these promising findings ...

Animal Conservation, 2020

Conserving large carnivores that live in close proximity to people depends on a variety of socioe... more Conserving large carnivores that live in close proximity to people depends on a variety of socioeconomic , political and biological factors. These include local tolerance toward potentially dangerous animals, efficacy of human-carnivore conflict mitigation schemes, and identifying and then addressing the underlying causes of conflict. The Leuser Ecosystem is the largest contiguous forest habitat for the critically endangered Sumatran tiger. Its extensive forest edge is abutted by farming communities and we predict that spatial variation in human-tiger conflict (HTC) would be a function of habitat conversion, livestock abundance, and poaching of tiger and its wild prey. To investigate which of these potential drivers of conflict, as well as other biophysical factors, best explain the observed patterns, we used resource selection function (RSF) technique to develop a predictive spatially explicit model of HTC. From 148 conflict incidences recorded from 2008 to 2018 across the Leuser Ecosystem, the areas that were closer to villages and with lower occurrence of wild prey were most susceptible to tiger attacks. From 18 districts monitored, 6 stood out for having disproportionately high levels of HTC. We recommend that these areas be prioritized with increased support from conflict mitiga-tion teams to prevent further injuries to people, livestock or tigers; district governments address one underlying cause of HTC by supporting improved animal husbandry practices, such as tiger-proof livestock pen construction; and, an increase in ranger patrol effort to recover wild prey populations. This type of priority setting approach has wide application for better determining the required management response to reduce conflicts between people and large carnivores in both tropical and temporal landscapes.