The effects of forest degradation on arboreal primates within Sikundur, the Gunung Leuser Ecosystem, Northern Sumatra
Authors: Marsh, C., Nowak, M., Hill, R. and Korstjens, A.H.
Conference: The 89th Annual Meeting of the American Association of Physical Anthropologists (2020)
Dates: 14-18 April 2020
Journal: AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY
Volume: 165
Pages: 167
eISSN: 1096-8644
ISSN: 0002-9483
Abstract:Unmanned Aerial System (or drone) technology allows the 3-dimensional mapping of forest landscapes, allowing a new perspective of arboreal primate habitat use. Utilizing UASs in primatological studies enables the assessment of canopy use by arboreal primates as well as the identification of discreet forms of anthropogenic disturbance, such as historical selective logging. Combining 3D canopy structure with microclimate measurements, we explore how canopy structure buffers solar radiation and how arboreal species behaviourally thermoregulate within the canopy. Applying future climate change predictions to microclimate models, we can estimate how increased temperatures may affect their behavior, ranging and time-budgets, addressing the conditions that may have led to the adoption of terrestrial locomotion in ape species. We present data on a study of the arboreal primate community in a lowland section of the Gunung Leuser Ecosystem in Northern Sumatra. We present results on how the synergistic effects of 3D canopy structure and microclimates alter the ranging of siamang (Symphalangus syndactylus) in low cloud cover (X2 = 145.3, p =<0.001) as they try to remain with their thermoneutral zone. We also explore how future climate change may alter habitat suitability for orang-utan (Pongo abelii) and siamang, decreasing the availability of prime habitat unequally for each species (O: -15.2%, S: -18%) due to their behavioral and eco-morphological adaptions. We also discuss how UAS technology can be utilized in other future studies.
https://eprints.bournemouth.ac.uk/30794/
Source: Manual
Preferred by: Amanda Korstjens
