Long-Term Field Data and Climate-Habitat Models Show That Orangutan Persistence Depends on Effective Forest Management and Greenhouse Gas Mitigation
Authors: Gregory, S.D., Brook, B.W., Goossens, B., Ancrenaz, M., Alfred, R., Ambu, L.N. and Fordham, D.A.
Journal: PLoS ONE
Volume: 7
Issue: 9
eISSN: 1932-6203
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0043846
Abstract:Background: Southeast Asian deforestation rates are among the world's highest and threaten to drive many forest-dependent species to extinction. Climate change is expected to interact with deforestation to amplify this risk. Here we examine whether regional incentives for sustainable forest management will be effective in improving threatened mammal conservation, in isolation and when combined with global climate change mitigation. Methodology/Principal Findings: Using a long time-series of orangutan nest counts for Sabah (2000-10), Malaysian Borneo, we evaluated the effect of sustainable forest management and climate change scenarios, and their interaction, on orangutan spatial abundance patterns. By linking dynamic land-cover and downscaled global climate model projections, we determine the relative influence of these factors on orangutan spatial abundance and use the resulting statistical models to identify habitat crucial for their long-term conservation. We show that land-cover change the degradation of primary forest had the greatest influence on orangutan population size. Anticipated climate change was predicted to cause reductions in abundance in currently occupied populations due to decreased habitat suitability, but also to promote population growth in western Sabah by increasing the suitability of presently unoccupied regions. Conclusions/Significance: We find strong quantitative support for the Sabah government's proposal to implement sustainable forest management in all its forest reserves during the current decade; failure to do so could result in a 40 to 80 per cent regional decline in orangutan abundance by 2100. The Sabah orangutan is just one (albeit iconic) example of a forest-dependent species that stands to benefit from sustainable forest management, which promotes conservation of existing forests. © 2012 Gregory et al.
Source: Scopus
Long-term field data and climate-habitat models show that orangutan persistence depends on effective forest management and greenhouse gas mitigation.
Authors: Gregory, S.D., Brook, B.W., Goossens, B., Ancrenaz, M., Alfred, R., Ambu, L.N. and Fordham, D.A.
Journal: PLoS One
Volume: 7
Issue: 9
Pages: e43846
eISSN: 1932-6203
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0043846
Abstract:BACKGROUND: Southeast Asian deforestation rates are among the world's highest and threaten to drive many forest-dependent species to extinction. Climate change is expected to interact with deforestation to amplify this risk. Here we examine whether regional incentives for sustainable forest management will be effective in improving threatened mammal conservation, in isolation and when combined with global climate change mitigation. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Using a long time-series of orangutan nest counts for Sabah (2000-10), Malaysian Borneo, we evaluated the effect of sustainable forest management and climate change scenarios, and their interaction, on orangutan spatial abundance patterns. By linking dynamic land-cover and downscaled global climate model projections, we determine the relative influence of these factors on orangutan spatial abundance and use the resulting statistical models to identify habitat crucial for their long-term conservation. We show that land-cover change the degradation of primary forest had the greatest influence on orangutan population size. Anticipated climate change was predicted to cause reductions in abundance in currently occupied populations due to decreased habitat suitability, but also to promote population growth in western Sabah by increasing the suitability of presently unoccupied regions. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: We find strong quantitative support for the Sabah government's proposal to implement sustainable forest management in all its forest reserves during the current decade; failure to do so could result in a 40 to 80 per cent regional decline in orangutan abundance by 2100. The Sabah orangutan is just one (albeit iconic) example of a forest-dependent species that stands to benefit from sustainable forest management, which promotes conservation of existing forests.
Source: PubMed
Long-Term Field Data and Climate-Habitat Models Show That Orangutan Persistence Depends on Effective Forest Management and Greenhouse Gas Mitigation
Authors: Gregory, S.D., Brook, B.W., Goossens, B., Ancrenaz, M., Alfred, R., Ambu, L.N. and Fordham, D.A.
Journal: PLOS ONE
Volume: 7
Issue: 9
ISSN: 1932-6203
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0043846
Source: Web of Science (Lite)
Long-term field data and climate-habitat models show that orangutan persistence depends on effective forest management and greenhouse gas mitigation.
Authors: Gregory, S.D., Brook, B.W., Goossens, B., Ancrenaz, M., Alfred, R., Ambu, L.N. and Fordham, D.A.
Journal: PloS one
Volume: 7
Issue: 9
Pages: e43846
eISSN: 1932-6203
ISSN: 1932-6203
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0043846
Abstract:Background
Southeast Asian deforestation rates are among the world's highest and threaten to drive many forest-dependent species to extinction. Climate change is expected to interact with deforestation to amplify this risk. Here we examine whether regional incentives for sustainable forest management will be effective in improving threatened mammal conservation, in isolation and when combined with global climate change mitigation.Methodology/principal findings
Using a long time-series of orangutan nest counts for Sabah (2000-10), Malaysian Borneo, we evaluated the effect of sustainable forest management and climate change scenarios, and their interaction, on orangutan spatial abundance patterns. By linking dynamic land-cover and downscaled global climate model projections, we determine the relative influence of these factors on orangutan spatial abundance and use the resulting statistical models to identify habitat crucial for their long-term conservation. We show that land-cover change the degradation of primary forest had the greatest influence on orangutan population size. Anticipated climate change was predicted to cause reductions in abundance in currently occupied populations due to decreased habitat suitability, but also to promote population growth in western Sabah by increasing the suitability of presently unoccupied regions.Conclusions/significance
We find strong quantitative support for the Sabah government's proposal to implement sustainable forest management in all its forest reserves during the current decade; failure to do so could result in a 40 to 80 per cent regional decline in orangutan abundance by 2100. The Sabah orangutan is just one (albeit iconic) example of a forest-dependent species that stands to benefit from sustainable forest management, which promotes conservation of existing forests.Source: Europe PubMed Central