5 years ago

Global Demand for Natural Resources Eliminated More Than 100,000 Bornean Orangutans

Global Demand for Natural Resources Eliminated More Than 100,000 Bornean Orangutans
Jamartin Sihite, Erik Meijaard, Musnanda, Graham L. Banes, Anton Nurcahyo, Nardiyono, Niel Makinuddin, Kerrie A. Wilson, Jukka Miettinen, David Gaveau, Stefanie Heinicke, Gail Campbell-Smith, Marc Ancrenaz, Serge A. Wich, Ari Meididit, Didik Prasetyo, Ashley Leiman, Maria Voigt, Matthew Struebig, Andjar Rafiastanto, Stephanie Spehar, Roberto A. Delgado, Simon J. Husson, Adventus Panda, Albertus Tjiu, Andi Erman, Truly Santika, Laura J. d’Arcy, Kisar Odom, Jessie Wells, Hjalmar S. Kühl, Enrique Sulbaran-Romero, Purnomo, Roger Mundry, Aldrianto Priadjati, Andrew J. Marshall, Nicola Abram, Karmele Llano Sanchez, Anne E. Russon, Benoit Goossens, Max Houghton

Summary

Unsustainable exploitation of natural resources is increasingly affecting the highly biodiverse tropics [1, 2]. Although rapid developments in remote sensing technology have permitted more precise estimates of land-cover change over large spatial scales [3–5], our knowledge about the effects of these changes on wildlife is much more sparse [6, 7]. Here we use field survey data, predictive density distribution modeling, and remote sensing to investigate the impact of resource use and land-use changes on the density distribution of Bornean orangutans (Pongo pygmaeus). Our models indicate that between 1999 and 2015, half of the orangutan population was affected by logging, deforestation, or industrialized plantations. Although land clearance caused the most dramatic rates of decline, it accounted for only a small proportion of the total loss. A much larger number of orangutans were lost in selectively logged and primary forests, where rates of decline were less precipitous, but where far more orangutans are found. This suggests that further drivers, independent of land-use change, contribute to orangutan loss. This finding is consistent with studies reporting hunting as a major cause in orangutan decline [8–10]. Our predictions of orangutan abundance loss across Borneo suggest that the population decreased by more than 100,000 individuals, corroborating recent estimates of decline [11]. Practical solutions to prevent future orangutan decline can only be realized by addressing its complex causes in a holistic manner across political and societal sectors, such as in land-use planning, resource exploitation, infrastructure development, and education, and by increasing long-term sustainability [12].

Publisher URL: http://www.cell.com/current-biology/fulltext/S0960-9822(18)30086-1

DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2018.01.053

You might also like
Discover & Discuss Important Research

Keeping up-to-date with research can feel impossible, with papers being published faster than you'll ever be able to read them. That's where Researcher comes in: we're simplifying discovery and making important discussions happen. With over 19,000 sources, including peer-reviewed journals, preprints, blogs, universities, podcasts and Live events across 10 research areas, you'll never miss what's important to you. It's like social media, but better. Oh, and we should mention - it's free.

  • Download from Google Play
  • Download from App Store
  • Download from AppInChina

Researcher displays publicly available abstracts and doesn’t host any full article content. If the content is open access, we will direct clicks from the abstracts to the publisher website and display the PDF copy on our platform. Clicks to view the full text will be directed to the publisher website, where only users with subscriptions or access through their institution are able to view the full article.