Download 2017_40 LS_Ewers

2017_40: Investigating the impact of forest
management on the abundance of human humanused wildlife species
Supervisors: Dr Robert Ewers ([email protected])
Department: Life Sciences
Introduction: This project will explore the relationship between forest management and
threatened species abundance and conservation status in Sabah state, Malaysian
Borneo. Under the umbrella of the Stability of Altered Forest Ecosystem (SAFE)
Project, you will combine ecological modelling and wildlife exploitation surveys to
navigate the complex processes leading to defaunation in the region and how they
relate to forest management type. In so doing, this investigation aims to provide
recommendations for improving law enforcement and landscape conservation
planning to avoid the deepening of the wildlife crisis that is currently being experienced
in Southeast Asia.
Background: Southeast Asia is recognized as one of the most biodiverse yet highly
threatened ecosystems across the globe. Among the most significant threats to wildlife
in the region are habitat conversion into production forests or oil palm plantations as
well as hunting for protein or for the illegal wildlife trade. The magnitude of these
threats varies widely across the landscape, responding to changes in land tenure and
management. While the use of remote sensing data has shed light on how different
land management types influence deforestation and forest degradation, less is known
about their effects on wildlife abundance and conservation status. Understanding how
different land management practices exert pressure on wildlife, both through habitat
conversion and poaching, is essential to avoid defaunation and ultimately the
extinction of endangered species in the fragmented landscapes of Malaysian Borneo.
Methods: This research will apply interdisciplinary research methods deriving from the
ecological and social sciences. The sampling sites will be selected based on the
references from the SAFE Project, and will comprise varying land management types
including government managed protected areas, community forests, production
forests, as well as forests that are actively managed for rapid regeneration, for carbon
credits and for biodiversity offsets. Target species selection will include those that are
heavily hunted, either for protein or trade. Such as: sambar deer, bearded pig,
muntjac, mouse deer, sun bear, orangutan, banteng, pangolins, slow lorises,
proboscis monkey, and clouded leopard. Information about the direct pressures on
For more information on how to apply visit us at www.imperial.ac.uk/changingplanet
Science and Solutions for a Changing Planet
wildlife will be collected in multiple ways, the most basic being images of hunters from
camera trapping efforts. Additionally, surveys of wildlife exploitation will be carried out
in towns and communities in the proximity of the chosen sites to determine the intensity
of wildlife extraction. Other methods such as interviews with land managers and police
officers, revision of fire arm holding documentation and visits to markets may also be
necessary. Data on both species abundance/occupancy and exploitation will be
combined to generate an assessment on how forest management relates to wildlife
conservation.
Conclusion: Forest conversion interacts with hunting and poaching to decimate
species’ populations in Southeast Asia. Forest management is one of the factors that
determine the permeability of these threats in the landscape. Therefore, understanding
how land management determines threatened species abundance and conservation
status is necessary to map law enforcement priorities and landscape conservation
planning to avoid extinction.
For more information on how to apply visit us at www.imperial.ac.uk/changingplanet