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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