TY - JOUR
T1 - Selective logging causes the decline of large-sized mammals including those in unlogged patches surrounded by logged and agricultural areas
AU - Jamhuri, Jamaluddin
AU - Samantha, Liza D.
AU - Tee, Sze Ling
AU - Kamarudin, Norizah
AU - Ashton-Butt, Adham
AU - Zubaid, Akbar
AU - Lechner, Alex M.
AU - Azhar, Badrul
N1 - Funding Information:
We would like to thank Muhammad Syafiq, Siti Asmah, Nurfatin Adila, Amal Ghazali, Hanis Nabihah, Mizwar Rasyidah, Amirul Anwar, Shazwan, Mohammad Faizalhakim and Harun Al-Rashid, Nabil Jazli for assisting us during the fieldwork. We also thank David B. Lindenmayer for providing constructive comments which improve the manuscript. This project was funded by the Research Management Centre, Universiti Putra Malaysia through Research University Grant Scheme ( GP-IPS/2015/9454100 ).
Publisher Copyright:
© 2018 Elsevier Ltd
Copyright:
Copyright 2018 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.
PY - 2018/11
Y1 - 2018/11
N2 - Legal and illegal logging is prevalent throughout the tropics, impacting on natural habitat and wildlife. This study aimed to investigate the sensitivity of forest mammals to selective logging in the lowland dipterocarp forests of South-West Peninsular Malaysia and identify the underlying factors that determine species occurrence. A total of 120 camera trap locations were deployed within selectively logged and unlogged forests. We found that unlogged forest had greater wildlife occurrences compared to selectively logged forests, including two endangered mammal species not found in logged forest. Forest vegetation structure characteristics such as the abundance of lianas, large trees, saplings, palms, bamboo and seedlings were associated with mammal species richness. Mammal species richness increased with number of forest trees, particularly those with a DBH of >45 cm, but this was limited to high altitude forest. Worryingly, we did not detect any large mammalian apex predators such as leopards or tigers in either unlogged or selectively logged forests. The absence of these animals may be the result of poaching, habitat degradation or other pressures; these mammals are expected to be present in intact forests in Peninsular Malaysia. Restoring logged forests and preserving the remaining unlogged lowland dipterocarp forests are critically important to safeguard mammalian biodiversity in the region. Besides that, we recommend that conventional logging practices are replaced with reduced impact logging methods.
AB - Legal and illegal logging is prevalent throughout the tropics, impacting on natural habitat and wildlife. This study aimed to investigate the sensitivity of forest mammals to selective logging in the lowland dipterocarp forests of South-West Peninsular Malaysia and identify the underlying factors that determine species occurrence. A total of 120 camera trap locations were deployed within selectively logged and unlogged forests. We found that unlogged forest had greater wildlife occurrences compared to selectively logged forests, including two endangered mammal species not found in logged forest. Forest vegetation structure characteristics such as the abundance of lianas, large trees, saplings, palms, bamboo and seedlings were associated with mammal species richness. Mammal species richness increased with number of forest trees, particularly those with a DBH of >45 cm, but this was limited to high altitude forest. Worryingly, we did not detect any large mammalian apex predators such as leopards or tigers in either unlogged or selectively logged forests. The absence of these animals may be the result of poaching, habitat degradation or other pressures; these mammals are expected to be present in intact forests in Peninsular Malaysia. Restoring logged forests and preserving the remaining unlogged lowland dipterocarp forests are critically important to safeguard mammalian biodiversity in the region. Besides that, we recommend that conventional logging practices are replaced with reduced impact logging methods.
KW - Biodiversity
KW - Camera trap
KW - Deforestation
KW - Peninsular Malaysia
KW - Reduced impact logging
KW - Species richness
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85052994245&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.biocon.2018.09.004
DO - 10.1016/j.biocon.2018.09.004
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85052994245
SN - 0006-3207
VL - 227
SP - 40
EP - 47
JO - Biological Conservation
JF - Biological Conservation
ER -