Biodiversity Monitoring
OuTrop’s biodiversity monitoring research is leading the field in tropical peat-swamp forest biodiversity studies in Kalimantan. Our records stretch back from 1995 and cover almost all major animal groups (from birds and reptiles, to butterflies and ants), representing the most extensive dataset available for Kalimantan's peat-swamp forest. The main long-term objectives of this programme are to:
This research is essential in providing a sound scientific underpinning for conservation activities. It provides knowledge of the species within a habitat and their responses to disturbance. Combined with knowledge of species' characteristics, this will help understand the impacts of forest disturbance on the ecosystem services that the forest and its flora and fauna provide (e.g., seed dispersal, pollination, carbon storage). Our monitoring programme will help strengthen conservation in Kalimantan through assessing the effectiveness of conservation activities against their stated aims (typically preserving and enhancing habitat quality, ecological integrity and ecosystem service provision, and populations of threatened species) and helping refine these activities to achieve maximum conservation success. This is particularly important considering the frequently expensive, labour-intensive and occasionally dangerous nature of peat-swamp forest conservation activities, such as fire fighting, and is essential for justifying continued conservation initiatives in the area.
We have seven permanent monitoring sites established in the Natural Laboratory. At each site we collect data every 2-3 years on the region’s flagship ape species, the orangutan and gibbon; on forest structure and biomass, and other indicators of forest disturbance, such as birds, ants and butterflies. A suite of monitoring sites in area outside of the Natural Laboratory - including both areas of high conservation priority and highly disturbed areas - is also being established. This will increase sample size for analysis and, more importantly, facilitate efforts to incorporate ecological monitoring into conservation plans for these sites. Our research in this area is contributing towards the development of a comprehensive ecological-monitoring plan for peat-swamp forests, with the aim of supplying constructive feedback to protected area managers on the success or otherwise of their activities and improving conservation in their management areas.
- Increase our understanding of the ecosystem’s conservation value, particularly for threatened species;
- Increase our understanding of ecosystem processes and functions, and the impacts of these on ecosystem service provision; and
- Monitor temporal changes in forest condition, ecological integrity (i.e., 'natural' forest condition) and target conservation species in relation to habitat protection initiatives, in order to provide constructive feedback to conservation managers and thereby strengthen conservation in the area.
This research is essential in providing a sound scientific underpinning for conservation activities. It provides knowledge of the species within a habitat and their responses to disturbance. Combined with knowledge of species' characteristics, this will help understand the impacts of forest disturbance on the ecosystem services that the forest and its flora and fauna provide (e.g., seed dispersal, pollination, carbon storage). Our monitoring programme will help strengthen conservation in Kalimantan through assessing the effectiveness of conservation activities against their stated aims (typically preserving and enhancing habitat quality, ecological integrity and ecosystem service provision, and populations of threatened species) and helping refine these activities to achieve maximum conservation success. This is particularly important considering the frequently expensive, labour-intensive and occasionally dangerous nature of peat-swamp forest conservation activities, such as fire fighting, and is essential for justifying continued conservation initiatives in the area.
We have seven permanent monitoring sites established in the Natural Laboratory. At each site we collect data every 2-3 years on the region’s flagship ape species, the orangutan and gibbon; on forest structure and biomass, and other indicators of forest disturbance, such as birds, ants and butterflies. A suite of monitoring sites in area outside of the Natural Laboratory - including both areas of high conservation priority and highly disturbed areas - is also being established. This will increase sample size for analysis and, more importantly, facilitate efforts to incorporate ecological monitoring into conservation plans for these sites. Our research in this area is contributing towards the development of a comprehensive ecological-monitoring plan for peat-swamp forests, with the aim of supplying constructive feedback to protected area managers on the success or otherwise of their activities and improving conservation in their management areas.
