Once occupying most of South and Southeast Asia, orangutans today are only found in fragmented dipterocarp and peat swamp forests (Groves 1971) on the islands of Borneo, Malaysia and Sumatra, Indonesia (Buij et al. 2002; Sharma et al. 2012). The Sumatran orangutan (Pongo abelii) is more severely threatened than the Bornean orangutan (Pongo pygmaeus) with surviving populations numbering 12,500 in northern Sumatra (Buij et al. 2002). Experts have estimated that the orangutan species’ have declined 10-fold within the last 100 years (Goosens et al. 2004). Studies have documented four primary causes for this drastic decline, stemming from anthropogenic influences (Sharma et al. 2012). The influences that caused this decline include changing …show more content…
2002; Groves 1971). The conclusion made was that home ranges vary, population to population, and even season to season, depending on where the food is available and flourishing (Buij et al. 2002). This is challenging for the species because their seasonal migration is dependent on undisturbed areas of forest, which is being actively converted to agriculture and development (Buij et al. 2002). With increased human populations, there will be a need to expand further into the forested areas of Sumatra and Borneo which will restrict what little habitat the orangutans have …show more content…
There are numerous conservation management steps that can be identified and subsequently implemented in order to maintain the current orangutan populations and hopefully see an increase in population size in the future. Integral to the survival of the orangutan species is the conservation of the remaining dipterocarp and peat swamp forests present in Borneo and Sumatra (Kinnaird et al. 2003). This is a fundamental step because of the orangutan’s reliance on movement. Proposing the decrease of deforestation, which will decrease fragmentation of the habitat, in underprivileged regions of the world is a difficult task because most individuals rely on the work and products obtained. However, orangutan populations will not increase without a change in our deforestation practices. Future research should therefore be conducted on the home ranges of the remaining orangutans. This could be conducted by identifying the residual populations throughout the two islands and tracking movements over several years. Though time consuming and expensive, the benefits would be insurmountable if the species is retained and growth is permitted. By identifying the range needed for this species, detecting where development and deforestation could occur would be easier. It is unfeasible
Jen Viegas Seeker in the article, more the half of primates are threatened with extinction.
Two of the most intriguing primates on the primate-rich island of Borneo are the proboscis monkey Nasalis larvatus and the orangutan Pongo pygmeus (Tisdell & Nantha, 2007). The proboscis monkey is restricted to Borneo whereas the orangutan occurs both in Borneo and in Sumatra. The proboscis monkey is classified under the one of the largest and most diverse primate families distributed throughout Africa and Asia (Sha, Matsuda & Bernard, 2011), family Cercopithecidae or Old World Monkeys. The characteristics of proboscis monkeys are the morphology of the species, the feeding ecology and the preference of their habitat (refer to Figure 1 in Appendix 1).
While on this earth, we humans have made a tremendous impact on our environment, both good and bad. Unfortunately, humans have had more of a negative impact than positive, especially concerning the state of our world’s forests. We have been on a tree cutting rampage in order to create more space for the growing human population. While this may sound perfectly fine for many people, doing this robs the animals of our planet their home and their food which is why many species of animals and plants are becoming extinct. One fine example of a critically endangered animal is the Cotton-top Tamarin who is very close to becoming extinct due to the declining forest areas in South America, where the tamarin lives. Fortunately, there have been many projects that have been created in order to protect this majestic primate. One well-known conservation project is Proyecto Tití, or Project Tamarin in English, which is centered primarily in Colombia. This project, while not as popular as many others, has helped to protect the Cotton-top Tamarins, which are one of the most endangered primates in the world, by an immense amount and they continue to aid the tamarins and the local villagers of Colombia every single year.
to discuss changes in habitat and environmental variability, nature of diet and dietary changes, and nature of and reliance on fallback foods of extinct great apes; and
When researching the population decline of amphibians as a global issue, it is evident that there have been drastic changes in the past 30 years. Mike Lannoo from the U.S. Declining Amphibian Task Force says that there have been significant losses in amphibian populations for an extensive period of time (No Single Reason, 1999). Stuart et al. (2004) stated that according to scientists at the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), at least 427 species, roughly 7.4%, are at a dangerously high risk of extinction (Kaylor, 2006). The problem of amphibian decline cannot be linked directly to one single cause (No Single Reason, 1999). Instead, scientists have related the decline to disease, habitat loss, changes in climate, and pollution (Hayes, Falso, Gallipeau, Stice, 2010; Brooks et al., 2002; Dunson et al., 1992). It is concluded that many of these factors are related to and possibly caused by human interaction (McCallum, 2007). The declines could be caused by pathogens, climate change, or wildlife toxicology, says Dr. Ashley Mattoon from the Worldwatch Institute (Kirby, 2000).
In Indonesia, 8.828 million hectares of forests have been destroyed (see appendix 2). Around fifty acres of forests are removed every minute, not o...
Nowadays deforestation is the one of the most important and controversial environmental issues in the world. Deforestation is cutting down, clearing away or burning trees or forests. Particularly tropical rainforests are the most waning type of forests because of its location in developing countries such as Indonesia, the Philippines, India, central African countries and Brazil. Deforestation rate in those regions is high enough to worry about, because of large economic potential of forest areas. As the result of causes such as agriculture land expansion, logging for timber, fire blazing and settling infrastructure there might be serious impacts in future. For instance, extinction of endemic species of animals and plants which will be feral, increase of greenhouse gas emissions which may lead to global warming and consecutive catastrophes, destruction of home for indigenous residents which is considered as violation of human rights. Some people can argue with these drawbacks telling that deforestation have more valuable benefits such as growth of economics, production of food and providing better opportunities for life for poor families. However, these benefits are quite temporary and government of that countries and world organisations tries to halt deforestation proposing several solutions. Deforestation problem is especially acute in the Brazilian Amazon, where its rate is much high comparing with other regions. This paper will describe world-wide rainforests, causes and effects of deforestation, and evaluate possible solutions of deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon.
Introduction Palm oil is considered an essential ingredient for the production of foods and other products in which human use. The Orangutan Project (2015) states that ‘palm oil is derived from the fruit of the oil palm tree’, and the ‘palm oil plantations are the main driver for deforestation in Indonesia’. The harvest of the palm trees for the production of palm oil affects the ecosystem as it can affect the environment. This investigation highlights the advantages of the palm fruit providing nutrients, it is essential for the production of products, and this production being that palm oil can reduce poverty. The negatives of how the production of palm oil negatively affects the environment, the habitat of the animals, and social consequences such as the loss of income.
Great Apes are at the brink of extinction due to deforestation, hunting, and bushmeat trade. Our closest cousins are now viewed as economic commodities rather than valuable agents to the environment and humanity. In order to explore this issue, there must be an examinitation of why primate populations are dwindling, if these populations can replenish themselves, and what measures the international community is taking to alleviate the problem.
The article addresses the ecological impact of palm oil plantation in Indonesia and Malaysia. The author conducts a descriptive study of how the increased demand for palm has impacted biodiversity especially indigenous animals such as orangutan. In order to assess the impact of palm oil plantation on orangutan’s habitat, the author conducted a literature review. The author notes that the need to expand land for palm oil expansion has negatively impacted the composition and the size of orangutan’s habitat. These findings imply that sustainable environmental policies and techniques need to be developed and implemented so as to mitigate the negative impact of the palm oil plantation of orangutan’s habitat.
The forests around the world a supply a plethora of community amenities and commercial goods , nevertheless forested terrain progressively is becoming transformed to accommodate other uses, including cropland, pasture, mining, and urban areas, which can produce superior private financial returns. The wide array of benefits the forest provides that vanish directly tied to deforestation have resulted in several policies drafted with the sole intention to reduce the frequency of deforestation. This paper has two primary objectives. First, this paper will review and summarize both the preceding and current research on deforestation. Second, it will emphasize the significance of future research and development, as well as other solutions needed
For thousands of years, these affluent terrestrial vegetations have provided the habitat and patronage elements that were essential for the survival of the Papuan people. Accordingly, the vast majority of the Papuan people (87 ...
For thousands of years, Papua New Guinea’s affluent terrestrial vegetations have provided the habitat and the patronage elements that were essential for the survival of the Papuan people (Map I) (Worldatlas.com, 2012) (Nicholls, 2004). The diversity of Papua New Guinea’s (PNG) terrestrial vegetation are portrayed in beach grasses, located along coastal lines, moving inland towards lowland tropical rainforest (LTF), and ending with mountaintops’ alpine forests (Table I) (Nicholls, 2004). PNG’s lowland tropical rainforest dominates large portions of the country’s landscape, and it is considered to be the richest region in biodiversity, timber, and minerals (Swartzendruber, 1993). This latter notion has resulted in a profound-reciprocal-bond that continues to exist between the Papuan people and their surrounding environment in general, and specifically biologically rich lowland forest formations. This Papuan rainforest is divergent in appearance, and it extends from areas below 500-1000 meters to reach 3000 m. above see level, where it receives rainfalls that range between 2500 and 3500 mm per annum (Schaffer, 2012). Additionally, the forest’s canopy trees tend to have straight trunks, and extend over large areas, with heights ranging between 50 and 25 m (Schaffer, 2012). At lower altitudes, thin topsoil formations are abundant, which favor buttress root trees to evolve and dictate the forests’ ecosystem (Schaffer, 2012).
The Disappearing Rainforests Conserving the rainforest is a global issue of great importance. Tropical rainforests provide a habitat for animals, a unique ecosystem for vegetation, and an abundance of resources for humans, yet they are being destroyed at an astonishing rate. Experts estimate that if these endangered territories continue to be consumed in this manner, no more will be standing in forty years (Rainforest). Examining the social, environmental, and economic costs of the continued destruction of the Earth's tropical rainforests will prove that deforestation for short-term profit is ultimately not viable.
Shah, Anup. Loss of Biodiversity and Extinctions. Global Issues, 19 Jan. 2014. Web. 19 May 2014.