ID :
143376
Thu, 09/23/2010 - 17:32
Auther :

SUSTAINABLY LOGGED FORESTS CAN STILL SERVE AS ORANG UTAN HABITATS



SANDAKAN (Sabah, Malaysia), Sept 23 (Bernama) -- Researchers in Indonesia and
Malaysia have found that some forests which are sustainably logged can still
serve as habitats for orang utans.

The studies done in the Indonesian province of East Kalimantan and in East
Malaysia state of Sabah were recently published in the PLoS ONE journal.

Lead author Dr Erik Meijaard of People and Nature Consulting International said
this was important news for orang utan conservation as the iconic species was
highly endangered with extinction in the wild.

"Their native habitats in Indonesia and Malaysia have reduced in size and are
fragmented, and hunting for this ape continues in many parts of their habitats.

"With 75 per cent of all remaining orang utans occurring outside protected
areas, the species will somehow have to be managed in a multitude of different
areas like timber concessions, plantations and forest corridors that allow orang
utans to migrate through these areas," Meijaard said in a statement, here,
Thursday.

Meijaard, however, warned against over-simplifying the message from the two
studies, as well-protected forests are still the best option for general
biodiversity conservation.

He said new understanding from the studies helped conservationists to work with
government authorities to optimally design land use outside protected areas to
support conservation and development objectives.

Dr Marc Ancrenaz of Sabah-based French non-governmental organisation HUTAN is
one of the co-authors o the paper.

Sabah Wildlife Department director Dr Laurentius Ambu said the findings of the
studies had given his department better tools to design landscapes consisting of
protected core areas, forest corridors, timber concessions and plantations.

"As the de facto guardians of the orang utans and Borneo Pygmy elephants, such
vital scientific data allow us to design management plans for wildlife in a
manner that would contribute to their survival," he said.
-- BERNAMA




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