Are Montane Forests Demographic Sinks for Bornean White‐bearded GibbonsHylobates albibarbis?

Abstract

ABSTRACTI estimated habitat‐specific population densities for a population of Bornean white‐bearded gibbonsHylobates albibarbisinhabiting seven distinct forest types at Gunung Palung National Park, West Kalimantan, Indonesia. Population densities in montane forests (0.44 individuals/km2) were almost ten times lower than those in the next best habitat (upland granite forest; 4.2 individuals/km2) and far lower than those in lowland forest types. Demographic data on 33 gibbon groups living across the seven forest types showed that reproduction was substantially depressed in montane forests compared to high‐quality lowland habitats. A simple model suggests that montane forests are demographic sinks for gibbons at Gunung Palung. Follow‐up data from observations of montane groups 5 yr after the initial observation period support this result. As high‐quality lowland forests (source habitat for gibbons) are being disproportionately lost in and around Gunung Palung National Park due to illegal logging and conversion to oil palm plantations, an increasing percentage of the remaining forest in the park comprises sink habitat for gibbons. This result has disquieting implications for the long‐term viability of gibbon populations at Gunung Palung. In addition, as montane forests are generally low‐quality habitat for most rainforest vertebrates, and since lowland forests are being lost at alarming rates across the tropics, source‐sink population dynamics similar to those I describe here may characterize populations of other tropical vertebrate species.