Abstract
One of the available tools for mapping the geographical distribution and potential suitable habitats is species distribution models. These techniques are very helpful for finding poorly known distributions of species in poorly sampled areas, such as the tropics. Maximum Entropy (MaxEnt) is a recently developed modeling method that can be successfully calibrated using a relatively small number of records. In this research, the MaxEnt model was applied to describe the distribution and identify the key factors shaping the potential distribution of the vulnerable Malayan Sun Bear (Helarctos malayanus) in one of the main remaining habitats in Peninsular Malaysia. MaxEnt results showed that even though Malaysian sun bear habitat is tied with tropical evergreen forests, it lives in a marginal threshold of bio-climatic variables. On the other hand, current protected area networks within Peninsular Malaysia do not cover most of the sun bears potential suitable habitats. Assuming that the predicted suitability map covers sun bears actual distribution, future climate change, forest degradation and illegal hunting could potentially severely affect the sun bear’s population.
Highlights
Malayan Sun Bear (MSB) is one of a handful of species that has been classified as Data Deficient (DD) in the 1996 IUCN red list of threatened species [1] because of a lack of knowledge about its distribution, area of occupancy and population trends
The Maximum Entropy (MaxEnt) model predicted habitat suitability map of MSB based on available data sets with mean Area Under the Curve (AUC) of 0.91, which showed high discrimination capacity of the model
Management may look at the IUCN map and believe that there are large areas that probably hold MSB and so do not deem it urgent to protect some of those areas, while our research shows that these areas are considerably less and so protection of new areas is more urgent
Summary
Malayan Sun Bear (MSB) is one of a handful of species that has been classified as Data Deficient (DD) in the 1996 IUCN red list of threatened species [1] because of a lack of knowledge about its distribution, area of occupancy and population trends. MSB research and conservation efforts have been more focused on detecting and characterizing the reproductive cycle [2], population density and abundance [3], food habits and niche preferences [4,5], home range, movement and activity patterns [6], using a variety of field surveys and analytical techniques. While such studies have been useful in understanding the biology and ecology of the sun bear, they have provided limited information on habitat use and distribution. They are known to exist in Peninsular Malaysia, but there is almost no literature available on their distribution in this region
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