Terrestrial mammal community richness and temporal overlap between tigers and other carnivores in Bukit Barisan Selatan National Park, Sumatra

M L Allen,M C Sibarani,L Utoyo,M Krofel

doi:10.32800/abc.2020.43.0097

Abstract

Rapid and widespread biodiversity losses around the world make it important to survey and monitor endangered species, especially in biodiversity hotspots. Bukit Barisan Selatan National Park (BBSNP) is one of the largest conserved areas on the island of Sumatra, and is important for the conservation of many threatened species. Sumatran tigers (Panthera tigris sumatrae) are critically endangered and serve as an umbrella species for conservation, but may also affect the activity and distribution of other carnivores. We deployed camera traps for 8 years in an area of Bukit Barisan Selatan National Park (BBSNP) with little human activity to document the local terrestrial mammal community and investigate tiger spatial and temporal overlap with other carnivore species. We detected 39 mammal species including Sumatran tiger and several other threatened mammals. Annual species richness averaged 21.5 (range 19–24) mammals, and remained stable over time. The mammal order significantly affected annual detection of species and the number of cameras where a species was detected, while species conservation status did not. Tigers exhibited a diurnal activity pattern, and had the highest temporal overlap with marbled cats (Pardofelis marmorata), dholes (Cuon alpinus), and Malayan sun bears (Helarctos malayanus), but little overlap with other carnivores. These findings suggest that some smaller carnivores might be adjusting temporal activity to avoid tigers or mesocarnivores. The stable trends in richness of terrestrial mammal species show that BBSNP remains an important hotspot for the conservation of biodiversity.

Highlights

The effects of humans are widespread and in the past centuries have led to historically high rates of extinction around the world (Pimm et al, 1995; Chapin et al, 1998)
The effects of humans are often strongest on carnivores (Ripple et al, 2014), which occupy high trophic levels and structure ecosystems and community composition through predation and other interspecific interactions (Estes and Palmisano, 1974; McLaren and Peterson, 1994)
Carnivores act as umbrella species as they require large areas for viable populations and through their preservation protect the habitat of many other co–occurring species (Sibarani et al, 2019)

Summary

Introduction

The effects of humans are widespread and in the past centuries have led to historically high rates of extinction around the world (Pimm et al, 1995; Chapin et al, 1998). In order to guide effective conservation efforts to address biodiversity loss it is important to survey and monitor endangered species and the biodiversity in crucial areas for conservation, such as large protected areas in biodiversity hotspots (Johnson et al, 2009; Gopal et al, 2010). The effects of humans are often strongest on carnivores (Ripple et al, 2014), which occupy high trophic levels and structure ecosystems and community composition through predation and other interspecific interactions (Estes and Palmisano, 1974; McLaren and Peterson, 1994). Surveys of carnivores are important, when they are threatened or endangered, and surveys via camera trap allow for surveying a diversity of other species

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