Vertical Space Use and Vegetation Characteristics of Reintroduced Orangutan Activities in the Jantho Nature Reserve

Abstract

Orangutans are a wild animal species that is threatened with extinction, so the IUCN has designated its conservation status as Critical Endangered and Appendix I in CITES. The Indonesian government has also designated the Sumatran orangutan as a protected animal. Jantho Nature Reserve (JNR) is one of the conservation areas that is used as a place for orangutan reintroduction. This area is also an important habitat for seven other primate animals. On the other hand, reintroduced orangutans are arboreal animals that have become accustomed to the human environment. They do not know the types of trees that source their food, and the predators that endanger them. This will be a threat to the sustainability of reintroduced orangutans in the area. This research is important to carry out because there is still very little information regarding the use of vertical space in the daily movements of reintroduced orangutans, and there is no information about the daily movements of reintroduced orangutans in the JNR area. This research aims to obtain initial data on the daily movement patterns of reintroduced orangutans in utilizing vertical space to obtain food sources. The transect route is a method used to obtain data on the movement of reintroduced orangutans. A total of 5 line transects were used to collect data by following the reintroduced orangutans and recording each canopy height used by the orangutans for activities. The data obtained was made in tabulated form and analyzed descriptively. The research results showed that reintroduced orangutans used vertical space at a height of 1 – 29 m. This height level was different for the four reintroduced orangutans observed. molikha has higher activity at a height of 1 – 10 m. Poni activity is highest at a height of 10 – 19 m. Cut keke and asokha use higher vertical space at a height of 20 -30 m. A total of 34 trees were used as reintroduced orangutans as activity sites, with tree heights of 1 – 30 m and trunk diameters of 1 – 200 cm. Vegetation connectivity is still connected between vegetation.