Study Challenges Use of Charismatic Wildlife as Umbrella Species for Conservation

Picture: Rhett A. Butler/Mongabay

In an article by Mongabay, Basten Gokkon reports the findings of a new study from Indonesia’s Leuser forests on identifying the accurate “umbrella species” as a more comprehensive approach to wildlife conservation

For their study, the researchers focused on the Leuser Ecosystem, the largest remaining intact swath of tropical rainforest in Sumatra, and the only place on Earth where tigers, rhinos, orangutans and elephants are found in the same habitat. Three-quarters of the ecosystem is protected to varying degrees, including a large chunk that falls within Gunung Leuser National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The remainder, however, has experienced encroachment from agricultural expansion, road development, and human settlements.

The researchers conducted camera-trap surveys from May 2016 until August 2017 and June 2017 to March 2018 to evaluate the “umbrella performance” of eight mammal species that could be considered umbrella species: the Sumatran hog badger (Arctonyx hoevenii), mountain serow (Capricornis sumatraensis), dhole (Cuon alpinus), Sumatran rhino (Dicerorhinus sumatranus), sun bear (Helarctos malayanus), Sunda clouded leopard (Neofelis diardi), Sumatran tiger (Panthera tigris sumatrae) and sambar deer (Rusa unicolor).