Conservation of Charismatic Endangered Species in Wehea Forest, Borneo: Interplay of Ecological and Social Factors in a Community- Based Conservation Project
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Conservation of Charismatic Endangered Species in Wehea Forest, Borneo: Interplay of Ecological and Social Factors in a Community- Based Conservation Project by Brent Loken M.A., University of Colorado, 2000 B.A., Augustana College, 1994 Thesis Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the School of Resource and Environmental Management Faculty of Environment © Brent Loken 2016 SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY Spring 2016 Approval Name: Brent Loken Degree: Doctor of Philosophy Title: Conservation of Charismatic Endangered Species in Wehea Forest, Borneo: Interplay of Ecological and Social Factors in a Community-Based Conservation Project Examining Committee: Chair: Murray Rutherford Associate Professor Ken Lertzman Senior Supervisor Professor Anne Salomon Supervisor Associate Professor Martin Robards Supervisor Arctic Beringia Program Director John Reynolds Internal Examiner Professor Department of Biological Sciences Xavier Basurto External Examiner Assistant Professor Nicholas School of the Environment Duke University Date Defended/Approved: January 11, 2016 ii Ethics Statement iii Abstract Borneo is blessed with incredible biodiversity, including some of the most charismatic endangered species on the planet. Yet despite being recognized as a biodiversity hotspot, Borneo’s forests, and the biodiversity contained therein, are being lost faster than anywhere else on the planet, with the main threats from habitat loss and hunting. Given the perceived failure of protected areas on Borneo to conserve biodiversity, some NGOs are implementing community-based conservation (CBC) and believe that win-win solutions are possible since biodiversity can be protected and human welfare improved with a single approach. However, on Borneo, where local communities were marginalized and natural resource institutions eroded during the Suharto era, the appropriateness of using CBC to protect biodiversity, especially elusive and low-density species, has not been investigated. In this thesis, I aim to advance our understanding of the conservation of charismatic endangered species on Borneo by examining the interplay of ecological and social factors in conserving the Bornean clouded leopard (Neofelis diardi borneensis), Bornean orangutan (Pongo pygmaeaus morio), and Miller’s Grizzled Langur (Presbytis hosei canicrus), in Wehea Forest, East Kalimantan. I used camera trapping and spatial-capture recapture modeling to estimate density and inferred the vulnerability of each species to threats by using estimates of abundance and conclusions drawn from my camera trapping studies. To help understand critical social factors of the Wehea CBC that could compromise the long-term viability of these three species in Wehea Forest, I used insights from common-pool resource theory and drew on my experience of being immersed with the Wehea Dayak for almost 4 years. Given the specific ecological and social factors found within Wehea, I conclude that a win-win outcome may be not possible. Either the long-term viability of these species may need to be compromised for the sake of human well-being, or the current protected area will have to be maintained at the expense of poverty alleviation. Since the ecological and social factors found within Wehea may be characteristic across Borneo, we should be careful not to automatically assume that CBC is the most effective approach for protecting wide ranging and low-density charismatic endangered species. Keywords: Conservation; common-pool resource theory; community-based conservation; clouded leopard; orangutan; Miller’s Grizzled Langur; charismatic endangered species; Borneo iv Dedication I dedicate my thesis to my daughters Tora and Saga. I began this thesis from a desire to make the world a better place. During the process I was blessed to have each of you come into my life and make my world a better place. For that I am eternally thankful. v Acknowledgements I would like to thank my senior supervisor, Ken Lertzman for his initial belief in me and his unwavering support and continual guidance. I am forever grateful that we met. Thank you to Anne Salomon and Martin Robards for your support and advice. A huge thank you to my mother Judy Loken, sister Wendy Thornton and brother-in-law Allen Thornton, for your support, patience and guidance throughout this process. I am grateful to the Wehea Dayak for allowing me to conduct research in Wehea Forest. A big thank you to my dear friend, Nunuk Kasyanto. Without your support and guidance, it would have been very difficult to complete my research. A special thank you to Sheryl Gruber for your help in the field and your support and belief that completing a PhD was the right thing to do. I would like to extend my deepest appreciation to the Pierre Elliot Trudeau Foundation and Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship for your financial support and guidance. Finally, I would like to deeply thank Wehea Forest for sharing your secrets with me and allowing me to share these with the world. vi Table of Contents Approval ............................................................................................................................. ii Ethics Statement ............................................................................................................... iii Abstract ............................................................................................................................. iv Dedication .......................................................................................................................... v Acknowledgements ........................................................................................................... vi Table of Contents ............................................................................................................. vii List of Tables ...................................................................................................................... x List of Figures .................................................................................................................. xii List of Acronyms ............................................................................................................. xiii Chapter 1 Introduction .................................................................................................. 1 The contemporary conservation debate ........................................................................... 1 Conservation on Kalimantan, Borneo ............................................................................... 3 Roadmap to the thesis ...................................................................................................... 4 Context for the thesis ........................................................................................................ 7 References ........................................................................................................................ 9 Chapter 2. Discovery of Miller’s Grizzled Langur (Presbytis hosei canicrus) in Wehea Forest confirms the continued existence and extends known geographical range of an endanged primate ..................................................................................................... 15 Abstract ........................................................................................................................... 15 Introduction ..................................................................................................................... 16 Methods .......................................................................................................................... 17 Study site ............................................................................................................... 17 Data Collection ....................................................................................................... 19 Analysis .................................................................................................................. 21 Results ............................................................................................................................ 21 Discussion ....................................................................................................................... 24 Acknowledgements ......................................................................................................... 27 References ...................................................................................................................... 27 Chapter 3. Terrestriality in Bornean Orangutan (Pongo pygmaeus morio) and implications for their ecology and conservation .......................... 29 Abstract ........................................................................................................................... 29 Introduction ..................................................................................................................... 30 Methods .......................................................................................................................... 33 Study site ............................................................................................................... 33 Camera traps ......................................................................................................... 34 Camera trap analysis ............................................................................................. 35 Habitat assessment and analysis of terrestriality