SUMMARY OF BIOLOGICAL AND SOCIOLOGICAL RESEARCH CARRIED OUT BY OPERATION WALLACEA IN THE FOREST OF CENTRAL BUTON Edited by Adrian Seymour Operation Wallacea 2006 Introduction ................................................................................................................................ 4 Study sites .................................................................................................................................. 5 Anthropogenic disturbance at sampling sites......................................................................... 5 Botanical Studies........................................................................................................................ 7 Taxonomy of Trees and Growth Rates of Rattans in the Lambusango Forest ...................... 7 Introduction ........................................................................................................................ 7 Methods.............................................................................................................................. 7 Preliminary Results ............................................................................................................ 7 Conclusions ........................................................................................................................ 7 Rattan community composition ........................................................................................... 10 Introduction ...................................................................................................................... 10 Method ............................................................................................................................. 10 Results .............................................................................................................................. 12 Acknowledgements .......................................................................................................... 14 References ........................................................................................................................ 14 Fauna – Single Species Studies................................................................................................ 15 Ecology of the Malay civet Viverra tangalunga in the Lambusango Forest Reserve .......... 15 Introduction ...................................................................................................................... 15 Methods............................................................................................................................ 16 Results .............................................................................................................................. 17 References ........................................................................................................................ 19 Estimating anoa abundance.................................................................................................. 21 Methods............................................................................................................................ 21 Results .............................................................................................................................. 21 Behaviour and human conflict of Buton Macaques............................................................. 22 Introduction ...................................................................................................................... 22 Objectives......................................................................................................................... 25 Methods............................................................................................................................ 25 Results .............................................................................................................................. 27 References ........................................................................................................................ 35 Estimating abundance and key habitat requirements of tarsiers Tarsius spectrum in the Lambusango forest ............................................................................................................... 39 Introduction ...................................................................................................................... 39 Method ............................................................................................................................. 39 Results .............................................................................................................................. 40 Management Recomendations ......................................................................................... 42 Fauna – Community studies..................................................................................................... 43 Characterisation of diversity and assemblage composition of the bats on Buton................ 43 Introduction ...................................................................................................................... 43 Methods............................................................................................................................ 43 Results .............................................................................................................................. 44 Discussion ........................................................................................................................ 44 Management recommendations........................................................................................ 45 References ........................................................................................................................ 45 Habitat relationships of herpetofauna assemblages across a habitat disturbance gradient .. 47 Introduction ...................................................................................................................... 47 Methods............................................................................................................................ 47 Results .............................................................................................................................. 47 References ........................................................................................................................ 47 The distribution and abundance of murid rodents along a 3 km transect in the Lambusango forest..................................................................................................................................... 49 Introduction ...................................................................................................................... 49 Methods............................................................................................................................ 51 Preliminary Results and Discussion................................................................................. 54 References ........................................................................................................................ 57 Patterns of Bird Communities in Lambusango Forest ......................................................... 58 Introduction ...................................................................................................................... 58 Methods............................................................................................................................ 58 Preliminary Results .......................................................................................................... 59 References ........................................................................................................................ 61 Patterns of Butterfly Communities in Lambusango Forest.................................................. 63 Introduction ...................................................................................................................... 63 Methods............................................................................................................................ 63 Results and Discussion..................................................................................................... 64 References ........................................................................................................................ 65 Sociological Studies ................................................................................................................. 69 Use of forest products by local communities ....................................................................... 69 Introduction ...................................................................................................................... 69 Method ............................................................................................................................. 69 Results .............................................................................................................................. 70 References ........................................................................................................................ 71 Conservation Issues and Reccomendations.............................................................................. 72 Introduction This report contains a summary of the biological and sociological research carried out on Buton Island by Operation Wallacea