Monitoring forest degradation and animal populations in the forests of Central Buton: preliminary results from the pilot study Edited by Adrian Seymour Operation Wallacea 2004 Contents Introduction....................................................................................................................5 Study sites ......................................................................................................................6 ‘Node camp’ sampling...............................................................................................7 Monitoring forest disturbance........................................................................................9 Introduction................................................................................................................9 Analysis of satellite images .......................................................................................9 Forest structure sampling methods ......................................................................11 Preliminary results ...............................................................................................12 Measuring disturbance to forest structure along transects.......................................13 Methods................................................................................................................13 Results..................................................................................................................14 Estimating the abundance of ‘flagship’ species...........................................................15 Estimating anoa abundance......................................................................................15 Introduction..........................................................................................................15 Methods................................................................................................................16 Results..................................................................................................................17 Assessment of Anoa Abundance .........................................................................17 Anoa Hunting in Lambusango.............................................................................18 Hunting Levels.....................................................................................................19 Vulnerable areas...................................................................................................19 Value of Anoa......................................................................................................20 Estimating Buton macaque abundance ....................................................................20 Introduction..........................................................................................................20 Methods................................................................................................................22 Results..................................................................................................................22 Discussion............................................................................................................23 Estimating tarsier abundance ...................................................................................24 Introduction..........................................................................................................24 Methods................................................................................................................25 Preliminary Results..............................................................................................26 Discussion............................................................................................................26 Assessing the ability to monitor changes in the conservation value of animal communities.................................................................................................................28 Introduction..............................................................................................................28 Estimating butterfly diversity and abundance..........................................................30 Introduction..........................................................................................................30 Methods................................................................................................................30 Results and discussion .........................................................................................32 Estimating herpetofauna diversity and abundance ..................................................34 Introduction..........................................................................................................34 Methods................................................................................................................34 Initial results.........................................................................................................35 Preliminary conclusion & discussion...................................................................37 Estimating bird diversity and abundance.................................................................40 Introduction..........................................................................................................40 Methods................................................................................................................41 Initial Results .......................................................................................................42 Recommendations................................................................................................43 Estimating stream macroinvertebrate diversity and abundance...............................44 2 Introduction..........................................................................................................44 Methods................................................................................................................45 Preliminary results ...............................................................................................47 Further comments and considerations .................................................................52 Recommendations for the GEF biological monitoring program .................................54 Studies of animals not short-listed for GEF monitoring..............................................56 Estimating the abundance and diversity of a small mammal population.................57 Introduction..........................................................................................................57 Methods................................................................................................................59 Results..................................................................................................................64 Long term monitoring of insectivorous bat species in the Kakenauwe Forest Reserve, Buton Island ..............................................................................................67 Introduction..........................................................................................................67 Methods................................................................................................................67 Preliminary results ...............................................................................................67 Insectivorous bats of the Wakatobi Islands .............................................................68 Introduction..........................................................................................................68 Methods................................................................................................................68 Preliminary results ...............................................................................................68 The ecology of the Malay civet Viverra tangalunga on Buton................................71 Introduction..........................................................................................................71 Methods................................................................................................................72 Initial results and discussion ................................................................................74 Aspects of the ecology , behaviour and conservation of the Buton Macaque Macaca ochreata brunnescens ...............................................................................................75 Introduction..........................................................................................................75 Methods................................................................................................................79 Initial Results .......................................................................................................82 Acknowledgements......................................................................................................89 References....................................................................................................................90 3 List of Figures Figure 1. The location of Operation Wallacea study grids in Central Buton.. .............6 Figure 2. Location of GEF sampling transects (solid blue lines), and access trails (dashed blue lines). ........................................................................................................7