Mammal species richness and community composition across a gradient of habitat disturbance in Kalabakan forest reserve, Sabah, Malaysia

• Main Author: Lee, Randall, Ken Haw
• Format: Academic Exercise
• Language: English
• Published: 2015
• Subjects: QL Zoology
• Online Access: https://eprints.ums.edu.my/id/eprint/17666/1/mammal%20species%20richness%20and%20comumunity%20composition%20across.pdf; https://eprints.ums.edu.my/id/eprint/17666/

A short term camera-trapping study was carried out within the logged forest of Kalabakan Forest Reserve within the Stability of Altered Forest Ecosystem (SAFE) experimental area located in south central part of Sabah, Malaysia. The study was performed from 16th August to 4th September 2014. Secondary camera trapping data based on a study conducted within the primary forest of Maliau Basin Conservation Area, located approximately 60km to the west of the Kalabakan FR were used as a control treatment. The objectives of the study were to determine the effects of habitat disturbance in the form of selective logging on the mammal species richness and community composition, as well as to describe the relationship between certain habitat features and the mammal species recorded in the logged forest sites using a multivariate approach. The habitat features recorded were also used to characterize the level of disturbance of the different sampling sites. Randomized camera trapping survey was conducted using 31 units of camera-traps distributed across three sampling sites within Kalabakan FR. A total camera trapping effort of 587 trap-nights was achieved during the study and has yielded 280 independent photographs of medium- to large sized mammals representing 13 species belonging to 16 genera, 13 families and five orders. The disturbance level of the three sampling sites in this study was determined to vary from each other. Sampling saturation was not achieved at all sites. However, based on extrapolated data, the number of mammal species appeared to be the highest at sampling site in Maliau. The similarity of mammal species between unlogged (Maliau) and logged (Kalabakan FR) forests was assessed to be 80%. This study shows that mammal species continued to persist in logged forest habitats and while not equivalent to areas of primary forests, regenerating secondary forests have a valuable role to play in terms of mammal species conservation.