First open access ensemble climate envelope predictions of Assamese macaque Macaca assamensis in Asia: a new role model and assessment of endangered species

Species distribution models are a key component for understanding a species’ potential occurrence, specifically in vastly undersampled landscapes. The current species distribution data for the Assamese macaque Macaca assamensis are outdated, but suggest a patchy distribution in moist broadleaved forests in South and Southeast Asia. Therefore, in this study, we used a species distribution model to explore the potential climatic niche of this species and assess its distribution and potential barriers in 12 South and Southeast Asian countries. We combined primary and secondary species occurrence records from different countries. We applied Classification and Regression Tree (CART), TreeNet (boosting), RandomForest (bagging) and Maximum Entropy (MaxEnt) machine-learning algorithms with elevation as well as 19 bioclimatic variables for the first ensemble predictions ever completed for this species. Our results suggested that the predicted distribution of the Assamese macaque is strongly associated with precipitation of warmest quarter (BIO18), temperature annual range (BIO7) and temperature seasonality (BIO4). Our prediction shows a continuous potential climatic niche of the species from east of the Kaligandaki River in Nepal to Lao People’s Democratic Republic. There are also potential niche patches in Bhutan, Southeast China, Thailand and Cambodia, while Pakistan and Afghanistan have no potential niche for the species. We believe that our workflow presents a new conservation-oriented open access research template to progress empirical primate conservation worldwide

Tropical field stations yield high conservation return on investment

Conservation funding is currently limited; cost‐effective conservation solutions are essential. We suggest that the thousands of field stations worldwide can play key roles at the frontline of biodiversity conservation and have high intrinsic value. We assessed field stations’ conservation return on investment and explored the impact of COVID‐19. We surveyed leaders of field stations across tropical regions that host primate research; 157 field stations in 56 countries responded. Respondents reported improved habitat quality and reduced hunting rates at over 80% of field stations and lower operational costs per km 2 than protected areas, yet half of those surveyed have less funding now than in 2019. Spatial analyses support field station presence as reducing deforestation. These “earth observatories” provide a high return on investment; we advocate for increased support of field station programs and for governments to support their vital conservation efforts by investing accordingly

Vers la conservation intégrée des gibbons à favoris blancs

Le gibbon à favoris blanc du Nord (Nomascus leucogenys) est un des 25 primates les plus menacés au monde, classé en danger critique d’extinction sur la liste rouge de l’IUCN. Il fait face, partout dans son aire de répartition au braconnage, à la déforestation et au marché illégal d’animaux de compagnie. Depuis 2013, Projet Anoulak, organisation non gouvernementale basée au Laos, dans la réserve de Nakai Nam theun, étudie une des plus grandes populations de gibbons à favoris blancs. Les premiers résultats de recensements effectués depuis un an montrent une forte densité de gibbons avec près de 4 individus au km², selon les méthodes de recensement utilisées. En parallèle, en Europe, la population captive de Nomascus leucogenys est en augmentation constante et représente au niveau mondial une source de sensibilisation à la protection des gibbons et d’éducation environnementale majeure. Sa gestion, via le Programme Européen d’Elevage (EEP), a levé des questions d’écologie auxquelles les recherches menées par Projet Anoulak peuvent  répondre. Les parcs présentant des gibbons Nomascus sont appelés à soutenir financièrement en priorité projet Anoulak qui est ainsi devenu depuis 2014 un projet EEP, reconnu par le Gibbon TAG. Les échanges d’informations et de moyens permettant la gestion et la protection à long terme de population ex situ et de population in situ de gibbon constituent les premiers pas vers la conservation intégrée de cette espèce

Camera-trapping reveals new insights in the ecology of three sympatric muntjacs in an overhunted biodiversity hotspot

The Annamites ecoregion harbors exceptional levels of species richness and endemism, but intensive snaring has decimated populations of terrestrial mammals. Ungulates, such as muntjacs, are susceptible to snaring, and in need of effective conservation action. At least three muntjacs occur sympatrically in the region: the Annamite dark muntjac species complex Muntiacus rooseveltorum/truongsonensis, the northern red muntjac Muntiacus vaginalis, and the large-antlered muntjac Muntiacus vuquangensis. We conducted a landscape-scale systematic camera-trapping survey in Nakai-Nam Theun National Park to gather information on the ecology and distribution of these muntjacs. We analyzed camera-trap records within an occupancy framework to evaluate responses to environmental and anthropogenic variables, and to predict distributions across the protected area. We found varying responses to the covariates, indicating complex drivers of occurrence, though all three muntjac had higher occupancies in more inaccessible areas. Mean (95%) PAO in the protected area was higher for large-antlered muntjac (0.33 [0.22–0.49]), followed by Annamite dark muntjac (0.28 [0.18–0.39]), and then northern red muntjac (0.27 [0.15–0.42]). Large-antlered muntjac and northern red muntjac were widespread, while dark muntjac was restricted to a single high elevation area. Overall, our results provide new insights into muntjac ecology, distribution, and population status, and we discuss how this information can be used to inform conservation efforts. Given the high occupancies that we found for the Critically Endangered large-antlered muntjac, we argue that Nakai-Nam Theun National Park may be vital for the long-term survival of the species

Tropical field stations yield high conservation return on investment

Conservation funding is currently limited; cost-effective conservation solutions are essential. We suggest that the thousands of field stations worldwide can play key roles at the frontline of biodiversity conservation and have high intrinsic value. We assessed field stations’ conservation return on investment and explored the impact of COVID-19. We surveyed leaders of field stations across tropical regions that host primate research; 157 field stations in 56 countries responded. Respondents reported improved habitat quality and reduced hunting rates at over 80% of field stations and lower operational costs per km2 than protected areas, yet half of those surveyed have less funding now than in 2019. Spatial analyses support field station presence as reducing deforestation. These ‘earth observatories’ provide a high return on investment; we advocate for increased support of field station programs and for governments to support their vital conservation efforts by investing accordingly