Distribution, ecology and systematics of Presbytis hosei and other leaf monkey species in North Borneo

This eighteen-month study focuses on the distribution, ecology and systematics of leaf monkey species especially P. hosei in Sarawak. This is the first detailed study ever conducted on the nominotypical P. hosei. The range of distribution of leaf monkeys has shrunk because of habitat destruction and hunting. P. chrysomelas and P. hosei are extinct in Niah, Lambir Hills and many other areas. The occurrence of P. chrysomelas in Similajau and P. frontata in Mukah is unknown. P. hosei now occurs in fragmented populations in isolated forest patches in Bukit Nakan, Mt. Dulit, Sg. Dapui, Upper Baram, Usun Apau, and perhaps Lower Tinjar. P. rubicunda is reported on Mt. Dulit but its status in Upper Baram is unknown. Ecological data of P. hosei was collected in Sg. Unin and Sg. Dapui. P. hosei lives in groups of six to eight and eats mainly young leaves and unripe seeds. At Sg. Unin, P. hosei groups share the same home ranges due to the forest type; which is patchy because of logging, and suffers from rampant hunting, and has no major river. At Sg. Dapui, different groups inhabit different home ranges; here, a big river runs through the area with smaller tributaries creating natural boundaries, the forest area is bigger in size and there is lower level of habitat disturbance and hunting. P. hosei and rubicunda are sympatric on Mt. Dulit. Four different types of P. hosei calls were identified: loud call, inquisitive/warning call, alarm/flee call and intimate call. The loud call (male) has up to 33 audible exhalation sounds (>2 sec.) and a peak frequency of 2000-3000 Hz and 4-6 sub-units of calls. There are marked differences between the loud calls of P. hosei and P. sabana. Among the 'P. hosei group', there are significant differences in cranial characteristics, pelage colour and molecular phylogenetics but there are no differences between P. hosei and the putative P. everetti which should be considered as the female form of P. hosei. P. hosei, P. sabana and P. canicrus should be distinguished at the species level. Without serious conservation measures, I predict that the Presbytis species in Sarawak will be extinct in the following order: P. chrysomelas (already extinct in the east of the state), followed by P. frontata, P. hosei and finally P. rubicunda

Hiding in the dark: Local ecological knowledge about slow loris in Sarawak sheds light on relationships between human populations and wild animals

Local ecological knowledge (LEK) increases understanding of certain species and the threats they face, especially little-studied taxa for which data on distribution and conservation are often lacking. We conducted 111 semi-structured interviews in Sarawak, Malaysia, to collect local knowledge about the behavior and distribution of the Philippine slow loris (Nycticebus menagensis) from two ethnic groups, the Iban and the Penan. Our study revealed that male Penan respondents, generally hunters, who frequently go into the forest were better at identifying animals from pictures. Overall, the Penan have a more detailed knowledge of slow loris behaviors, habitat, and distribution than the Iban. The two ethnic groups have different attitudes towards slow loris as the Penan hunt, eat, or keep them as pets while the Iban consider them sacred and signifiers of good luck. We advocate the use of LEK for providing complementary information to scientific methods in the study of cryptic animals

Effects of grafting on morphophysiological and yield characteristic of eggplant (Solanum melongena L.) grafted onto wild relative rootstocks

Grafting is regarded as an integral component of sustainable vegetable production. It is important in the management of soil-borne diseases, and reports suggest that grafting with viable rootstocks can enhance crop growth and yield. This research was conducted using splices and cleft grafting techniques to investigate graft compatibility among varieties of high yielding eggplant scion (MCV1, MCV2, CCV1, CCV2, CCV3, NCV, and TCV) grafted onto wild rootstocks (MWR, BWR, and TWR) to study their morphophysiological and yield characteristics. High yielding scions grafted onto wild relative rootstocks were compared with two controls including self-grafted and non-grafted. All the scion had a high rate of germination (≥95%) and remarkable graft success (100%) was recorded in MCV1, MCV2, and TCV using the cleft techniques. Generally, the use of rootstocks resulted in higher total and marketable fruit yield compared to the non-grafted and self-grafted scion plants, respectively. In particular, MWR and TWR rootstock conferred the highest vigour to the scion, resulting in the highest values recorded for total and marketable fruit yield, number of fruits per plant and average fruit weight. A similar result was obtained in fruit length and diameter, where long and wide fruits were observed in scions grafted onto MWR and TWR rootstocks, respectively. Grafting of high yielding eggplant scion onto resistant MWR, BWR and TWR eggplant rootstock was found to be beneficial for eggplant cultivation. The remarkable compatibility and vigour of the rootstock with scion led to the improvement in total and marketable yield of the fruits. As such, it can be concluded that the use of wild relative rootstocks of eggplant species can be a valuable method of improving eggplant production