Reforestation could bring native mammal species back in the tropical highlands
The rapid conversion of highland forests into agricultural areas has caused deforestation in Peninsular Malaysia. Since 2017, in the Cameron Highlands, the Forestry Department of Peninsular Malaysia has reforested degraded highland areas by planting native tree species. To date, little is known abou...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
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Springer
2023
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| Online Access: | http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/103019/ |
| _version_ | 1848863919551021056 |
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| author | Wahdaniyah, Siti Khalidah, Ku Noor Sabar, Nabilah Hamidah Kamarudin, Norizah Sanusi, Ruzana Razi, Norhisham Ahmad Lechner, Alex M. Azhar, Badrul |
| author_facet | Wahdaniyah, Siti Khalidah, Ku Noor Sabar, Nabilah Hamidah Kamarudin, Norizah Sanusi, Ruzana Razi, Norhisham Ahmad Lechner, Alex M. Azhar, Badrul |
| author_sort | Wahdaniyah, Siti |
| building | UPM Institutional Repository |
| collection | Online Access |
| description | The rapid conversion of highland forests into agricultural areas has caused deforestation in Peninsular Malaysia. Since 2017, in the Cameron Highlands, the Forestry Department of Peninsular Malaysia has reforested degraded highland areas by planting native tree species. To date, little is known about the effect of highland reforestation on wild mammals in the region. This study aimed to examine the relationship between mammal detections and habitat variables in the reforested areas that previously had been coverted into intensively managed vegetable farms (for at least 10 years), using camera trapping over four forest reserves. Seven wild mammal species were detected across the study area, including conservation priority species such as the Sumatran serow (Capricornis sumatrensis), the otter civet (Cynogale bennettii), and the Asian golden cat (Catopuma temminckii). The wild boar (Sus scrofa) had the highest detection and leopard cat (Prionailurus bengalensis) was the most common carnivorous species at almost all of the study sites. Eight predictor variables determined mammal detection numbers in the highland reforestation areas. Mammal detections increased with elevation, sapling abundance, and number of trees with a DBH above 5 cm. While, detection numbers decreased with the number of fallen trees, palm abundance, and undergrowth coverage. Mammal detections varied with forest reserves and sampling months. Continuous monitoring is vital to understand long term trends in reforestation on wild mammal communities in highland areas, however, the outcome of our study is very promising and suggests reforestation could help reverse defaunation of highland forests in Peninsular Malaysia. |
| first_indexed | 2025-11-15T13:40:34Z |
| format | Article |
| id | upm-103019 |
| institution | Universiti Putra Malaysia |
| institution_category | Local University |
| last_indexed | 2025-11-15T13:40:34Z |
| publishDate | 2023 |
| publisher | Springer |
| recordtype | eprints |
| repository_type | Digital Repository |
| spelling | upm-1030192024-06-30T07:17:33Z http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/103019/ Reforestation could bring native mammal species back in the tropical highlands Wahdaniyah, Siti Khalidah, Ku Noor Sabar, Nabilah Hamidah Kamarudin, Norizah Sanusi, Ruzana Razi, Norhisham Ahmad Lechner, Alex M. Azhar, Badrul The rapid conversion of highland forests into agricultural areas has caused deforestation in Peninsular Malaysia. Since 2017, in the Cameron Highlands, the Forestry Department of Peninsular Malaysia has reforested degraded highland areas by planting native tree species. To date, little is known about the effect of highland reforestation on wild mammals in the region. This study aimed to examine the relationship between mammal detections and habitat variables in the reforested areas that previously had been coverted into intensively managed vegetable farms (for at least 10 years), using camera trapping over four forest reserves. Seven wild mammal species were detected across the study area, including conservation priority species such as the Sumatran serow (Capricornis sumatrensis), the otter civet (Cynogale bennettii), and the Asian golden cat (Catopuma temminckii). The wild boar (Sus scrofa) had the highest detection and leopard cat (Prionailurus bengalensis) was the most common carnivorous species at almost all of the study sites. Eight predictor variables determined mammal detection numbers in the highland reforestation areas. Mammal detections increased with elevation, sapling abundance, and number of trees with a DBH above 5 cm. While, detection numbers decreased with the number of fallen trees, palm abundance, and undergrowth coverage. Mammal detections varied with forest reserves and sampling months. Continuous monitoring is vital to understand long term trends in reforestation on wild mammal communities in highland areas, however, the outcome of our study is very promising and suggests reforestation could help reverse defaunation of highland forests in Peninsular Malaysia. Springer 2023 Article PeerReviewed Wahdaniyah, Siti and Khalidah, Ku Noor and Sabar, Nabilah Hamidah and Kamarudin, Norizah and Sanusi, Ruzana and Razi, Norhisham Ahmad and Lechner, Alex M. and Azhar, Badrul (2023) Reforestation could bring native mammal species back in the tropical highlands. Tropical Ecology, 64 (2). pp. 380-390. ISSN 0564-3295; ESSN: 2661-8982 https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s42965-022-00253-x?error=cookies_not_supported&code=098064e9-34b3-4d25-8df1-529645705e1f 10.1007/s42965-022-00253-x |
| spellingShingle | Wahdaniyah, Siti Khalidah, Ku Noor Sabar, Nabilah Hamidah Kamarudin, Norizah Sanusi, Ruzana Razi, Norhisham Ahmad Lechner, Alex M. Azhar, Badrul Reforestation could bring native mammal species back in the tropical highlands |
| title | Reforestation could bring native mammal species back in the tropical highlands |
| title_full | Reforestation could bring native mammal species back in the tropical highlands |
| title_fullStr | Reforestation could bring native mammal species back in the tropical highlands |
| title_full_unstemmed | Reforestation could bring native mammal species back in the tropical highlands |
| title_short | Reforestation could bring native mammal species back in the tropical highlands |
| title_sort | reforestation could bring native mammal species back in the tropical highlands |
| url | http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/103019/ http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/103019/ http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/103019/ |