มนูญ ปลิวสูงเนิน. Density Estimate and Habitat Use by Bengal Slow Loris (Nycticebus bengalensis). Master's Degree(Natural Resources Management). King Mongkut's University of Technology Thonburi. KMUTT Library.. : King Mongkut's University of Technology Thonburi, 2009.
Density Estimate and Habitat Use by Bengal Slow Loris (Nycticebus bengalensis)
Abstract:
The global extent of planted forests has greatly increased in the tropics, but their
conservation value while assumed to be low, is largely unknown. We estimated the
population density and micro-habitat selection of a nocturnal arboreal primate,
Bengal slow loris (Nycticebus bengalensis) in largely undisturbed pnmary
evergreen tropical forest with 15-18 years old Acacia/ Leucaena plantations with
significant secondary regrowth, less than 15 years old plantations with little
regrowth, and open habitat. Encounter rates were three times higher in the older
plantations than the primary forest. However, based on distance sampling,
abundances of loris in these habitat types appeared to be similar, 4.26 loriseslkm2 in
older plantation and 4.0 loriseslkm2 in primary forest, due to differences in the ease
of detection in the structurally different habitats. Density of slow loris in plantation
and open habitats were fairly similar, lower than others. Loris tended to select sites
with less number of low density or loose crowns while used trees tended to be larger
and taller, with a greater crown depth than randomly selected trees. Though older
plantations had lower basal area and shorter trunks than the primary forest, this
habitat type contained higher densities of Bauhinia lianas, a commonly eaten food
source and one potential competitor, the Red giant flying squirrel (Petaurista
petaurista) was absent. While it is unknown whether the Bengal slow loris would
persist without the presence of primarily forest in the landscape, we suggest that
older plantations may have some conservation value as shown elsewhere for at least
for selected species and as such could be better managed to increase their value.