Modelling the distribution of the proboscis monkey (Nasalis larvatus) in Sabah (Borneo) based on remotely sensed high-resolution global cloud dynamics

Proboscis monkeys, Nasalis larvatus (Wurmb, 1787), are indigenous to the island of Borneo and are considered one of its most emblematic species. Today the conservation status of this primate is classified as Endangered on the IUCN Red List and listed under Appendix I of CITES, prohibiting all international commercial trade. In the Malaysian state of Sabah, the species is listed as totally protected and cannot be hunted. Continuing studies suggest that the number of proboscis monkeys has been decreasing in recent years. These studies have identified various factors contributing to this decline... Mehr ...

Verfasser: Volodymyr Tytar
Iryna Kozynenko
Michael Navakatikyan
Dokumenttyp: Artikel
Erscheinungsdatum: 2024
Reihe/Periodikum: Theriologia Ukrainica, Vol 27, Pp 103-111 (2024)
Verlag/Hrsg.: National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine. National Museum of Natural History
Schlagwörter: proboscis monkeys / sabah / species distribution modelling / maxent / cloud dynamics / Zoology / QL1-991
Sprache: Englisch
Ukrainian
Permalink: https://search.fid-benelux.de/Record/base-29234202
Datenquelle: BASE; Originalkatalog
Powered By: BASE
Link(s) : https://doi.org/10.53452/TU2711

Proboscis monkeys, Nasalis larvatus (Wurmb, 1787), are indigenous to the island of Borneo and are considered one of its most emblematic species. Today the conservation status of this primate is classified as Endangered on the IUCN Red List and listed under Appendix I of CITES, prohibiting all international commercial trade. In the Malaysian state of Sabah, the species is listed as totally protected and cannot be hunted. Continuing studies suggest that the number of proboscis monkeys has been decreasing in recent years. These studies have identified various factors contributing to this decline and its potential consequences. In order to carry out a thorough assessment of the conservation status of the species it is essential to have a good understanding of the animal’s ecology and habitat requirements and to use research-based approaches. One of such are species distribution models (SDMs), which in recent decades have become widely used tools in ecology by relating species occurrences to environmental data to gain ecological insights. In this work, we specifically evaluated the effect of environmental parameters such as cloud cover to predict the potential distribution of the proboscis monkey in Sabah. Cloud cover, a seemingly simple atmospheric phenomenon, exerts a profound influence on a wide range of ecological biological processes, yet the assessment of its importance has remained remarkably limited. For modelling purposes the ‘flexsdm’ R (v. 3.3.3) modelling package was employed for testing out the Maximum entropy (Maxent) algorithm, one of the most widely used SDM modelling methods. Model evaluation gave satisfactory results and the resulting model found a high level of suitability for proboscis monkeys in nearshore areas. A concerning discovery is that perhaps less than 13% of Sabah’s area is suitable habitat for proboscis monkeys, raising questions about their long-term viability. Cloud cover, particularly average annual cloudiness, is a key environmental factor influencing the distribution of proboscis ...