The critical role of natural forest as refugium for generalist species in oil palm-dominated landscapes.

In Borneo, oil palm plantations have replaced much of natural resources, where generalist species tend to be the principal beneficiaries, due to the abundant food provided by oil palm plantations. Here, we analyse the distribution of the Asian water monitor lizard (Varanus salvator) population withi...

Descripción completa

Guardado en:

Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores principales:	Sergio Guerrero-Sanchez, Benoit Goossens, Silvester Saimin, Pablo Orozco-terWengel
Formato:	article
Lenguaje:	EN
Publicado:	Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2021
Materias:	Medicine R Science Q
Acceso en línea:	https://doaj.org/article/25b075411a804cf1b6b3c19bf8240b5f
Etiquetas:	Agregar Etiqueta Sin Etiquetas, Sea el primero en etiquetar este registro!

id	oai:doaj.org-article:25b075411a804cf1b6b3c19bf8240b5f
record_format	dspace
spelling	oai:doaj.org-article:25b075411a804cf1b6b3c19bf8240b5f2021-12-02T20:17:18ZThe critical role of natural forest as refugium for generalist species in oil palm-dominated landscapes.1932-620310.1371/journal.pone.0257814https://doaj.org/article/25b075411a804cf1b6b3c19bf8240b5f2021-01-01T00:00:00Zhttps://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0257814https://doaj.org/toc/1932-6203In Borneo, oil palm plantations have replaced much of natural resources, where generalist species tend to be the principal beneficiaries, due to the abundant food provided by oil palm plantations. Here, we analyse the distribution of the Asian water monitor lizard (Varanus salvator) population within an oil palm-dominated landscape in the Kinabatangan floodplain, Malaysian Borneo. By using mark-recapture methods we estimated its population size, survival, and growth in forest and plantation habitats. We compared body measurements (i.e. body weight and body length) of individuals living in forest and oil palm habitats as proxy for the population's health status, and used general least squares estimation models to evaluate its response to highly fragmented landscapes in the absence of intensive hunting pressures. Contrary to previous studies, the abundance of lizards was higher in the forest than in oil palm plantations. Recruitment rates were also higher in the forest, suggesting that these areas may function as a source of new individuals into the landscape. While there were no morphometric differences among plantation sites, we found significant differences among forested areas, where larger lizards were found inhabiting forest adjacent to oil palm plantations. Although abundant in food resources, the limited availability of refugia in oil palm plantations may intensify intra-specific encounters and competition, altering the body size distribution in plantation populations, contrary to what happens in the forest. We conclude that large patches of forest, around and within oil palm plantations, are essential for the dynamics of the monitor lizard population in the Kinabatangan floodplain, as well as a potential source of individuals to the landscape. We recommend assessing this effect in other generalist species, as well as the impact on the prey communities, especially to reinforce the establishment of buffer zones and corridors as a conservation strategy within plantations.Sergio Guerrero-SanchezBenoit GoossensSilvester SaiminPablo Orozco-terWengelPublic Library of Science (PLoS)articleMedicineRScienceQENPLoS ONE, Vol 16, Iss 10, p e0257814 (2021)
institution	DOAJ
collection	DOAJ
language	EN
topic	Medicine R Science Q
spellingShingle	Medicine R Science Q Sergio Guerrero-Sanchez Benoit Goossens Silvester Saimin Pablo Orozco-terWengel The critical role of natural forest as refugium for generalist species in oil palm-dominated landscapes.
description	In Borneo, oil palm plantations have replaced much of natural resources, where generalist species tend to be the principal beneficiaries, due to the abundant food provided by oil palm plantations. Here, we analyse the distribution of the Asian water monitor lizard (Varanus salvator) population within an oil palm-dominated landscape in the Kinabatangan floodplain, Malaysian Borneo. By using mark-recapture methods we estimated its population size, survival, and growth in forest and plantation habitats. We compared body measurements (i.e. body weight and body length) of individuals living in forest and oil palm habitats as proxy for the population's health status, and used general least squares estimation models to evaluate its response to highly fragmented landscapes in the absence of intensive hunting pressures. Contrary to previous studies, the abundance of lizards was higher in the forest than in oil palm plantations. Recruitment rates were also higher in the forest, suggesting that these areas may function as a source of new individuals into the landscape. While there were no morphometric differences among plantation sites, we found significant differences among forested areas, where larger lizards were found inhabiting forest adjacent to oil palm plantations. Although abundant in food resources, the limited availability of refugia in oil palm plantations may intensify intra-specific encounters and competition, altering the body size distribution in plantation populations, contrary to what happens in the forest. We conclude that large patches of forest, around and within oil palm plantations, are essential for the dynamics of the monitor lizard population in the Kinabatangan floodplain, as well as a potential source of individuals to the landscape. We recommend assessing this effect in other generalist species, as well as the impact on the prey communities, especially to reinforce the establishment of buffer zones and corridors as a conservation strategy within plantations.
format	article
author	Sergio Guerrero-Sanchez Benoit Goossens Silvester Saimin Pablo Orozco-terWengel
author_facet	Sergio Guerrero-Sanchez Benoit Goossens Silvester Saimin Pablo Orozco-terWengel
author_sort	Sergio Guerrero-Sanchez
title	The critical role of natural forest as refugium for generalist species in oil palm-dominated landscapes.
title_short	The critical role of natural forest as refugium for generalist species in oil palm-dominated landscapes.
title_full	The critical role of natural forest as refugium for generalist species in oil palm-dominated landscapes.
title_fullStr	The critical role of natural forest as refugium for generalist species in oil palm-dominated landscapes.
title_full_unstemmed	The critical role of natural forest as refugium for generalist species in oil palm-dominated landscapes.
title_sort	critical role of natural forest as refugium for generalist species in oil palm-dominated landscapes.
publisher	Public Library of Science (PLoS)
publishDate	2021
url	https://doaj.org/article/25b075411a804cf1b6b3c19bf8240b5f
work_keys_str_mv	AT sergioguerrerosanchez thecriticalroleofnaturalforestasrefugiumforgeneralistspeciesinoilpalmdominatedlandscapes AT benoitgoossens thecriticalroleofnaturalforestasrefugiumforgeneralistspeciesinoilpalmdominatedlandscapes AT silvestersaimin thecriticalroleofnaturalforestasrefugiumforgeneralistspeciesinoilpalmdominatedlandscapes AT pabloorozcoterwengel thecriticalroleofnaturalforestasrefugiumforgeneralistspeciesinoilpalmdominatedlandscapes AT sergioguerrerosanchez criticalroleofnaturalforestasrefugiumforgeneralistspeciesinoilpalmdominatedlandscapes AT benoitgoossens criticalroleofnaturalforestasrefugiumforgeneralistspeciesinoilpalmdominatedlandscapes AT silvestersaimin criticalroleofnaturalforestasrefugiumforgeneralistspeciesinoilpalmdominatedlandscapes AT pabloorozcoterwengel criticalroleofnaturalforestasrefugiumforgeneralistspeciesinoilpalmdominatedlandscapes
_version_	1718374393946570752

The critical role of natural forest as refugium for generalist species in oil palm-dominated landscapes.

Ejemplares similares