Scholarlink

<p>Asian tapirs (<i>Tapirus indicus</i>) are among Southeast Asia’s most iconic yet understudied large mammals. Despite their endangered status and ecological importance, current knowledge remains limited, particularly in the northern parts of their range. We used camera-trap bycatch data from southern Thailand’s Khlong Saeng – Khao Sok Forest Complex to estimate population abundance and density using a multinomial model with an uncertain strip width buffer for non-spatial capture-recapture data. From 91 detections, we identified a minimum of 43 individuals and estimated an abundance of 62.4 individuals (95% CrI: 49–85). This abundance corresponds to densities of 6.1 individuals/100 km<sup>2</sup> (95% CrI: 4.1–9.3) and 10.8 individuals/100 km<sup>2</sup> (95% CrI: 6.2–19.9) when applying effective sampling areas derived from estimates of mean maximum distance moved and half mean maximum distance moved, respectively. Daily detection probabilities of males (0.00038; 95% CrI: 0.00025–0.00052) were more than double that of females (0.00018; 95% CrI: 0.00010–0.00029), presumably due to sex-specific differences in space use. Tapir abundance was positively correlated with elevation, corroborating other findings from Thailand but contrasting with those from Sumatra. Tapirs were primarily nocturnal, with 88% of detections between sunset and sunrise. These findings highlight our study area’s importance as a potential tapir population stronghold and demonstrate the utility of bycatch data for studying wildlife populations. We discuss our results in the context of tapir ecology and provide recommendations for future surveys. This study enhances our understanding of this endangered species and emphasizes the need for targeted research to guide evidence-based conservation.</p>

错误：搜索内容不能为空，请输入英文关键词
错误：关键词超出字数限制，请精简
高级检索

Insights into the abundance and ecology of Asian tapirs using camera-trap bycatch data

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年1月7日

查看全文
  • Wyatt Joseph Petersen,
  • Robert Steinmetz,
  • Kriangsak Sribuarod,
  • Dusit Ngoprasert

摘要

Asian tapirs (Tapirus indicus) are among Southeast Asia’s most iconic yet understudied large mammals. Despite their endangered status and ecological importance, current knowledge remains limited, particularly in the northern parts of their range. We used camera-trap bycatch data from southern Thailand’s Khlong Saeng – Khao Sok Forest Complex to estimate population abundance and density using a multinomial model with an uncertain strip width buffer for non-spatial capture-recapture data. From 91 detections, we identified a minimum of 43 individuals and estimated an abundance of 62.4 individuals (95% CrI: 49–85). This abundance corresponds to densities of 6.1 individuals/100 km2 (95% CrI: 4.1–9.3) and 10.8 individuals/100 km2 (95% CrI: 6.2–19.9) when applying effective sampling areas derived from estimates of mean maximum distance moved and half mean maximum distance moved, respectively. Daily detection probabilities of males (0.00038; 95% CrI: 0.00025–0.00052) were more than double that of females (0.00018; 95% CrI: 0.00010–0.00029), presumably due to sex-specific differences in space use. Tapir abundance was positively correlated with elevation, corroborating other findings from Thailand but contrasting with those from Sumatra. Tapirs were primarily nocturnal, with 88% of detections between sunset and sunrise. These findings highlight our study area’s importance as a potential tapir population stronghold and demonstrate the utility of bycatch data for studying wildlife populations. We discuss our results in the context of tapir ecology and provide recommendations for future surveys. This study enhances our understanding of this endangered species and emphasizes the need for targeted research to guide evidence-based conservation.