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Modelling ranging behaviour of female orang-utans: a case study in Tuanan, Central Kalimantan, Indonesia

Wartmann, Flurina ; Purves, Ross ; van Schaik, Carel

In: Primates, 2010, vol. 51, no. 2, p. 119-130

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    Titre
    • Modelling ranging behaviour of female orang-utans: a case study in Tuanan, Central Kalimantan, Indonesia
    Auteur
    • Wartmann, Flurina. Geographic Information Systems, Geographical Institute, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057, Zurich, Switzerland
    • Purves, Ross. Geographic Information Systems, Geographical Institute, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057, Zurich, Switzerland
    • van Schaik, Carel. Anthropological Institute and Museum, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057, Zurich, Switzerland
    Type de document
    • Postprint
    Identifiant OAI-PMH
    • oai:doc.rero.ch:320948
    Summary
    Quantification of the spatial needs of individuals and populations is vitally important for management and conservation. Geographic information systems (GIS) have recently become important analytical tools in wildlife biology, improving our ability to understand animal movement patterns, especially when very large data sets are collected. This study aims at combining the field of GIS with primatology to model and analyse space-use patterns of wild orang-utans. Home ranges of female orang-utans in the Tuanan Mawas forest reserve in Central Kalimantan, Indonesia were modelled with kernel density estimation methods. Kernel results were compared with minimum convex polygon estimates, and were found to perform better, because they were less sensitive to sample size and produced more reliable estimates. Furthermore, daily travel paths were calculated from 970 complete follow days. Annual ranges for the resident females were approximately 200ha and remained stable over several years; total home range size was estimated to be 275ha. On average, each female shared a third of her home range with each neighbouring female. Orang-utan females in Tuanan built their night nest on average 414m away from the morning nest, whereas average daily travel path length was 777m. A significant effect of fruit availability on day path length was found. Sexually active females covered longer distances per day and may also temporarily expand their ranges