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Wong YB, Gibbins C, Azhar B, Phan SS, Scholefield P, Azmi R, Lechner AM. Smallholder oil palm plantation sustainability assessment using multi-criteria analysis and unmanned aerial vehicles. ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING AND ASSESSMENT 2023; 195:577. [PMID: 37062786 PMCID: PMC10106354 DOI: 10.1007/s10661-023-11113-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2022] [Accepted: 03/09/2023] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
Oil palm agriculture has caused extensive land cover and land use changes that have adversely affected tropical landscapes and ecosystems. However, monitoring and assessment of oil palm plantation areas to support sustainable management is costly and labour-intensive. This study used an unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) to map smallholder farms and applied multi-criteria analysis to data generated from orthomosaics, to provide a set of sustainability indicators for the farms. Images were acquired from a UAV, with structure from motion (SfM) photogrammetry then used to produce orthomosaics and digital elevation models of the farm areas. Some of the inherent problems using high spatial resolution imagery for land cover classification were overcome by using texture analysis and geographic object-based image analysis (OBIA). Six spatially explicit environmental metrics were developed using multi-criteria analysis and used to generate sustainability indicator layers from the UAV data. The SfM and OBIA approach provided an accurate, high-resolution (~5 cm) image-based reconstruction of smallholder farm landscapes, with an overall classification accuracy of 89%. The multi-criteria analysis highlighted areas with lower sustainability values, which should be considered targets for adoption of sustainable management practices. The results of this work suggest that UAVs are a cost-effective tool for sustainability assessments of oil palm plantations, but there remains the need to plan surveys and image processing workflows carefully. Future work can build on our proposed approach, including the use of additional and/or alternative indicators developed through consultation with the oil palm industry stakeholders, to support certification schemes such as the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO).
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Affiliation(s)
- Yong Bin Wong
- School of Environmental and Geographical Sciences, University of Nottingham Malaysia, 43500, Semenyih, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Chris Gibbins
- School of Environmental and Geographical Sciences, University of Nottingham Malaysia, 43500, Semenyih, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Badrul Azhar
- Faculty of Forestry and Environment, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Su Shen Phan
- Wild Asia, No 2, Jalan Raja Abdullah, 56000, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Paul Scholefield
- Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Lancaster Environment Centre, Bailrigg, UK
| | - Reza Azmi
- Wild Asia, No 2, Jalan Raja Abdullah, 56000, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Alex M Lechner
- School of Environmental and Geographical Sciences, University of Nottingham Malaysia, 43500, Semenyih, Selangor, Malaysia.
- Monash University Indonesia, South Tangerang, 15345, Indonesia.
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Osman NA, Abdul-Latiff MAB, Mohd-Ridwan AR, Yaakop S, Karuppannan KV, Md-Zain BM. Metabarcoding data analysis revealed the plant dietary variation of long-tailed macaque Macacafascicularis (Cercopithecidae, Cercopithecinae) living in disturbed habitats in Peninsular Malaysia. Biodivers Data J 2022; 10:e89617. [PMID: 36761533 PMCID: PMC9848512 DOI: 10.3897/bdj.10.e89617] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2022] [Accepted: 09/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The long-tailed macaque (Macacafascicularis) has a wide range in both Peninsular Malaysia and Borneo. Although the primates are especially vulnerable to habitat alterations, this primate lives in disturbed habitats due to human-induced land-use. Thus, this study presents a faecal metabarcoding approach to clarify the plant diet of long-tailed macaques from five locations in Peninsular Malaysia to represent fragmented forest, forest edge, island and recreational park habitats. We extracted genomic DNA from 53 long-tailed macaque faecal samples. We found 47 orders, 126 families, 609 genera and 818 species across these five localities. A total of 113 plant families were consumed by long-tailed macaques in Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 61 in the Malaysia Genome and Vaccine Institute, 33 in Langkawi Island, 53 in Redang Island and 44 in the Cenderawasih Cave. Moraceae (33.24%) and Fabaceae (13.63%) were the most common families consumed by long-tailed macaques from the study localities. We found that habitat type impacted diet composition, indicating the flexibility of foraging activities. This research findings provide an understanding of plant dietary diversity and the adaptability of this macaque with the current alteration level that applies to long-tailed macaque conservation management interest in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nur Azimah Osman
- Department of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43000 Bangi, Selangor, MalaysiaDepartment of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia43000 Bangi, SelangorMalaysia,School of Biology, Faculty of Applied Sciences, Universiti Teknologi Mara Negeri Sembilan, 72000 Kuala Pilah, Negeri Sembilan, MalaysiaSchool of Biology, Faculty of Applied Sciences, Universiti Teknologi Mara Negeri Sembilan72000 Kuala Pilah, Negeri SembilanMalaysia,Special Interest Group (ECONATREA), School of Biology, Faculty of Applied Sciences, Universiti Teknologi Mara Negeri Sembilan, 72000 Kuala Pilah, Negeri Sembilan, MalaysiaSpecial Interest Group (ECONATREA), School of Biology, Faculty of Applied Sciences, Universiti Teknologi Mara Negeri Sembilan72000 Kuala Pilah, Negeri SembilanMalaysia
| | - Muhammad Abu Bakar Abdul-Latiff
- Faculty of Applied Sciences and Technology, Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia (Pagoh Campus), 84000, Muar, Johor, MalaysiaFaculty of Applied Sciences and Technology, Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia (Pagoh Campus)84000, Muar, JohorMalaysia,Oasis Integrated Group (OIG), Institute for Integrated Engineering (I²E), Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia, 86400 Parit Raja, Johor, MalaysiaOasis Integrated Group (OIG), Institute for Integrated Engineering (I²E), Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia86400 Parit Raja, JohorMalaysia
| | - Abd Rahman Mohd-Ridwan
- Centre for Pre-University Studies, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak, 94300 Kota Samarahan, Sarawak, MalaysiaCentre for Pre-University Studies, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak94300 Kota Samarahan, SarawakMalaysia
| | - Salmah Yaakop
- Department of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43000 Bangi, Selangor, MalaysiaDepartment of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia43000 Bangi, SelangorMalaysia
| | - Kayal Vizi Karuppannan
- Department of Wildlife and National Parks (DWNP) KM10, Jalan Cheras, 56100 Kuala Lumpur, MalaysiaDepartment of Wildlife and National Parks (DWNP) KM10, Jalan Cheras56100 Kuala LumpurMalaysia
| | - Badrul Munir Md-Zain
- Department of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43000 Bangi, Selangor, MalaysiaDepartment of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia43000 Bangi, SelangorMalaysia
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Jamhuri J, Edinoor MA, Kamarudin N, Lechner AM, Ashton‐Butt A, Azhar B. Higher mortality rates for large- and medium-sized mammals on plantation roads compared to highways in Peninsular Malaysia. Ecol Evol 2020; 10:12049-12058. [PMID: 33209269 PMCID: PMC7663984 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.6827] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2019] [Revised: 09/03/2020] [Accepted: 09/04/2020] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The fragmentation of forests by agricultural expansion, urbanization, and road networks is an ongoing global biodiversity crisis. In Southeast Asia and other tropical regions, wildlife populations are being isolated into pockets of natural habitat surrounded by road networks and monoculture plantations. Mortality from wildlife-vehicle collisions (WVCs) is contributing to a decline in many species of conservation priority in human-modified landscapes. This study is the first in Malaysia to investigate factors affecting the occurrence of WVCs. We assessed roadkill data gathered by the Department of Wildlife and National Parks on small-, medium-, and large-sized mammals in Peninsular Malaysia. We examined the relationship between wildlife road accidents and several environmental factors. We found a total of 605 roadkill animals, involving 21 species, which included three species classified as Endangered. Road type (plantation road or highway), year, and distance of the road from continuous and fragmented forests were significant in determining mammal mortality. Unexpectedly, the majority of road mortality occurred on palm oil plantation roads compared to highways. Mortality of small- and medium-sized mammals was greater at locations further from continuous forest than those closer to fragmented forests. Segmentation of continuous forest by roads should be avoided wherever possible to reduce the threat of roads on crossing wildlife.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jamaluddin Jamhuri
- Department of Forest Science and BiodiversityFaculty of Forestry and EnvironmentUniversiti Putra MalaysiaSelangorMalaysia
| | | | - Norizah Kamarudin
- Department of Forest Science and BiodiversityFaculty of Forestry and EnvironmentUniversiti Putra MalaysiaSelangorMalaysia
| | - Alex M. Lechner
- School of Environmental and Geographical SciencesUniversity of Nottingham Malaysia CampusSemenyihMalaysia
- Lincoln Centre for Water and Planetary HealthSchool of GeographyUniversity of LincolnLincolnUK
| | - Adham Ashton‐Butt
- British Trust for OrnithologyThetfordUK
- School of Biological and Marine SciencesUniversity of HullHullUK
| | - Badrul Azhar
- Department of Forest Science and BiodiversityFaculty of Forestry and EnvironmentUniversiti Putra MalaysiaSelangorMalaysia
- Biodiversity UnitInstitute of BioscienceUniversiti Putra MalaysiaSerdangMalaysia
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