Skip to main content

Advertisement

Log in

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

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Primates Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

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 200 ha and remained stable over several years; total home range size was estimated to be 275 ha. 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 414 m away from the morning nest, whereas average daily travel path length was 777 m. 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.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Arnow D, Dexter S, Weiss G (2004) Introduction to programming using java: an object-oriented approach, 2nd edn. Pearson Education, Boston

    Google Scholar 

  • Benson JF, Chamberlain MJ, Leopold BD (2006) Regulation of space use in a solitary felid: population density or prey availability? Anim Behav 71:685–693

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Beyer HL (2004) Hawth’s analysis tools for ArcGIS. http://www.spatialecology.com/htools. Accessed 24 Apr 2008

  • Börger L, Franconi N, De Michele G, Gantz A, Meschi F, Manica A, Lovari S, Coulson T (2006) Effects of sampling regime on the mean and variance of home range size estimates. J Anim Ecol 75:1393–1405

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Boyle SA, Lourenço WC, da Silva LR, Smith AT (2009) Home range estimates vary with sample size and methods. Folia Primatol 80:33–42

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Burgman MA, Fox JC (2003) Bias in species range estimates from minimum convex polygons: implications for conservation and options for improved planning. Anim Conserv 6:19–28

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Burt WH (1943) Territoriality and home range concepts as applied to mammals. J Mammol 24:346–352

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Carr AP, Rodgers AR (1998) HRT: the home range extension for ArcView™ (beta test version 0.9, July 1998), users’ manual. (http://planet.uwc.ac.za/nisl/computing/HRE/Tutorial%20Guide.pdf. Accessed 8 May 2008)

  • De Solla S, Bondurianskz R, Brooks RJ (1999) Eliminating autocorrelation reduces biological relevance of home range estimates. J Anim Ecol 68:221–234

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fashing PJ, Mulindahabi F, Gakima JB, Masozera M, Mununura I, Plumptre AJ, Nguyen N (2007) Activity and ranging patterns of Colobus angolensis ruwenzorii in Nyungwe Forest, Rwanda: possible costs of large group size. Int J Primatol 28:529–550

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Girard I, Ouellet JP, Courtrois R, Dussault C, Breton L (2002) Effects of sampling effort based on GPS telemetry on home-range size estimations. J Wildl Manag 66:1290–1300

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gitzen RA, Millspaugh JJ, Kernohan BJ (2006) Bandwidth selection for fixed-kernel analysis of animal utilization distributions. J Wildl Manag 70:1334–1344

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Grueter CC, Li D, Ren B, Wei F (2009) Choice of analytical method can have dramatic effects on primate home range estimates. Primates 50:81–84

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Harvey V, Côté SD, Hammill MO (2008) The ecology of 3-D space use in a sexually dimorphic mammal. Ecography 31:371–380

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hemson G, Johnson P, South A, Kenward R, Ripley R, MacDonald D (2005) Are kernels the mustard? Data from global positioning system (GPS) collars suggests problems for kernel home-range analyses with least-squares cross-validation. J Anim Ecol 74:455–463

    Google Scholar 

  • Horne JS, Garton EO (2006a) Selecting the best home range model. An information-theoretic approach. Ecology 87:1146–1152

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Horne JS, Garton EO (2006b) Likelihood cross-validation versus least squares cross-validation for choosing the smoothing parameter in kernel home-range analysis. J Wildl Manag 70:641–648

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kaplin BA (2001) Ranging behavior of two species of guenons (Cercopithecus lhoesti and C. mitis doggetti) in the Nyungwe Forest Reserve, Rwanda. Int J Primatol 22:521–548

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Katajisto J, Moilanen A (2006) Kernel-based home range method for data with irregular sampling intervals. Ecol Model 194:405–413

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kernohan BJ, Gitzen RA, Millspaugh JJ (2001) Analysis of animal space use and movements. In: Millspaugh JJ, Marzluff JM (eds) Radio tracking and animal populations. Academic Press, San Diego, pp 125–166

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Knott CD (1998) Changes in orangutan caloric intake, energy balance, and ketones in response to fluctuating fruit availability. Int J Primatol 19:1061–1079

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Knott CD (2005) Energetic responses to food availability in the great apes: implications for Hominin evolution. In: Brockman DK, van Schaik CP (eds) Primate seasonality: implications for human evolution. Cambridge University Press, London, pp 351–378

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Knott CD, Beaudrot L, Snaith T, White S, Tschauner H, Planasky G (2008) Female-female competition in Bornean orangutans. Int J Primatol 29:975–997

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Laver PN, Kelly MJ (2008) A critical review of home range studies. J Wildl Manag 72:290–298

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Leighton M, Leighton DR (1983) Vertebrate responses to fruiting seasonality within a Bornean rain forest. In: Sutonn SL, Whitmore TC, Chadwick AC (eds) Tropical rain forest: ecology and management. Special Publication No. 2 of the British Ecological Society, Blackwell, Oxford, pp 181–195

  • Mitani JC (1989) Orangutan activity budgets: monthly variations and the effects of body size, parturition and sociality. Am J Primatol 18:87–100

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mitra Setia T, van Schaik CP (2007) The response of adult orang-utans to flanged male long calls: Inferences about their function. Folia Primatol 78:215–226

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Molinari-Jobin A, Zimmermann F, Ryser A, Breitenmoser-Würsten A, Capt S, Breitenmoser U, Molinari P, Haller H, Eyholzer R (2007) Variation in diet, prey selectivity and home-range size of Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx) in Switzerland. Wildl Biol 13:393–405

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Morrogh-Bernhard HC, Husson SJ, Knott CD, Wich SA, van Schaik CP, van Noordwijk MA, Lackman-Ancrenaz I, Marshall AJ, Kanamori T, Kuze N, Bin Sakong R (2009) Orangutan activity budgets and diet. A comparison between species, populations and habitats. In: Wich SA, Utami Atmoko SS, Mitra Seta T, van Schaik CP (eds) Orangutans: geographic variation in behavioral ecology and conservation. Oxford University Press, Oxford, pp 119–133

    Google Scholar 

  • Moyer MA, McCown JW, Oli MK (2007) Factors influencing home-range size of female Florida black bears. J Mammol 88:468–476

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Neri-Arboleda I, Stott P, Arboleda NP (2002) Home ranges, spatial movements and habitat associations of the Philippine tarsier (Tarsius syrichta) in Corella, Bohol. J Zool 257:387–402

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Newton-Fisher NA (2003) The home range of the Sonso community of chimpanzees from the Budongo Forest, Uganda. Afr J Ecol 41:150–156

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Norscia I, Borgognini-Tarli SM (2008) Ranging behavior and possible correlates of pair-living in southeastern Avahis (Madagascar). Int J Primatol 29:153–171

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • O’Sullivan D, Unwin DJ (2003) Geographic information analysis. Wiley, Hoboken

    Google Scholar 

  • Patterson TA, Thomas L, Wilcox C, Ovaskainen O, Matthiopoulos J (2008) State–space models of individual animal movement. Trends Ecol Evol 23:87–94

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Robbins MM, McNeilage A (2003) Home range and frugivory patterns of mountain gorillas in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Uganda. Int J Primatol 24:467–491

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rodgers AR, Carr AP, Beyer HL, Kie JG (2007) HRT: home range tools for ArcGIS. Version 1.1. Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, Centre for Northern Forest Ecosystem Research, Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada. http://blue.lakeheadu.ca/hre/. Accessed 29 Apr 2008

  • Savini T, Boesch C, Reichard UH (2008) Home-range characteristics and the influence of seasonality on female reproduction in white-handed gibbons (Hylobates lar) at Khao Yai National Park, Thailand. Am J Phys Anthropol 135:1–12

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Seaman DE, Powell RA (1996) An evaluation of the accuracy of kernel density estimators for home range analysis. Ecology 77:2075–2085

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Seaman DE, Millspaugh JJ, Kernohan BJ, Brundige GC, Raedeke KJ, Gitzen RA (1999) Effects of sample size on kernel home range estimates. J Wildl Manag 63:739–747

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Silverman BW (1986) Density estimation for statistics and data analysis. Chapman & Hall, London

    Google Scholar 

  • Singleton I, van Schaik CP (2001) Orangutan home range size and its determinants in a Sumatran swamp forest. Int J Primatol 22:877–911

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Singleton I, Knott CD, Morrogh-Bernard HC, Wich SA, van Schaik CP (2009) Ranging behaviour of orangutan females and social organization. In: Wich SA, Utami Atmoko SS, Mitra Setia T, van Schaik CP (eds) Orangutans: geographic variation in behavioral ecology and conservation. Oxford University Press, Oxford, pp 205–213

    Google Scholar 

  • Swihart RK, Slade NA (1985) Testing for independence of observations in animal movements. Ecology 66:1176–1184

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • te Boekhorst IJA, Schürmann CL, Sugardjito J (1990) Residential status and seasonal movements of wild orang-utans in the Gunung Leuser Reserve (Sumatera, Indonesia). Anim Behav 39:1098–1109

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • van Noordwijk MA, van Schaik CP (2005) Development of ecological competence in Sumatran orangutans. Am J Phys Anthropol 127:79–94

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • van Schaik CP (2004) Among orangutans: red apes and the rise of human culture. Harvard University Press, Belknap

    Google Scholar 

  • van Schaik CP, Brockman D (2005) Seasonality in primate ecology, reproduction, and life history: an overview. In: Brockman DK, van Schaik CP (eds) Seasonality in primates: studies of living and extinct human and non-human primates. Cambridge University Press, London, pp 3–20

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • van Winkle W (1975) Comparison of several probabilistic home-range models. J Wildl Manag 39:118–123

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wartmann FM (2008) Seasonality in spatio-temporal behaviour of female orangutans. A case study in Tuanan Mawas, Central Kalimantan, Indonesia. Master thesis, University of Zurich, Switzerland (unpublished)

  • White G, Garrot R (1990) Analysis of wildlife radio tracking data. Academic Press, San Diego

    Google Scholar 

  • Wich SA, Utami-Atmoko SS, Mitra Setia T, Rijksen HD, Schürmann C, van Hoof JA, van Schaik CP (2004) Life history of wild Sumatran orangutans (Pongo abelii). J Hum Evol 47:385–398

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Wich SA, Geurts M, Setia TM, Utami-Atmoko SS (2006) Influence of fruit availability on Sumatran orangutan sociality and reproduction. In: Hohmann G, Robbins MM, Boesch C (eds) Feeding ecology in apes and other primates. Ecological, physical and behavioural aspects. Cambridge University Press, London, pp 335–356

    Google Scholar 

  • Worton BJ (1989) Kernel methods for estimating the utilization distribution in home-range studies. Ecology 70:164–168

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Worton BH (1995) Using Monte Carlo simulation to evaluate kernel-based home range estimators. J Wildl Manag 59:794–800

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

This study was conducted in the framework of the Memorandum of Understanding between Universitas Nasional Jakarta (UNAS) and the Anthropological Institute and Museum of the University of Zurich. Travel costs and fieldwork were financially supported by the A.H. Schultz Foundation. We acknowledge the Director General of PHKA, BKSDA Palangkaraya, the Direktorat Fasilitasi Organisasi Politik dan Kemasyarakatan, Departemen Dalam Negeri, the Indonesian Institute of Science (LIPI), the Institute of Research and Technology (RISTEK) and the Indonesian Embassy in Switzerland for granting research permission, the Bornean Orang-Utan Survival Foundation (BOS) and MAWAS, Palangkaraya, for hosting the project in the MAWAS reserve, and our colleagues at UNAS for support and collaboration. Many thanks to all field assistants: Hadi, Kumpo, Pak Rahmat, Tono, and Yandi for sharing their knowledge and to all previous students and assistants for data collection. We thank Maria van Noordwijk for the many interesting discussions and Claude Rosselet for his perseverance in entering maps. We thank three anonymous reviewers for comments on a previous version of the manuscript.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Flurina M. Wartmann.

About this article

Cite this article

Wartmann, F.M., Purves, R.S. & van Schaik, C.P. Modelling ranging behaviour of female orang-utans: a case study in Tuanan, Central Kalimantan, Indonesia. Primates 51, 119–130 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10329-009-0186-6

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10329-009-0186-6

Keywords

Navigation