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Invasive water buffalo population trends and competition-related consequences for native rusa deer in eastern Indonesian protected areas

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Abstract

Large introduced mammalian herbivores, either as livestock or feral populations, can have important effects on vegetation and animals. Introduced herbivores can be of high conservation concern if they impact threatened native species in protected areas. We evaluated temporal and spatial trends in the relative abundance of introduced water buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) and their potential to induce competition-related ecological and demographic effects on native rusa deer (Rusa timorensis) in Komodo National Park and the Wae Wuul Nature Reserve—two protected areas in Eastern Indonesia. To monitor ungulate population abundances and population growth rates of water buffalo and rusa deer, we counted their dung (a validated abundance index in these two species) along 350 permanently marked transects at 11 sites over five islands annually between 2003 and 2018. Water buffalo dung abundance varied with the site, year and their interaction. Water buffalo dung was most abundant within the Wae Wuul Nature Reserve, and their dung abundance varied considerably among sites in Komodo National Park. Water buffalo site-specific dung abundances fluctuated independently over time. In areas of high water buffalo dung densities, rusa deer altered resource use and had lower population densities than sites without water buffalo. Rusa deer dung-based population growth rates were negatively influenced by density-dependent regulation and only weakly by water buffalo dung density. Currently, managers do not control water buffalo in either protected area. Nevertheless, the benefits of control could reduce water buffalo effects on vegetation composition, watercourse integrity, or the potential to transmit disease into native ungulates.

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Data will be deposited in the Dryad data repository (https://datadryad.org/) on acceptance of the manuscript for publication.

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Acknowledgements

We are grateful to the Directorate General of Forest Protection and Nature Conservation for issuing research permits to work in Komodo National Park and Wae Wuul Nature Reserve. Protected area staff and local community volunteers are thanked for their support and enthusiastic involvement in the project. We gratefully acknowledge David M. Forsyth for making useful comments and edits on a draft version of the manuscript. Funding was provided by members of the American and European Association of Zoos and Aquariums.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Komodo Survival Program, Denpasar, Bali, 80117, Indonesia

    Achmad Ariefiandy, Deni Purwandana, Muhammad Azmi & Tim S. Jessop

  2. Komodo National Park, Labuan Bajo, Flores, Nusa Tenggara Timur, Indonesia

    Maria Rosdalima Panggur

  3. Balai Besar Konservasi Sumber Daya Alam NTT, Kupang, Nusa Tenggara Timur, Indonesia

    Juna Mardani

  4. Centre for Integrative Ecology, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Waurn Ponds, VIC, 3220, Australia

    Daisy Parra Parra & Tim S. Jessop

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  1. Achmad Ariefiandy
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  3. Muhammad Azmi
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  4. Maria Rosdalima Panggur
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  5. Juna Mardani
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  7. Tim S. Jessop
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Contributions

TSJ and DPP conceived the study, AA, DP, TSJ, MA, MRP, JM and provided field data. TSJ analysed the data. TSJ, and DPP wrote the manuscript. All authors commented on drafts of the manuscript.

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Correspondence to Tim S. Jessop.

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Ariefiandy, A., Purwandana, D., Azmi, M. et al. Invasive water buffalo population trends and competition-related consequences for native rusa deer in eastern Indonesian protected areas. Mamm Biol 101, 917–931 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42991-021-00161-y

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