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Impacts of El Niño related drought and forest fires on sun bear fruit resources in lowland dipterocarp forest of East Borneo

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Abstract

Droughts and forest fires, induced by the El Niño/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) event, have increased considerably over the last decades affecting millions of hectares of rainforest. We investigated the effects of the 1997–1998 forest fires and drought, associated with an exceptionally severe ENSO event, on fruit species important in the diet of Malayan sun bears (Helarctos malayanus) in lowland dipterocarp forest, East Kalimantan, Indonesian Borneo. Densities of sun bear fruit trees (≥10 cm DBH) were reduced by ∼80%, from 167±41 (SD) fruit trees ha−1 in unburned forest to 37±18 fruit trees ha−1 in burned forest. Densities of hemi-epiphytic figs, one of the main fallback resources for sun bears during periods of food scarcity, declined by 95% in burned forest. Species diversity of sun bear food trees decreased by 44% in burned forest. Drought also affected sun bear fruit trees in unburned primary forest, with elevated mortality rates for the duration of 2 years, returning to levels reported as normal in region in the third year after the ENSO event. Mortality in unburned forest near the burn-edge was higher (25±5% of trees ≥10 cm DBH dead) than in the forest interior (14±5% of trees), indicating possible edge effects. Combined effects of fire and drought in burned primary forest resulted in an overall tree mortality of 78±11% (≥10 cm DBH) 33 months after the fire event. Disturbance due to fires has resulted in a serious decline of fruit resources for sun bears and, due to the scale of fire damage, in a serious decline of prime sun bear habitat. Recovery of sun bear populations in these burned-over forests will depend on regeneration of the forest, its future species composition, and efforts to prevent subsequent fire events.

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Acknowledgements

We thank the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI) for granting GMF permission to carry out research on sun bears in East Kalimantan. GMF would like to express gratitude to the Forest Research Institute in Samarinda for their assistance. The Tropenbos Foundation and the Conservation Endowment Fund of the American Zoo and Aquarium Association provided financial assistance. We especially thank Dave Garshelis for logistical, financial and technical assistance. We thank the Wanariset Herbarium, especially Ambrianshyah and Arifin for identification of plant samples. The Tropenbos Foundation is thanked for usage of the permanent sample plots. Field assistants Trisno, Lukas Nyagang, and Damy da Costa are thanked for various assistance in the field throughout the years, as well as many people from the Sungai Wain village. LSD received financial and technical assistance from the Norwegian University of Life Sciences. We thank S.B.J. Menken, D. Garshelis, and V. Nijman for useful comments of previous drafts and G. Usher and M. van Nieuwstadt for the map.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics/Zoological Museum, University of Amsterdam, P.O. Box 94766, Amsterdam,, 1090, GT, Netherlands

    G. M. Fredriksson

  2. Department of Ecology and Natural Resource Management, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Box 5003, NO-1432, Ås, Norway

    L. S. Danielsen & J. E. Swenson

  3. Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, Tungasletta 2, NO-7485, Trondheim, Norway

    J. E. Swenson

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  1. G. M. Fredriksson
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Correspondence to G. M. Fredriksson.

 

 

Appendix List of sun bear fruit genera/species of trees (≥10 cm DBH) encountered in unburned-edge (UBF) and burned (BF) vegetation plots (total 7.2 ha), 33 months after the 1997–1998 fire. A “√” indicates that the genus/species was encountered in the plots, a “0” indicates it was absent. Number of plots indicates in how many of the 0.4 ha plots (9 plots in burned and 9 plots in unburned edge forest) the genus/species was encountered
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Fredriksson, G., Danielsen, L. & Swenson, J. Impacts of El Niño related drought and forest fires on sun bear fruit resources in lowland dipterocarp forest of East Borneo. Biodivers Conserv 16, 1823–1838 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10531-006-9075-0

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