Nature
Logged Rainforests Can Help Conserve Mammal Diversity, Study Reveals
Justine
First Posted: Aug 26, 2016 09:02 AM EDT
Who could have thought that logged rainforests can have a big role in protecting animals? A recent study revealed that degraded forests are an overlooked source of home and refuge for animals particularly mammals.
Habitat loss is among the main reasons why animal populations decline. Over the years, experts have done various studies to discover helpful ways to preserve the inhabitants of declining territories. And just recently, researchers were surprised to find out that logged rainforests are actually one of the answers they have been looking for.
According to Phys.org, selectively logged forests are usually deemed degraded; thus, they are cleared for new plantations. The new findings suggest the protection of these forests.
In the extensive study led by Imperial College London, researchers recorded mammals in three land-use types: oil palm plantation, logged forest, and old-growth forest. They used motion-sensing cameras and trap-and-release techniques. The study was done for three years. IFL Science reported that the researchers were able to collect 20,000 records of a diverse group of species in these three location types.
Large mammals like civets and leopards were found in old growth forests and logged forests; the mammal diversity was similar for both. But surprisingly, the diversity for small mammals like rodents and squirrels was higher in logged forests. Meanwhile, oil palm plantations suffered heavy losses; hence they have the least diversity. Researchers suggested that the species discovered there possibly spilled over from nearby habitats.
While the results are great news, lead author Dr. Oliver Wearn stressed that as of the moment, it is still not certain that the diversity will remain. "What we can say from this study is that protecting those large areas of forest that have already been logged could help conserve mammal species better than preserving fragmented pockets of forests inside oil palm landscape," he added.
The aforementioned findings prove that degraded forests can indeed help in conserving mammal diversity. As of writing, experts are recommending logged forest rehabilitation. And while Dr. Wearn supports the recommendation, he emphasized that old growth forests are still the best habitats for animals and their conservation should still be the top priority.
See Now:
NASA's Juno Spacecraft's Rendezvous With Jupiter's Mammoth Cyclone
TagsDegraded Forests, Selectively Logged Forests, Logged Forests, Mammal Diversity, Logged Forest Rehabilitation, Conserving Mammals ©2024 ScienceWorldReport.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. The window to the world of science news.
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First Posted: Aug 26, 2016 09:02 AM EDT
Who could have thought that logged rainforests can have a big role in protecting animals? A recent study revealed that degraded forests are an overlooked source of home and refuge for animals particularly mammals.
Habitat loss is among the main reasons why animal populations decline. Over the years, experts have done various studies to discover helpful ways to preserve the inhabitants of declining territories. And just recently, researchers were surprised to find out that logged rainforests are actually one of the answers they have been looking for.
According to Phys.org, selectively logged forests are usually deemed degraded; thus, they are cleared for new plantations. The new findings suggest the protection of these forests.
In the extensive study led by Imperial College London, researchers recorded mammals in three land-use types: oil palm plantation, logged forest, and old-growth forest. They used motion-sensing cameras and trap-and-release techniques. The study was done for three years. IFL Science reported that the researchers were able to collect 20,000 records of a diverse group of species in these three location types.
Large mammals like civets and leopards were found in old growth forests and logged forests; the mammal diversity was similar for both. But surprisingly, the diversity for small mammals like rodents and squirrels was higher in logged forests. Meanwhile, oil palm plantations suffered heavy losses; hence they have the least diversity. Researchers suggested that the species discovered there possibly spilled over from nearby habitats.
While the results are great news, lead author Dr. Oliver Wearn stressed that as of the moment, it is still not certain that the diversity will remain. "What we can say from this study is that protecting those large areas of forest that have already been logged could help conserve mammal species better than preserving fragmented pockets of forests inside oil palm landscape," he added.
The aforementioned findings prove that degraded forests can indeed help in conserving mammal diversity. As of writing, experts are recommending logged forest rehabilitation. And while Dr. Wearn supports the recommendation, he emphasized that old growth forests are still the best habitats for animals and their conservation should still be the top priority.
See Now: NASA's Juno Spacecraft's Rendezvous With Jupiter's Mammoth Cyclone