Drivers of Three Most Charismatic Mammalian Species Distribution across a Multiple-Use Tropical Forest Landscape of Sumatra, Indonesia

Over half of the distributions of three critically endangered mammals—Sumatran elephant, Sumatran orangutan, and Sumatran tiger—in Sumatra's tropical rainforests occur outside protected areas, with coverage proportions of 83%, 72%, and 54% respectively. This study used ensemble machine learning algorithms to predict their potential ranges based on anthropogenic, biophysical, topographic, and climatic parameters, achieving high model performance (Sørensen: 0.81–0.94). Conservation status and temperature seasonality were identified as the most critical environmental predictors for these species' distributions. The findings highlight urgent conservation priorities both inside and outside protected areas to ensure the survival of these iconic Indonesian mammals.

Rahman, D. A., Santosa, Y., Purnamasari, I., & Condro, A. A. (2022). Drivers of Three Most Charismatic Mammalian Species Distribution across a Multiple-Use Tropical Forest Landscape of Sumatra, Indonesia. Animals, 12(19), 2722. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani12192722