Title
How can we conserve banteng in eastern Cambodia? A case study in making decisions and developing a conservation strategy under uncertainty
Author(s)
Hedges, S.;O'Kelly, H.
Published
2015
Publisher
Cambodian Journal of Natural History
Abstract
Over the past decade Cambodia’s Eastern Plains Landscape has come to represent a last remaining stronghold for banteng. Although signifi cant numbers have been confi rmed to persist in this landscape, populations are declining and the future of the species is by no means assured. The broad threats to banteng are not unique to this species, and include unsustainable hunting, habitat loss and degradation, and human disturbance. What remains unclear, however, are the precise mechanisms underlying these threats. For example; how many and which individuals are being hunted, and why? How might various types of disturbance aff ect mortality? The goal of conservation management within this landscape is to retain a viable population of banteng which can fulfi l their full range of ecological functions. Rather than eradicate poaching entirely, a more feasible management objective is to ensure that the level of off take remains below a certain threshold to allow the population to recover to somewhere close to carrying capacity. Determining what this level might be is complicated by the multiple sources of uncertainty associated with population size, structure and dynamics, and how these are impacted by various threats. One strategy to deal with this is to develop a number of realistic scenarios incorporating all of these factors across plausible ranges. These are used to set precautionary maximum tolerable levels of poaching, which are then adapted through an iterative process as more information becomes available. In describing how this approach might be implemented, we discuss minimum information requirements, and provide practical guidelines on acquiring relevant data. Such an approach has wide relevance for other species which, perhaps due to a perceived lack of charisma, are in danger of being overlooked by conservation efforts.
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