Title
Changes in richness and diversity of tropical mammals over 17 years in a protected area of Northeastern Thailand
Author(s)
Riggio, Alex ;Lynam, Antony J. ;Asensio, Norberto; Chaiyarat, Rattanawat
Published
2017
Abstract
Information derived from long-term monitoring at the community level is essential to the effective management of wild mammal populations. However, this information is scarce and cannot be generated soon enough to address the needs of immediate management planning. In this study we measure long-term changes in the richness and abundance of a large mammal assemblage in Phu Khieo Wildlife Sanctuary (PKWS), Northeastern Thailand by comparing previously collected monitoring data with our own. Camera trapping was employed to survey terrestrial mammals within a 40 km2 area at 33 and 24 sampling locations in 1998 and 2015 respectively. Between surveys there were 17 species of overlap, and when sampling effort was controlled via rarefaction there were 19 and 21.5 observed species in 1998 and 2015 respectively. Additionally, the encounter rates for half of all the species significantly increased, the other half remained unchanged, and all combined species significantly increased. These results suggest that not only was a healthy and intact mammal assemblage maintained over the past 17 years in PKWS, but possibly some populations within the assemblage increased too, a striking contrast to the more suppressed abundances found in other sites throughout these species ranges. Relatively effective enforcement strategies may have helped minimize illegal human activity, and thus contributed to an environment supportive of greater mammal diversity, however, further investigation is still needed to confirm any trends in species abundance and distribution, and to understand what factors and conditions have led to any changes at PKWS.
Keywords
Large mammals;wildlife monitoring

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PUB21164