Tue, Aug 16, 2022: 2:00 PM-2:15 PM
518B
Background/Question/MethodsBiophysical and socio-cultural factors have jointly shaped the distribution of global biodiversity, yet relatively few studies have quantitatively assessed social and ecological influences on wildlife distributions. Socio-cultural factors (e.g. hunting practices, armed conflict, recreation, and value systems) have been shown to have far-reaching implications on wildlife behavior and occurrence. As such, social and cultural factors require greater research attention as important predictor variables, alongside ecological variables, for determining wildlife distribution patterns. We collated a dataset of 321 total camera trap locations and 38,017 camera days across 18 field sites in Sabah and Sarawak, Malaysian Borneo. Incorporating socio-cultural and ecological covariates, we then fit three single-year occupancy models to assess the influence of socio-ecological factors on the distribution of the bearded pig (Sus barbatus), a cultural keystone species.
Results/ConclusionsWe find that most competitive occupancy models included both socio-cultural and ecological covariates. Predicted average probability of occupancy (psi ± SE) for bearded pigs across study areas was 0.86 ± 0.05 (2010), 0.62 ± 0.07 (2012), and 0.71 ± 0.08 (2014). Our results provide quantitative evidence of the influence of social and ecological factors on the distribution of a cultural keystone species. Our results also suggest that context-specific management of bearded pigs—considering Indigenous communities, hunting accessibility, and environmental characteristics in each district—is required in Malaysian Borneo. Finally, our findings provide important baseline information on bearded pig occupancy prior to the 2020-2021 outbreak of African Swine Fever (ASF), which has caused social and ecological vulnerabilities after mass dieoffs of bearded pigs in Borneo, and domestic pigs across much of Asia.
Results/ConclusionsWe find that most competitive occupancy models included both socio-cultural and ecological covariates. Predicted average probability of occupancy (psi ± SE) for bearded pigs across study areas was 0.86 ± 0.05 (2010), 0.62 ± 0.07 (2012), and 0.71 ± 0.08 (2014). Our results provide quantitative evidence of the influence of social and ecological factors on the distribution of a cultural keystone species. Our results also suggest that context-specific management of bearded pigs—considering Indigenous communities, hunting accessibility, and environmental characteristics in each district—is required in Malaysian Borneo. Finally, our findings provide important baseline information on bearded pig occupancy prior to the 2020-2021 outbreak of African Swine Fever (ASF), which has caused social and ecological vulnerabilities after mass dieoffs of bearded pigs in Borneo, and domestic pigs across much of Asia.