Why we went to the woods?: effects of human disturbance on species presence in a disturbed Myanmar forest ecosystem

Human activities are affecting habitats and wildlife populations worldwide. Tropical forests are one of the most affected environments, mainly due to deforestation and poaching. Since high levels of anthropogenic pressure on forest ecosystems, including illegal logging and hunting, occur in southwest Myanmar (Rakhine State), we analyzed the effects of human disturbance on medium to large mammals in this region. We used camera-trapping data collected over three consecutive years to investigate occurrence probabilities of 10 species: five common species exploited for bushmeat consumption, and five threatened species targeted by the illegal wildlife trade. We used a hierarchical single-species multi-season occupancy model implemented in a Bayesian framework to evaluate the effects of human disturbances and persistent habitat characteristics, such as the proportion of remaining pristine evergreen forest and the elevation, on occurrence probabilities. We found that occupancy probabilities of three out of five target species for the illegal wildlife trade were positively linked to forest habitats, whereas among common species hunted for bushmeat consumption the Northern red muntjak and the Malayan porcupine were negatively affected by human presence. The effects of human and habitat covariates were varied for other species of both groups. We confirmed results from previous studies that human disturbance is a driver of occurrence probabilities for some species in tropical areas. Our findings suggest that as protection of rainforest habitat is fundamental to the conservation of tropical ecosystems, law enforcement, patrolling, and local engagement activities are also recommended to mitigate forest and species exploitation. Finally, camera trapping could be a first step to identify areas where human presence affects species occupancy and help local authorities to develop more fine-tuned conservation plans.

Automated summary

Human activities like illegal logging and hunting have a significant impact on the occurrence probabilities of both targeted species for the illegal wildlife trade and common species hunted for bushmeat consumption in tropical forest ecosystems. This study highlights the importance of protecting rainforest habitats and implementing law enforcement and local engagement activities to mitigate forest and species exploitation. Camera trapping has also been identified as a useful tool to identify areas where human presence affects species occupancy and aid in the development of more precise conservation plans by local authorities.