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Deforestation Has a Strong Impact on Orangutan Populations (BBC) |
Scientists have reported that they have for the first time demonstrated that the decline in orangutan populations is a direct result of human environmental destruction.
Research conducted by British and French scientists has utilized genetic evidence to trace the decline of orangutan species in Malaysia prior to deforestation.
Orangutans inhabit the deep forests of Borneo and Sumatra. This makes it difficult to estimate their population.
However, this three-year study marks the first time that genetic technology has been used to monitor population decline. By analyzing hair samples and genetic material collected over a century, they were able to reconstruct the genetic diversity of orangutans. This allowed the team to create the most accurate depiction of orangutan population numbers from the 1890s to the present, which they compared with records of deforestation.
The two factors closely coincide.
The orangutan population began to decrease in the late 19th century when logging in northern Borneo commenced, and the rate of decline accelerated as forest destruction increased significantly after 1950.
The research group stated that they established a direct correlation.
Environmental groups hold Malaysia’s palm oil industry largely responsible for the deforestation and are calling for a ban on palm oil products in the European Union.
It is estimated that there are about 25,000 to 30,000 orangutans remaining in Borneo, with 11,000 of them living in the state of Sabah, Malaysia.
