In Sebangau National Park, our records date back to 1993 and represent the most complete species inventory available for the peat-swamp forests of Central Kalimantan; our surveys have often been the first of their kind ever conducted in an area.
Our biodiversity research has two primary goals:
This is improving our understanding of the forest’s biodiversity value, how this might be translated into benefits for society and, crucially, how human activities affect these values and benefits. Such understanding is essential for effective conservation management, in which the impacts of both human threats (e.g. illegal logging) and conservation initiatives (e.g. forest patrols) must be evaluated to improve conservation outcomes.
Our research includes investigating the effects of canopy gaps on butterflies, a doctoral study of fish to support the development of traditional fish ponds as a sustainable livelihood, plus our preliminary surveys in the Mungku Baru area of the Rungan Landscape, which were important in initiating conservation efforts in the region.
Our extensive data from a number of forest sites
In addition to understanding the impacts of human activities on particular plant and animal groups, this research helps us understand how these activities affect overall forest condition through identifying a suite of ecological disturbance indicators. Suitable indicator taxa including fruit-feeding butterflies, ants, birds and certain forest flora, such as lianas, show rapid and consistent responses to changes in habitat condition. They therefore serve as early-warning indicators of change that may impact upon flagship conservation species, such as the orangutan, which respond much more slowly to ecological change.
These concepts are explained in detail in our 2012 monitoring position paper. You can also check our publications and student projects pages for our latest findings; and contact us if you wish to discuss potential research collaborations or require expert advice.
![[monitor-lizard]-3---camp---Andrew-Walmsley---2012](https://www.borneonaturefoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/monitor-lizard-3-camp-Andrew-Walmsley-2012.jpg "[monitor-lizard]-3—camp—Andrew-Walmsley—2012")
Borneo Nature Foundation is a non-profit conservation organisation. We work to protect some of the most important areas of tropical rainforest and to safeguard the wildlife, environment and indigenous culture on Borneo.