Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Preliminary Data on the Highland Sumatran Orangutans (Pongo abelii) of Batang Toru

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
High Altitude Primates

Part of the book series: Developments in Primatology: Progress and Prospects ((DIPR))

Abstract

Orangutans are the only great apes occurring in Asia (Caldecott and Miles 2005) and knowledge of their behavioral ecology comes from a number of long-term studies on Sumatra and Borneo (Wich et al. 2009).

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 129.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 169.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 169.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Batschelet, E. (1981). Circular statistics in biology. London: Academic Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Buij, R., Wich, S. A., Lubis, A. H., & Sterck, E. H. M. (2002). Seasonal movements in the Sumatran orangutan (Pongo pygmaeus abelii) and consequences for conservation. Biological Conservation, 107(1), 83–87.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Caldecott, J., & Miles, L. (2005). World atlas of great apes and their conservation. Berkeley: University of Calofornia Press/UNEP WCMC.

    Google Scholar 

  • Campbell-Smith, G., Simanjorang, H. V. P., Leader-Williams, N., & Linkie, M. (2010). Local attitudes and perceptions toward crop-raiding by orangutans (Pongo abelii) and other nonhuman primates in northern Sumatra. Indonesia American Journal of Primatology, 72(10), 866–876.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Campbell-Smith, G., Campbell-Smith, M., Singleton, I., & Linkie, M. (2011). Apes in space: Saving an imperilled Orangutan Population in Sumatra. PLoS ONE, 6(2), e17210.

    Article  CAS  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Dias, P. C. (1996). Sources and sinks in population biology. Trends in Ecology and Evolution, 11(8), 326–330.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Djojosudharmo, S., & van Schaik, C. P. (1992). Why are orang utans so rare in the highlands? Altitudinal changes in a Sumatran forest. Tropical Biodiversity, 1, 11–22.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fox, E. A., & bin’Mohammad, I. (2002). New tool use by wild Sumatran orangutans (Pongo pygmaeus abelii). American Journal of Physical Anthropology, 119, 186–188.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Gaveau, D. L., Wich, S. A., Epting, J., Juhn, D., Kanninen, M., & Leader-Williams, N. (2009). The future of forests and orangutans (Pongo abelii) in Sumatra: predicting impacts of oil palm plantations, road construction, and mechanisms for reducing carbon emissions from deforestation. Environmental Research Letters, 4, 1–11.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Husson, S. J., Wich, S. A., Marshall, A. J., Dennis, R. D., Ancrenaz, M., Brassey, R., et al. (2009). Orangutan distribution, density, abundance and impacts of disturbance. In S. A. Wich, S. S. Utami Atmoko, T. Mitra Setia, & C. P. v. Schaik (Eds.), Orangutans: Geographic variation in behavioral ecology and conservation (pp. 77–96). New York: Oxford Univ Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jammalamadaka, S. R., & SenGupta, A. (2001). Topics in circular statistics. River Edge: World Scientific.

    Google Scholar 

  • Janson, C., & Verdolin, J. (2005). Seasonality of primate births in relation to climate. In D. K. Brockman & C. P. van Schaik (Eds.), Seasonality in primates: Studies of living and extinct human and non-human primates (pp. 307–350). New York: Cambridge University Press.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Krützen, M., Willems, E. P., & van Schaik, C. P. (2011). Culture and geographic variation in orangutan behavior. Current Biology, 21(21), 1808–1812.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Marshall, A. J., Ancrenaz, M., Brearley, F. Q., Fredriksson, G. M., Ghaffar, N., Heydon, M., et al. (2009a). The effects of forest phenology and floristics on populations of Bornean and Sumatran orangutans. In S. A. Wich, S. S. Utami Atmoko, T. Mitra Setia, & C. P. v. Schaik (Eds.), Orangutans: Geographic variation in behavioral ecology and conservation (pp. 97–118). New York: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Marshall, A. J., Lacy, R., Ancrenaz, M., Byers, O., Husson, S. J., Leighton, M., et al. (2009b). Orangutan population biology, life history, and conservation. In S. A. Wich, S. S. Utami Atmoko, T. Mitra Setia, C. P. van Schaik (Eds.), Orangutans: Geographic variation in behavioral ecology and conservation (pp. 311–326). New York: Oxford Univ Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Martin, P. R., & Bateson, P. (1993). Measuring behaviour: an introductory guide, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Meijaard, E. (1997). A survey of some forested areas in South and Central Tapanuli, North Sumatra; new chances for orang utan conservation. Bogor: The international MOF Tropenbos-Kalimantan project and the golden ark foundation.

    Google Scholar 

  • Morrogh-Bernard, H. C., Husson, S. J., Knott, C. D., Wich, S. A., van Schaik, C. P., van Hoordwijk, M. A., et al. (2009). Orangutan activity budgets and diet: a comparison between species, populations and habitats. In S. A. Wich, S. S. Utami Atmoko, T. Mitra Setia, C. P. van Schaik (eds.), Orangutans: Geographic variation in behavioral ecology and conservation (pp. 119–133). New York: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nater, A., Nietlisbach, P., Arora, N., van Schaik, C. P., van Noordwijk, M. A., Willems, E. P., et al. (2011). Sex-biased dispersal and volcanic activities shaped phylogeographic patterns of extant orangutans (genus: Pongo). Molecular Biology and Evolution, 28, 2275–2288. doi:10.1093/molbev/msr042.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Rijksen, H. D., & Meijaard, E. (1999). Our vanishing relative: The status of wild orang-utans at the close of the twentieth century. Wageningen: Tropenbos Publications.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Russon, A. E. (2009). Orangutan rehabilitation and reintroduction: successes, failures, and role in conservation. In S. A. Wich, S. S. Utami Atmoko, T. Mitra Setia, C. P. van Schaik (Eds.),Orangutans: Geographic variation in behavioral ecology and conservation (pp. 327–350). New York: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Russon, A. R., Wich, S. A., Ancrenaz, M., Kanamori, T., Knott, C. D., Kuze, N., et al. (2009). Geographic variation in orangutan diets. In S. A. Wich, S. S. Utami Atmoko, T. Mitra Setia, & C. P. Van Schaik (Eds.), Orangutans: Geographic variation in behavioral ecology and conservation (pp. 135–155). New York: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • San_Anselmo_standardization (2003). www.aim.unizh.ch/orangutannetwork.html.

  • Shaw, P. J. A. (2009). Multivariate statistics for the environmental sciences. London: Wiley.

    Google Scholar 

  • Vamosi, S. M., Heard, S. B., Vamosi, J. C., & Webb, C. O. (2009). Emerging patterns in the comparative analysis of phylogenetic community structure. Molecular Ecology, 18(4), 572–592.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • van Schaik, C. (1999). The socioecology of fission-fusion sociality in Orangutans. Primates, 40(1), 69–86. doi:10.1007/bf02557703.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • van Schaik, C. P. (2009). Geographic variation in the behavior of wild great apes: is it really cultural? In K. N. Laland & B. G. Galef (Eds.), The question of animal culture (pp. 70–98). Cambridge: Harvard University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • van Schaik, C. P., Azwar, & Priatna, D. (1995). Population estimates and habitat preferences of orang-utans based on line transects of nests. In R. D. Nadler, B. F. M. Galdikas, L. K. Sheeran, & N. Rosen (Eds.), The neglected ape (pp. 109–116). New York: Plenum Press.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • van Schaik, C. P., Ancrenaz, M., Djojoasmoro, R., Knott, C. D., Morrogh-Bernard, H. C., Nuzuar, et al. (2009a). Orangutan cultures revisited. In S. A. Wich, S. S. Utami Atmoko, T. Mitra Setia, & C. P. van Schaik (Eds.), Orangutans: Geographic variation in behavioral ecology and conservation (pp. 299–309). New York: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • van Schaik, C. P., Marshall, A. J., & Wich, S. A. (2009b). Geographic variation in orangutan behavior and biology. In S. A. Wich, S. S. Utami Atmoko, T. Mitra Setia, & C. P. van Schaik (Eds.), Orangutans: Geographic variation in behavioral ecology and conservation (pp. 351–361). New York: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Whitten, A. J., Damanik, S. J., Jazanul, A., & Nazaruddin, H. (1987). The ecology of Sumatra. Yogyakarta: Gadjah Mada University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wich, S. A., Singleton, I., Utami-Atmoko, S. S., Geurts, M. L., Rijksen, H. D., & van Schaik, C. P. (2003). The status of the Sumatran orang-utan Pongo abelii: an update. Oryx, 37(1), 49–54.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wich, S., Buij, R., & van Schaik, C. (2004a). Determinants of orangutan density in the dryland forests of the Leuser Ecosystem. Primates, 45(3), 177–182.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Wich, S. A., Utami-Atmoko, S. S., Setia, T. M., Rijksen, H. D., Schurmann, C., & van Schaik, C. (2004b). Life history of wild Sumatran orangutans (Pongo abelii). Journal of Human Evolution, 47(6), 385–398.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Wich, S. A., Meijaard, E., Marshall, A. J., Husson, S., Ancrenaz, M., Lacy, R. C., et al. (2008). Distribution and conservation status of the orang-utan (Pongo spp.) on Borneo and Sumatra: how many remain? Oryx 42(3), 329–339.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wich, S. A., Utami Atmoko, S. S., Mitra Setia, T., & van Schaik, C. P. (2009). Orangutans: Geographic variation in behavioral ecology and conservation. New York: Oxford Univ Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wich, S., Riswan., Jenson, J., Refish, J., & Nelleman, C. (2011a). Orangutans and the economics of sustainable forest management in Sumatra. UNEP/GRASP/PanEco/YEL/ICRAF/GRID-Arendal (pp. 83). Norway: Birkeland Trykkeri AS.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wich, S. A., Vogel, E. R., Larsen, M. D., Fredriksson, G., Leighton, M., Yeager, C. P., et al. (2011b). Forest fruit production is higher on Sumatra than on Borneo. PLoS ONE, 6(6), e21278.

    Article  CAS  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Wich, S. A., Fredriksson, G. M., Usher, G., Peters, H. H., Priatna, D., Basalamah, F., et al. (2011b). Hunting of Sumatran orang-utans and its importance in determining distribution and density. Biological Conservation(0).

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

We would like to express our gratitude to the Indonesian Government and the Department of Conservation for collaboration with PanEco and Yayasan Ekosistem Lestari, and the Government of North Tapanuli for granting permission to establish a research station in the Batang Toru forest. Han de Vries and Jan Gogarten are thanked for their advice on statistical analyses. We would like to thank Bapak Jonotoro and Bapak Naryo from the Balai Diklat Kehutanan Pekanbaru for identification of trees in the phenology plots. We would also like to thank our field assistants Kalam, Buyung, Iman, Con, and Ulil for their assistance in the forest, and Gregoire Bertagnolio for all his help in the field. BOS Netherlands, the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust, US Fish and Wildlife Service, the Great Ape Trust in Iowa, the NVD (Dutch Foundation Zoo’s Help), and the Ouwehands Zoo Foundation in the Netherlands are thanked for their financial support for the project.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Research Centre for Evolutionary Anthropology and Palaeoecology, School of Natural Sciences and Psychology Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, L3 3AF, UK

    S. A. Wich

  2. Sumatran Orangutan Conservation Programme (PanEco-YEL), Medan, Sumatra, Indonesia

    G. Usher, H. H. Peters, Mokhamad Faesal Rakhman Khakim & G. M. Fredriksson

  3. Sumatran Orangutan Conservation Programme (PanEco-YEL), Medan, Sumatra, Indonesia

    M. G. Nowak

  4. Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics/Zoological Museum, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

    G. M. Fredriksson

Authors
  1. S. A. Wich
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. G. Usher
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. H. H. Peters
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Mokhamad Faesal Rakhman Khakim
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. M. G. Nowak
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. G. M. Fredriksson
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to S. A. Wich .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA

    Nanda B. Grow

  2. Texas A&M University, College Station, USA

    Sharon Gursky-Doyen

  3. Texas A&M University, College Station, USA

    Alicia Krzton

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2014 Springer Science+Business Media New York

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Wich, S.A., Usher, G., Peters, H.H., Khakim, M.F.R., Nowak, M.G., Fredriksson, G.M. (2014). Preliminary Data on the Highland Sumatran Orangutans (Pongo abelii) of Batang Toru. In: Grow, N., Gursky-Doyen, S., Krzton, A. (eds) High Altitude Primates. Developments in Primatology: Progress and Prospects. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-8175-1_15

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation