Citation
Pusparini, Wulan, et al. “Rhinos in the Parks: An Island-Wide Survey of the Last Wild Population of the Sumatran Rhinoceros.” PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, 16 Sept. 2015, journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0136643.
Purpose
The authors sought to asses the population size of the Sumatran rhinoceros, a critically endangered large mammal. The population has dropped significantly in the last two hundred years since the species was first described by Fisher in 1814. The authors decided to conduct this survey in order to understand how best to conserve this rare species.
Methods
To get a solid idea of the rhinoceroses’ distribution and habitat the researchers searched for “signs” of the rhino’s presence, these “signs” includes rhino droppings, foot prints, and a few rare instances of actual sightings. After acquiring the data the researchers conducted statistical analyses of the populations by using PRESENCE var. 8.3 and R version 2.8.1 software.
Results
Despite this being the first systematic survey ever conducted on the species, the results were still inconclusive. This uncertainty in the data made the researchers conclude that immediate action must be taken to preserve the species in order to prevent a worst-case scenario.
Relevance
This research is relevant to invertebrate conservation in Palau because it is an excellent example of population analysis of endemic species. Palau, being an archipelago, is home to countless endemic species, species that inhabit a small geographic range and are sometimes rare as a result. Palau is likely full of undescribed species, however just because they are undescribed does not mean they are safe from human impact. We can use this paper as a model to understand how we can more easily track rare and undescribed species in order to plan how we can save them.
Pusparini, Wulan, et al. “Rhinos in the Parks: An Island-Wide Survey of the Last Wild Population of the Sumatran Rhinoceros.” PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, 16 Sept. 2015, journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0136643.
Purpose
The authors sought to asses the population size of the Sumatran rhinoceros, a critically endangered large mammal. The population has dropped significantly in the last two hundred years since the species was first described by Fisher in 1814. The authors decided to conduct this survey in order to understand how best to conserve this rare species.
Methods
To get a solid idea of the rhinoceroses’ distribution and habitat the researchers searched for “signs” of the rhino’s presence, these “signs” includes rhino droppings, foot prints, and a few rare instances of actual sightings. After acquiring the data the researchers conducted statistical analyses of the populations by using PRESENCE var. 8.3 and R version 2.8.1 software.
Results
Despite this being the first systematic survey ever conducted on the species, the results were still inconclusive. This uncertainty in the data made the researchers conclude that immediate action must be taken to preserve the species in order to prevent a worst-case scenario.
Relevance
This research is relevant to invertebrate conservation in Palau because it is an excellent example of population analysis of endemic species. Palau, being an archipelago, is home to countless endemic species, species that inhabit a small geographic range and are sometimes rare as a result. Palau is likely full of undescribed species, however just because they are undescribed does not mean they are safe from human impact. We can use this paper as a model to understand how we can more easily track rare and undescribed species in order to plan how we can save them.
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