Imbak Canyon Conservation Area
Summary
- Northeast Bornean orangutans (Pongo pygmaeus morio) are present in Imbak Canyon Conservation Area.
- It has been estimated that 24 (CI: 15-37) individuals occur in the site.
- The orangutan population trend is unknown.
- The site has a total size of 300 km².
- Key threats to orangutans are habitat loss, roads giving access to hunters.
- Conservation activities are not documented.
Site characteristics
The Imbak Canyon Conservation Area (ICCA) is located in the eastern state of Sabah, Malaysia. Most of the habitat in the area comprises lowland dipterocarp rainforest, and montane forest mixed with patches of montane heath (Nakabayashi et al. 2020). The Imbak Canyon is approximately 750 m deep, 3 km wide and 30 km long; the floor of the canyon lies at 250 m above sea level, and that rim of the canyon reaches approximately 1,000 m above sea level (Bernard et al. 2013). The highest point at the site is Mount Kuli, at 1,684 m asl (Bernard et al. 2013). The site was once a part of the Yayasan Sabah Concession Area; heavy logging occurred then around the periphery of the ICCA (Nakabayashi et al. 2020). The site was gazetted as a Class I (Protection) Forest Reserve in 2009, and logging activity was totally prohibited. The forest inside the canyon is relatively pristine (Bernard et al. 2013). However, due to logging activities in the past and the proximity to some human settlements and plantations, the forests surrounding the ICCA are generally heavily disturbed (Bernard et al. 2013). The site is an important area for carnivore conservation in Sabah, as it is home to 14 species, including the Hose's civet, a rare species endemic to Borneo (Bernard et al. 2013).
Table 1. Basic site information for Imbak Canyon Conservation Area
| Area | 300 km² |
| Coordinates | 5.160605 N, 116.929972 E |
| Designation | Conservation Area |
| Habitat types | Subtropical/tropical moist lowland forest, subtropical/tropical moist montane forest |
Ape status
Table 2. Ape population estimates in Imbak Canyon Conservation Area
| Species | Year | Abundance estimate (95% CI) | Density estimate [ind./ km²] (95% CI) | Encounter rate (nests/km) | Area | Method | Source | Comments | A.P.E.S. database ID |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pongo pygmaeus morio | 2012 | Imbak Canyon Conservation Area | Camera trapping | Bernard et al. 2013 | 1 individual captured by one camera trap photo | ||||
| Pongo pygmaeus morio | 2014-2017 | 24 (15-37) | 0.18 (0.11-0.27) | Imbak Canyon (unlogged forest) | Aerial survey | Simon, Davis & Ancrenaz 2019 | 55.93 km of aerial transect covered |
Threats
The areas surrounding the ICCA are full of active and abandoned logging roads, providing easy access to hunters going into the ICCA (Bernard et al. 2013). The northern and western borders of the site are close to human settlements and oil palm plantations. Local villagers and oil palm plantation workers hunt in the area, but poaching may also be carried out by people from nearby towns (Bernard et al. 2013). Illegal collection of gaharu (Aquilaria spp.) tree resin also occurs at the site. Resin collectors are likely to also hunt game animals, as they normally stay up to three months in the forest (Bernard et al. 2013).
Table 3. Threats to apes in Imbak Canyon Conservation Area
| Category | Specific threats | Threat level | Quantified severity | Description | Year of threat |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Residential & commercial development | Unknown | ||||
| 2. Agriculture & aquaculture | 2.1 Annual & perennial non-timber crops | Present, but threat severity unknown | Oil palm plantations in the surrounding areas (Bernard et al. 2013). | Ongoing (2013) | |
| 3. Energy production & mining | Unknown | ||||
| 4. Transportation & service corridors | 4.1 Roads & railroads | Present, but threat severity unknown | Areas surrounding the ICCA are fraught with logging roads, either active or abandoned, providing easy access to hunters (Bernard et al. 2013). | Ongoing (2013) | |
| 5. Biological resource use | 5.1 Hunting & collecting terrestrial animals | Present, but threat severity unknown | Hunting signs, including cartridges, abandoned camps, and photos of suspected hunters carrying firearms, recorded during a 2012 survey (Bernard et al. 2013). | Ongoing (2013) | |
| 5.2 Gathering terrestrial plants | Present, but threat severity unknown | Tree resin collectors who stay in the area for months at a time likely hunt (Bernard et al. 2013). | Ongoing (2013) | ||
| 6. Human intrusion & disturbance | Unknown | ||||
| 7. Natural system modifications | Unknown | ||||
| 8. Invasive & other problematic species, genes, diseases | Unknown | ||||
| 9. Pollution | Unknown | ||||
| 10. Geological Events | Absent | ||||
| 11. Climate change & severe weather | Unknown | ||||
| 12. Other options | Absent |
Conservation activities
Table 4. Conservation activities in Imbak Canyon Conservation Area
| Category | Specific activity | Description | Year of activity |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Residential & commercial development | Not reported | ||
| 2. Agriculture & aquaculture | Not reported | ||
| 3. Energy production & mining | Not reported | ||
| 4. Transportation & service corridors | Not reported | ||
| 5. Biological resource use | Not reported | ||
| 6. Human intrusion & disturbance | Not reported | ||
| 7. Natural system modifications | Not reported | ||
| 8. Invasive & other problematic species, genes, diseases | Not reported | ||
| 9. Pollution | Not reported | ||
| 10. Education & Awareness | Not reported | ||
| 11. Habitat Protection | Not reported | ||
| 12. Species Management | Not reported | ||
| 13. Livelihood; Economic & Other Incentives | Not reported |
Challenges
Regular law enforcement activities are needed, as well as the establishment of guard posts (Bernard et al. 2013).
Table 5. Challenges reported for Imbak Canyon Conservation Area
| Challenge | Source |
|---|---|
| Lack of law enforcement | Bernard et al. 2013 |
Research activities
Documented behaviours
Table 6. Ape behaviors reported for Imbak Canyon Conservation Area
| Behavior | Source |
|---|---|
| Not reported |
External links
Relevant datasets
References
Simon, D., Davies, G., & Ancrenaz, M. (2019). Changes to Sabah's orangutan population in recent times: 2002-2017. PloS one, 14(7), e0218819. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0218819
Bernard, H., Ahmad, A. H., Brodie, J., Giordano, A. J., Lakim, M., Amat, R., ... & Sinun, W. (2013). Camera-trapping survey of mammals in and around Imbak Canyon Conservation Area in Sabah, Malaysian Borneo. Raffles Bulletin of Zoology, 61(2).
Nakabayashi, M., Salam, P. M. S. B., Leung, L. Y., Ahmad, A. H., & Battin, J. B. (2020). Effect of Logging on the Ficus Community at Batu Timbang Research Station, Imbak Canyon Conservation Area, Sabah. Journal of Tropical Biology & Conservation (JTBC), 17, 233-249.
Page completed by: A.P.E.S. Wiki team Date:29/11/2021