Wildlife Species Recorded by Camera Traps in Reforested Lowland Rainforest and Peat Swamp Forest of Gunung Palung National Park, Indonesia

Abstract

We quantified wildlife presence in two reforestation areas of Gunung Palung National Park (GPNP), one of the top biodiversity hotspots in Indonesian Borneo. Wildlife species were monitored using camera traps in two reforested ecosystems: lowland dipterocarp forest and peat swamp forest. The GPNP authority and the non-profit organization Alam Sehat Lestari (ASRI), in affiliation with the non-profit organization Health in Harmony (HIH), have conducted reforestation in the lowland dipterocarp forest since 2009 and the peat swamp forest since 2012. Cameras were placed at 13 locations from December 2020 to August 2022 using point and grid methods. Forty-seven wildlife species were recorded, including mammals (31 species), birds (14 species), and reptiles (2 species). Eighteen of these species are listed as Vulnerable, Endangered, or Critically Endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. The wildlife documented in this study indicate that a reforestation approach emphasizing community engagement, long-term partnerships, and ecosystem functioning can support the restoration of heavily degraded lowland rainforest and peat swamp forest to viable habitat.