Conservation International Indonesia through the Sustainable Landscape Partnership (SLP) has worked closely with the Batang Gadis National Park (BGNP) management authority to implement an innovative programme known as the Tropical Ecology Assessment and Monitoring (TEAM) Network, for which the core objective is to track forest biodiversity trends. Batang Gadis National Park, located in Mandailing Natal District of North Sumatra, is immensely important for biological diversity and the environmental services it provides to surrounding communities. The national park makes up roughly 62% of the Batang Gadis Key Biodiversity Area (KBA), which is recognised for its globally significant floristic and faunal composition. The area is part of the oldest geological formation in Sumatra and has 42 species of recorded mammals and 247 species of birds¹. Importantly, the national park is at the heart of a large area of contiguous forest that extends roughly 6,500 km2 from the Angkola KBA in the west to the Barumun-Rokan ecosystems in the east².

TEAM Network is a global partnership supported by Conservation International, Missouri Botanical Garden, the Smithsonian Institution and the Wildlife Conservation Society that operates at 16 sites across Africa, Asia and Latin America³. By placing wildlife camera traps using a standard protocol, TEAM Network scientists can

Monitoring Biodiversity Values with the Tropical Ecology Assessment and Monitoring (TEAM) Network in Batang Gadis National Park

Batang Gadis National Park and the Sustainable Landscape Partnership

¹ Perbatakusuma, E., J. Supriatna, Wijayanto I.H, H. Soedjito, A. Damanik, K. Azmi, A. MCW, and L. AH. 2010. Strengthening Biodiversity Conservation at Key Landscape Areas in the Northern Sumatra Corridor. Technical Project Report Conservation International, Jakarta, Indonesia² Wibisono, H. T., J. J. Figel, S. M. Arif, A. Ario, and A. H. Lubis. 2009. Assessing the Sumatran tiger Panthera tigris sumatrae population in Batang Gadis National Park, a new protected area in Indonesia. Oryx 43:634-638.³ Recognition of BGNP as an o�cial site is pending approval

determine population and biodiversity trends at di�erent scales. A technical team based in Washington analyses camera trap data and uploads the results to a public website (http://www.teamnetwork.org). This analysis provides an ‘occurrence probability’ for each species, which is a proxy for abundance allowing population trends to be tracked over time. The analysis also provides a ‘Wildlife Picture Index’ (or WPI) measure. The WPI aggregates the species data (in the form of an index number) to identify trends at a site, regional and global levels. Importantly, temporal patterns are calculated and uploaded to the TEAM Network website after the second year of monitoring.

To implement TEAM Network, BGNP sta� and community rangers, with training and support from SLP, placed camera traps at 60 di�erent locations during the 2015 dry season. These cameras were set in the forest for more than 30 days at points within in a grid of two square kilometres across elevational and vegetation type gradients (See Figure 1 for camera trap locations). Further information about the monitoring protocol is available from http://www.teamnetwork.org/protocols/bio/terrestrial-vertebrate.

Figure 1: Map of camera trap locations for the TEAM Network programme in BGNP

Results and conclusion

The results from TEAM Network monitoring in BGNP reveal the extraordinary significance and diversity of the park’s biota. Over 29 di�erent species were recorded (see below table containing the list of identified species, IUCN Redlist classification, distribution and overall population status). As noted in the previous section, population trends are determined after completing the second year of monitoring. Nonetheless, notable results from this round of surveying include: • five endangered species (Sunda Pangolin,Asiatic Wild Dog, Sumatran Clouded Leopard,Sumatra Tiger and Tapir);

• four species endemic to Sumatra (SumatranTiger, Bronze-tail Peacock Pheasant,Salvadori's Pheasant and Sumatran CloudedLeopard);

• four out of five Sumatran wild cat species; and• photographing individual tigers on fouroccasions (being possibly two or threeindividuals), Pangolin three times (probably twoindividuals) and many Tapirs (including withyoung).

The relatively high number of endangered and critical species illustrates the national park’s contribution to conserving Sumatra’s biodiversity. Nevertheless, many of the higher order taxa such as the Sumatra Tiger have vast home-ranges that are highly sensitive to forest fragmentation. The upmost priority should be given to maintaining the area of contiguous forest between the Angkola, Batang Gadis and Barumun-Rokan ecosystems. To that end, it is recommended that a forum be established with the relevant stakeholders and responsible management agencies to examine how a biodiversity corridor can be established in the face of land-use change pressures.

Above all, the successful implementation of TEAM Network in BGNP demonstrates that the monitoring protocol can have a wider application in Indonesia. The monitoring programme could be implemented in a number of reserves allowing population trends to be tracked across a landscape, on an island or even for the whole country. Implementing such a monitoring program would allow a coordinated and adaptive approach to conserving priority species and allocating resources. Conservation International through SLP will continue to assist BGNP to implement TEAM Network and investigate additional sites that may benefit from this important conservation tool. The project will also support BGNP to publish and promote the outcomes of this research.

Table 1: Identified species photographed during the TEAM Network Monitoring at BGNP (Source: www.iucnredlist.org)

Species IUCN Redlist

status

Distribution Overall population status

Acridotheres javanicus (Java

Myna)

Unassessed South East Asia Common

Arctogalidia trivirgata (Small-

toothed Palm Civet)

Least Concern South East Asia (including Java, Kalimantan and

Sumatra)

Common

Argusianus argus (Great Argus) Near

Threatened

Myanmar, Thailand, Malaysia, Brunei Darussalam and

Indonesia (Kalimantan and Sumatra)

100,000 with a moderate rate of

decline

Capricornis sumatraensis

(Sumatran Serow)

Vulnerable Indonesia (Sumatra), Malaysia and Thailand Uncommon and decreasing

Catopuma temminckii (Asian

Golden Cat)

Near

Threatened

China and South East Asia (restricted to Sumatra in

Indonesia)

Decreasing

Chalcophaps indica (Emerald

Dove)

Least Concern North Asia, South Asia, South East Asia and Christmas

Island (Australia)

Common, but decreasing

Cuon alpinus (Asiatic Wild Dog) Endangered South East Asia (in Indonesia restricted to Sumatra

and Java), North Asia and South Asia

4,500–10,500 Individuals and

decreasing

Hemigalus derbyanus (Banded

Palm Civet)

Near

Threatened

South East Asia (in Indonesia restricted to Kalimantan

and Sumatra)

Rare and decreasing

Hystrix brachyura (Malayan

Porcupine)

Least Concern South East Asia and South Asia and North Asia (In

Indonesia it occurs on Sumatra and Kalimantan)

Common, but decreasing

Lariscus insignis (Three-striped

Ground Squirrel)

Least Concern South East Asia (in Indonesia it occurs in Java,

Sumatra and Kalimantan)

Rare and decreasing

Lophura inornata (Salvadori's

Pheasant)

Near

Threatened

Endemic to Sumatra 5,000-19,000 mature individuals, but

decreasing

Macaca nemestrina (Southern

Pig-tailed Macaque)

Vulnerable Thailand, Malaysia, Brunei Darussalam and Indonesia

(Sumatra and Kalimantan)

Locally common

Manis javanica (Sunda pangolin) Critically

Endangered

South East Asia (in Indonesia occurring in Sumatra,

Kalimantan, Java, Bali and Lombok)

Severe decline

Melarctos malayanus (Sun Bear) Vulnerable South East Asia and parts of southern China, India and

Bangladesh. In Indonesia it occurs in Sumatra and

Kalimantan

Declining

Muntiacus Muntjak (Muntjak) Least Concern South East Asia (in Indonesia it occurs in Sumatra,

Kalimantan, Java, Lombok and Bali)

Common, but decreasing

Neofelis diardi ssp. diardi

(Sumatran Clouded Leopard)

Endangered Endemic to Sumatra <2500 Individuals and decreasing

Paguma larvata (Masked Palm

Civet)

Least Concern South East Asia, China, India, Bhutan and Nepal.

Within Indonesia it is restricted to Sumatra and

Kalimantan

Common, but decreasing

Panthera tigris ssp. sumatrae

(Tiger)

Critically

Endangered

Endemic to Sumatra 441-679 and decreasing

Pardofelis marmorata (Marbled

Cat)

Near

Threatened

South East Asia, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China and India.

Within Indonesia it is restricted to Sumatra and

Kalimantan

> 10,000 mature individuals

Polyplectron chalcurum (Bronze-

tail Peacock Pheasant)

Least Concern Endemic to Sumatra Common, but decreasing

Prionodon linsang (Banded

Linsang)

Least Concern South East Asia (In Indonesia occurring in Sumatra,

Kalimantan and Java)

Rare and decreasing

Ratufa a�nis (Pale Giant

Squirrel)

Near

Threatened

South East Asia. Within Indonesia, it occurs in Sumatra

and Kalimantan)

Local common, but decreasing

Rusa unicolor (Sambar Deer) Vulnerable South East Asia, North Asia and South Asia. Within

Indonesia, it occurs in Sumatra and Kalimantan

Disturbed widely, but occurs at low

numbers. Population is declining

Sus scrofa (Wild Boar) Least Concern Europe, North Africa, Middle East, South Asia, Eurasia,

North Asia and South East Asia.

Abundant and widespread

Tapirus indicus (Tapir) Endangered Indonesia (Sumatra), Malaysia, Myanmar and Thailand Highly fragmented and decreasing

Tragulus kanchil (Lesser Mouse-

deer)

Least Concern South East Asia (In Indonesia it is restricted to Sumatra

and Kalimantan)

Common

Varanus salvator (Common

Water Monitor)

Least Concern South East Asia, India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and

Southern China

Common

Figure 2 Images captured during TEAM Network monitoring: a) Melarctos malayanus;b) Argusianus argusc) Rusa unicolor;d) Panthera tigris ssp. sumatrae;e) Tapirus indicus; andf) Catopuma temminckii

(© BGNP & CI)