Abstract
Studying and Saving Orangutans: An Ongoing Issue in Global Conservation Track: Ecology and Conservation Author(s): Nancy Briggs Since 1971, Birute Galdikas has been in Borneo studying and saving orangutans and the tropical rain forest in a nonstop conservation effort. Chosen by Dr. Louis Leakey, Birute's research has been unique in the life study of generations of orangutans and the decimation of the forest. Co-author and colleague, Dr. Briggs has studied the great apes and the most endangered orangutan, the only Asian great ape, not only in terms of numbers but in quality of life. The Orangutan Foundation International (OFI) began a comprehensive GIS program in 2003. Using Image Processing and GIS tools, a landcover map of the Tanjung Puting National Park where a significant orangutan population live, was created and priority areas for conservation and management was set based on a spatial assessment of habitat, resources, and disturbance threats. GIS helps to solve the ongoing issues in saving the orangutans, their habitat, and form integrated development plans with the community. With essential interpretation from Dr. Galdikas' thirty plus years in the field, the GIS data has assisted important conservation efforts. Nancy Briggs The Orangutan Foundation International E-mail: sinskeep@Esri.com |
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