Many more species at risk from Southeast Asia tree plantations, study finds
As more of Southeast Asia’s forests are cleared for tree plantations, a study finds that 42 percent of mammal, bird and amphibian species endemic to the region’s forests face a higher risk of extinction from habitat loss than previously thought. Many of the species inhabit small ranges in remote forests that cross national borders. Transboundary protected areas and greater use of remote sensing to monitor risks is vital for their survival, say investigators. “Many of these species have alarmingly small ranges that make them extremely vulnerable,” said Binbin Li, a doctoral student at Duke’s Nicholas School of the Environment, who led the study. “We may lose them before we are even able to get enough data to officially list them as threatened.”
