Source

Type

Peer Review

Audience

Pages

Notes

The effect of regional deforestation on the remaining forest islands containing significant orangutan populations is as yet understudied, but given the effects on ecosystem malfunction described above, is likely to include the following:

•More altitudinal migrations of orangutans in search of food sources during periods of food shortages;
•More orangutans dying from starvation during periods of food shortages, especially in periods when their normal staple fruit tree species fail to fruit;
•Populations reduced in size as a result of lower carrying capacity of the forests affected by longer periods of drought.