Deakin University
Browse

Demographic status of Komodo dragons populations in Komodo National Park

Version 2 2024-06-13, 09:37
Version 1 2016-02-29, 12:10
journal contribution
posted on 2024-06-13, 09:37 authored by D Purwandana, A Ariefiandy, MJ Imansyah, H Rudiharto, A Seno, C Ciofi, DA Fordham, TS Jessop
The Komodo dragon (Varanus komodoensis) is the world's largest lizard and endemic to five islands in Eastern Indonesia. The current management of this species is limited by a paucity of demographic information needed to determine key threats to population persistence. Here we conducted a large scale trapping study to estimate demographic parameters including population growth rates, survival and abundance for four Komodo dragon island populations in Komodo National Park. A combined capture mark recapture framework was used to estimate demographic parameters from 925 marked individuals monitored between 2003 and 2012. Island specific estimates of population growth, survival and abundance, were estimated using open population capture-recapture analyses. Large island populations are characterised by near or stable population growth (i.e. λ~. 1), whilst one small island population (Gili Motang) appeared to be in decline (λ= 0.68 ± 0.09). Population differences were evident in apparent survival, with estimates being higher for populations on the two large islands compared to the two small islands. We extrapolated island specific population abundance estimates (considerate of species habitat use) to produce a total population abundance estimate of 2448 (95% CI: 2067-2922) Komodo dragons in Komodo National Park. Our results suggest that park managers must consider island specific population dynamics for managing and recovering current populations. Moreover understanding what demographic, environmental or genetic processes act independently, or in combination, to cause variation in current population dynamics is the next key step necessary to better conserve this iconic species. © 2014 Elsevier Ltd.

History

Journal

Biological conservation

Volume

171

Pagination

29-35

Location

Amsterdam, The Netherlands

ISSN

0006-3207

Language

eng

Publication classification

C Journal article, C1.1 Refereed article in a scholarly journal

Copyright notice

2014, Elsevier

Publisher

Elsevier

Usage metrics

    Research Publications

    Categories

    No categories selected

    Exports

    RefWorks
    BibTeX
    Ref. manager
    Endnote
    DataCite
    NLM
    DC