Description of impact
Improved gibbon and siamang population assessment methods, and hence improved management of these endangered and critically endangered populations.Who is affected
National, international and private conservation organisations monitoring and managing gibbon and siamang populations.Narrative
In consultation with the IUCN and gibbon researchers, we are developing software tools for more effective monitoring, and hence management, of gibbons and siamang. At the same time, we are participating in an IUCN initiative to develop Best Practice Guidelines for gibbons and siamang. The IUCN has previously developed such guidelines for large apes, and these guidelines have had very substantial impact on the assessment of great ape populations, having become the "industry standard" for conducting surveys of these populations. We expect that the IUCN guidelines we are developing will become the same for gibbons and siamangs.A suite of survey and analysis methods developed at St Andrews will appear in the guidelines as the IUCN-recommended method for surveying many of these populations, and the software we are developing is likely to become the standard software for the analysis of these surveys.
At least 4 gibbon survey programs have already adopted the St Andrews methods, and this number is set to increase.
The guidelines and software manual were written in English and translated into Chinese and Indonesian to make them accessible to scientist in gibbon and siamang ranges (S.E. Asia).
| Impact status | Open |
|---|---|
| Impact date | 11 May 2017 |
| Category of impact | Environmental Impact |
| Impact level | Involvement - mid or active stage |