Our objective is to understand and design functional forest corridors that can sustain “Totally Protected Species” such as orangutan, pygmy elephants and other wildlife population in a fragmented landscape dominated by oil palm plantations. The ultimate goal is to improve the conditions of oil palm dominated landscape for biodiversity and to foster the delivery of ecosystem services.

Since 2018, HUTAN and partners have pioneered a strategy to improve landscape connectivity by acquiring non-protected land parcels to create continuous corridors that link forest fragments. 

Creating functional forest corridors in agricultural landscapes

An abandoned oil palm area is being reforested with native seedlings.

The area is connecting two protected patches of forest. We conducted a preliminary wildlife assessment to document the primary baseline data. Our study aims to produce a comprehensive documentation to develop a Biodiversity Monitoring Strategy, and Standard Operating Procedures for creating functional forest corridors in agricultural landscapes.

Wildlife monitoring

Wildlife monitoring is a dynamic and adaptive exercise and contributes to understanding the impact of threats on a given population. This is an essential element of wildlife management since the results of monitoring activities will inform efficiency of management practices being implemented and will allow for necessary adjustment (adaptive management).

We also monitor the landscape by assessing land cover changes from satellite imagery for example.