In early 2024, we returned to the Stability of Altered Forest Ecosystems (SAFE) project area in Kalabakan Tawau to resample dung beetles and monitor mammals using camera traps. Partnering with the South East Asia Rainforest Research Partnership (SEARRP), our team was finally able to resume work after the COVID-19 pandemic.
Group photo of team members. Photo 2024 Chiew Li Yuen.
We had eagerly anticipated this expedition, and the journey back to SAFE felt like a homecoming. However, we were faced with navigating through overgrown trails. The process of cutting through and reopening these trails to our long-forgotten sites was both time-consuming and invigorating. As the SAFE camp was since abandoned during the pandemic, we often had to camp in multiple field sites.
Returning to the field site with the research assistants & navigating through the overgrown trails. Photos 2024 Chiew Li Yuen.
Our camping ground. Photo 2024 Chiew Li Yuen.
Our objective was to resurvey our previous sites to determine how dung beetles and mammals have been responding to the area's gradual recovery since the last major logging activities in 2015-2016. Additionally, the outbreak of African swine fever had wiped out most of the wild pigs in the area, adding another layer of complexity to our research.
Setting up camera traps and human dung-baited pitfall traps. Photos 2024 Chiew Li Yuen.
As we reestablished our research efforts, we are excited to see what new insights our data will reveal about the ongoing recovery and adaptation of these vital forest ecosystems. This work is crucial for understanding the resilience of such ecosystems in the face of human-induced changes and natural challenges. Written by Li Yuen.
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