POSTER HABITAT SUITABILITY OF JAVAN LEOPARD EDITED

BACKGROUND
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HABITAT USE OF
JAVAN LEOPARD

Javan leopard is categorized as Critical Endangered species on the IUCN Red List and protected by
Indonesian government regulation.
Javan leopard is only distributed in Java Island – the most densely populated island in Indonesia
More than 80% of Javan leopard habitat is production forest, so this animal will always face the impact of
exploitation activities.
High rate of deforestation in Central Java during period of 2000-2005 is 142.560 ha per year.
Javan leopard is prone to local extinction due to habitat degradation, fragmentation and habitat loss.

Present status of Javan leopard’s population and distribution is not well documented.
Habitat suitability model could provide information on the present status which enable management
authority to define the important actions.

IN CENTRAL JAVA PROVINCE

OBJECTIVES
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Develop spatial model of habitat use of Javan leopard
Develop spatial model of habitat vulnerability of Javan leopard
Develop spatial model of habitat suitability of Javan leopard

MATERIALS AND METHODS
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Ledend
Present population of Javan leopard

Research was conducted in 2008 and located in Central Java Province.

Extinct population

A. MATERIALS
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Province Boundary

Digital maps of climate, land cover (2006), teak and pine plantations, RBI (topography), forest area boundary
and land use (forest status); and periodic wildlife inventory report.

Habitat Use Classes
High

B. METHODS
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Medium
Low

GPS mapping survey on Javan Leopard and its preys; questionnaire survey for complementing wildlife data.
Weighted spatial model of habitat suitability using Arcview 3.2; Six factors were considered as determinant of
habitat suitability of Javan leopard (i.e. area, prey, vegetation, rainfall, water body (determinant of habitat
use), topography, elevation and forest status (determinant of habitat vulnerability).
Weight of each variable was developed by rating method and defined through arbitrary way based on expert
judgment. The linear equation of the model is :
C = 0,35(x1) + 0,25(x2) + 0,15(x3) + 0,05(x4) + 0,05(x5) + 0,06(x6) + 0,05(x7) + 0,04(x8)
Where C is habitat suitability; x1 is habitat area; x2 is prey availability; x3 is vegetation types of forest; x4 is
rainfall; x5 is water availability; x5 is topography; x7 is elevation and x8 is forest status.
Factors

Score

Habitat Use

Prey

IN CENTRAL JAVA PROVINCE

> 1000 ha
600 – 1000 ha
< 600 ha
6 species of main preys (primates and ungulates)

5 4 species of main preys
1 1-3 species of main prey(s)

Forest types
Water
Rainfall types (Schmidt &
Ferguson classification)

Habitat Vulnerability

JAVAN LEOPARD

Criteria
10
5
0
10

Habitat area

HABITAT VULNERABILITY OF

Forest status

Topography

Elevation

10
5
10

0
1
5
10
10

Natural forest
Plantation forest
Water body in the patch
No water body in the patch
D or E
C or C and D
A or B
Conservation forest and protected forest

5
1
1
5
10

1
5
10

Limited production forest
Common production forest
Slope < 15 %
Slope 15% -25 %
Slope > 25%
< 500 m above sea level
500 – 1000 m above sea level
> 1000 m above sea level

LEGEND
Present population of Javan leopard
Extinct population
Province boundary
Vulnerability Classes
Low
Medium

High

C. HABITAT SUTABILITY
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Procedure of spatial modelling of habitat suitability of Javan leopard
DATA OF PREYS

PATCH AREA

Class of prey
availability

Class of
sufficiency
patch area

FOREST COVER

Class of forest
cover

WATER BODY

Class of water
availability

RAINFALL

FOREST STATUS

TOPOGRAPHY

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31% of forest area in Central Java can be classified as high suitability for Javan leopard, 61% as medium
suitability and 8% as low suitability.
26 population (54%) of Javan leopard are distributed in high suitability habitat, 20 (42%) in medium suitability

habitat and 2 (4%) in low suitability habitat.
Model validity is 95,83%

HABITAT SUITABILITY OF
JAVAN LEOPARD
IN CENTRAL JAVA PROVINCE

Habitat used
potential

MODEL OF
HABITAT USE

MODEL OF HABITAT
SUITABILITY

Class of rainfall

Class of forest
status

Class of
topography

MODEL OF HABITAT
VULNERABILTY
LEGEND
Present population of Javan leopard

ELEVATION

Class of
elevation

Extinct population
Province boundary

© Photo :by MacKinnon

Habitat Suitability Classes
High
Medium

RESULT AND DISCUSSION

Low

A. HABITAT USE
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GPS survey found 48 location (assumed as 48 population) of Javan leopard.
Central Java is covered by 684.911,54 ha forest vegetation (natural forest and plantation forest)
43% of forested area are highly used by Javan leopard, 50% Medium and 7% Low.
69% of population of Javan leopard are concentrated in forested are with high class of habitat use, 29%
medium and 2% low.
Model validity 97.92%

CONCLUSSION
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B. HABITAT VULNERABILTY
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*)
1)
2)

44% location of Javan leopard is distributed in habitat with high vulnerability, 35% in medium vulnerability
and 21% in low vulnerability (=secure)
67% local extinction occurred in high vulnerability habitat and 33% in medium vulnerability
Javan leopard is facing local extinction caused by habitat vulnerability (high risk to disturbance by human
activities)

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In general, forest area in Central Java is highly used by Javan leopard as its habitat.
Although 43% of forest area is highly used but only 21% of total forest area that is really secure (low
vulnerability) for Javan leopard .
Vulnerability factors are crucial to be considered in management of Javan leopard as they contribute
significantly to local extinction.
Habitat suitability model of Javan leopard is 95,83% valid. This model can be used for defining high
conservation value forest in plantation forest landscape and is beneficial for designing strategy and action plan
for Javan leopard conservation.
Habitat suitability model must be applied for other carnivores. The same study should be conducted in other
landscapes.

ACKNOWLEDGMENT : We thank the Perum Perhutani I Central Java for providing data and facilities,
BAPLAN for providing digital maps and The GIS Laboratory of Faculty of Forestry, Bogor Agric. Univ. for
supporting spatial analyses.

Part of Dissertation “Habitat and Distribution of Javan Leopard (Panthera pardus melas Cuvier, 1809) on Fragmented Landscape in Central Java” submitted to Post Graduate
Program, Bogor Agriculture University.
Center for Conservation and Rehabilitation, Research and Development , Forestry Research and Development Agency, Ministry of Forestry.
Department of Forest Resources Conservation and Ecotourism, Faculty of Forestry, Bogor Agriculture University.