🤯 Did You Know (click to read)
Orangutans consume fruit from hundreds of different tree species across their range.
Selective logging targets high-value timber species, many of which also produce important fruit for Bornean orangutans. Even when forest cover remains visually intact, the removal of specific trees alters food availability. Orangutans depend on diverse fruiting species that peak at different times. Logging can shift forest composition toward less nutritious or less accessible species. Over time, dietary diversity declines and foraging distances increase. Structural canopy gaps may close, but ecological function changes persist. Selective extraction therefore has long-term biological consequences.
💥 Impact (click to read)
A forest may appear green from satellite imagery while lacking essential feeding trees. Nutritional stress can accumulate gradually rather than immediately. Females may delay reproduction in suboptimal conditions. Reduced fruit diversity also intensifies competition within overlapping ranges. Subtle ecological shifts can produce delayed demographic decline.
Sustainable forestry practices that preserve key fruit species can mitigate some impacts. Identifying and protecting high-value ecological trees should complement economic planning. Long-term forest management must integrate wildlife dietary requirements. Without ecological foresight, selective logging can undermine population resilience even in partially protected areas. Food web integrity determines survival over generations.
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