Behavioral and Ecological Responses of Silvery Gibbons (Hylobates moloch) to Severe Habitat Degradation in West Java, Indonesia 2004 Conservation Small Grant Award Report

Descriptions of Javan gibbon social organization usually emphasize the small group size, territoriality, and monogamous mating pattern.. However, there are relatively few data on the distribution, behavior, or socioecology of this species (Kappeler, 1984; Nijman, 2001). These data are important for the conservation of this species, as well as for developing accurate evolutionary models of gibbon social systems. In an attempt to continue to develop an effective conservation action plan for the protection and management of the silvery gibbon of Java, we observed of a small population of silvery gibbons in the Cagar Alam Leuweung Sancang (CALS), West Java, Indonesia. The objectives of this research were to: 1) Describe the current ecological conditions of CALS in general, and of the gibbon population in specific, based on an overall survey of the reserve and systematic observations of focal groups including both visual and auditory observational methodologies; and 2) Contextualize the results of this research within current frameworks for understanding the evolution of social systems in the Hylobatidae, test ecological predictions, and assess the viability and adaptability of the CALS population given the history of Behavioral and Ecological Responses of Silvery Gibbons (Hylobates moloch) to Severe Habitat Degradation in West Java, Indonesia 2004 Conservation Small Grant Award Report