Assessing the Drivers of Distribution for a Cryptic Species Over a Large and Rugged Landscape: Occupancy Modeling of the Critically Endangered Northern White-cheeked Gibbon

Assessing the Drivers of Distribution for a Cryptic Species Over a Large and Rugged Landscape: Occupancy Modeling of the Critically Endangered Northern White-cheeked Gibbon | Authorea try { document.documentElement.classList.add('js'); } catch (e) { } var _gaq = _gaq || []; _gaq.push(['_setAccount', 'G-8VDV14Y67G']); _gaq.push(['_trackPageview']); (function() { var ga = document.createElement('script'); ga.type = 'text/javascript'; ga.async = true; ga.src = ('https:' == document.location.protocol ? 'https://ssl' : 'http://www') + '.google-analytics.com/ga.js'; var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(ga, s); })(); Skip to main content Preprints Collections Wiley Open Research IET Open Research Ecological Society of Japan All Collections About About Authorea FAQs Contact Us Quick Search anywhere Search for preprint articles, keywords, etc. Search Search ADVANCED SEARCH SCROLL Ecology and Evolution This is a preprint and has not been peer reviewed. Data may be preliminary. 16 October 2025 V1 Latest version Share on Assessing the Drivers of Distribution for a Cryptic Species Over a Large and Rugged Landscape: Occupancy Modeling of the Critically Endangered Northern White-cheeked Gibbon Authors : Jay White 0009-0001-9385-814X [email protected] , Akchousanh Rasphone , Khamkeo Syxaiyakhamthor , and Anong Thorya Authors Info & Affiliations https://doi.org/10.22541/au.176061716.65344319/v1 Published Ecology and Evolution Version of record Peer review timeline 210 views 152 downloads Contents Abstract Supplementary Material Information & Authors Metrics & Citations View Options References Figures Tables Media Share Abstract Hunting and wildlife trade in Lao PDR (also known as Laos) has left species of larger wild fauna existing at low densities, almost exclusively in remote areas of rugged forest, and wary of human presence. This makes surveying of larger fauna in the country difficult as observation of individuals is remarkably rare. Due to the critical nature of faunal conservation in Lao PDR (many globally threatened species facing the immediate risk of extirpation) the difficulty of conducting faunal surveys does not supersede the need to do so. Occupancy estimation and modeling, using repeated sampling of presence/non-detection of a site, offers a potential solution to this challenge. We conducted presence/non-detection sampling of 80 sites spread across the potentially suitable habitat for the Critically Endangered northern white-cheeked gibbon in Nam Et-Phou Louey National Park in the northeast of Lao PDR. We used maximum likelihood models to test the significance of several natural and anthropogenic covariates on the population’s detection and occupancy probability to assess the drivers of the population’s distribution. Detection was found to be a function of cloud cover, the proportion of bamboo forest, and topographic roughness of the site. Occupancy was found to be a function of human usage of the site, distance from the nearest road, and the uninterruptedness of forest cover. These results suggest that the viability of this species in Nam Et-Phou Louey National Park relies on preventing the expansion of all forms of roads into the park, maintaining continuous forest cover, and mitigating human presence in the habitat. Supplementary Material File (assessing_the_drivers_of_distribution_ecology_and_evolution.doc) Download 2.28 MB Information & Authors Information Version history V1 Version 1 16 October 2025 Peer review timeline Published Ecology and Evolution Version of Record 22 Jan 2026 Published Copyright This work is licensed under a Non Exclusive No Reuse License. Collection Ecology and Evolution Keywords population ecology statistical terrestrial vertebrate Authors Affiliations Jay White 0009-0001-9385-814X [email protected] Wildlife Conservation Society View all articles by this author Akchousanh Rasphone World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF-Laos) View all articles by this author Khamkeo Syxaiyakhamthor Wildlife Conservation Society View all articles by this author Anong Thorya Wildlife Conservation Society View all articles by this author Metrics & Citations Metrics Article Usage 210 views 152 downloads .FvxKWukQNSOunydq8rnd { width: 100px; } Citations Download citation Jay White, Akchousanh Rasphone, Khamkeo Syxaiyakhamthor, et al. Assessing the Drivers of Distribution for a Cryptic Species Over a Large and Rugged Landscape: Occupancy Modeling of the Critically Endangered Northern White-cheeked Gibbon. Authorea . 16 October 2025. DOI: https://doi.org/10.22541/au.176061716.65344319/v1 If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download. For more information or tips please see 'Downloading to a citation manager' in the Help menu . Format Please select one from the list RIS (ProCite, Reference Manager) EndNote BibTex Medlars RefWorks Direct import Tips for downloading citations document.getElementById('citMgrHelpLink').addEventListener('click', function() { popupHelp(this.href); return false; }); $(".js__slcInclude").on("change", function(e){ if ($(this).val() == 'refworks') $('#direct').prop("checked", false); $('#direct').prop("disabled", ($(this).val() == 'refworks')); }); View Options View options PDF View PDF Figures Tables Media Share Share Share article link Copy Link Copied! Copying failed. 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