Negative short-term impact of logging on great ape distribution has been investigated but very little information is available on the long-term impacts of selective logging and management plans on ape habitats at a broader scale. We carried out a habitat suitability analysis using the presence data of great apes to identify the spatial relationships between their locations, logging activities patterns, and other human impacts (due to activities in rural communities) in an FSC-certified forestry concession (388,949 ha) in Cameroon. First, field data showed that the two great ape species, gorilla (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) and chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes troglodytes), did not differ in habitat type selection and they particularly appreciated highly dense rainforests which also lie within selectively logged zones. Second, we used MAXENT software to relate ape presence data to a set of predictor variables which represent environmental conditions and human disturbance factors (poaching, farming, trees felled to collect honey, logging roads). The model predicted that half of the whole concession may be suitable for the two primate species. Disturbances stemming from rural communities mainly correspond to poaching in the framework or not of usage rights. Road density was the strongest predictor of habitat choice by the great apes. Whereas the great apes tend to avoid zones with high road density, their population abundance increases in areas with a certain level of old logging roads. The vast majority of the predicted suitable habitats corresponds to areas logged less than 17 years ago (46.8% of the whole suitable area) where sustainable management practices have begun to be implemented, and unlogged areas (34.30%). Unsuitable habitats were mostly located in areas exploited before 2003 (45.46% of the unsuitable zones) with no reduced-impact logging practices, and in unlogged forests (41.51%). Our findings tend to confirm that selective logging combined with reduced-impact logging techniques which were more prevalent in FSC-certified concessions, may maintain or increase the spatial distribution of great ape habitats.

已经调查了伐木对大猿猴分布的负面短期影响，但是关于选择性伐木和管理计划对更广泛的猿类栖息地的长期影响的信息很少。我们使用FSC认证的林业特许区（388,949公顷），使用大猿类的存在数据进行了栖息地适宜性分析，以确定它们的位置，伐木活动模式和其他人类影响（由于农村社区的活动）之间的空间关系。在喀麦隆。首先，野外数据表明，两种大猿种大猩猩（Gorilla gorilla gorilla）和黑猩猩（Pan troglodytes troglodytes））在生境类型选择上没有差异，他们特别欣赏也位于选择性伐木区内的高密度雨林。其次，我们使用MAXENT软件将猿类的存在数据与一组预测变量相关联，这些变量代表环境条件和人为干扰因素（偷猎，耕种，砍伐树木收集蜂蜜，伐木等）。该模型预测整个特许经营权的一半可能适用于两个灵长类物种。来自农村社区的干扰主要对应于使用权框架内的偷猎。道路密度是大猿对栖息地选择的最强预测指标。大猿倾向于避开道路密度高的区域，而在具有一定水平的旧伐木道路的地区，它们的种群数量却增加了。绝大多数预计的合适栖息地对应于不到17年之前开始采伐的区域（占整个合适区域的46.8％）和未采伐区域（34.30％）。不适宜的栖息地大多位于2003年之前被开发的区域（占不适宜区域的45.46％），没有减少影响的伐木做法，并且位于未砍伐的森林中（占41.51％）。我们的发现倾向于证实选择性伐木与减影伐木技术相结合（在FSC认证的特许权中更为普遍）可以维持或增加大猿类生境的空间分布。不适宜的栖息地大多位于2003年之前被开发的区域（占不适宜区域的45.46％），没有减少影响的伐木做法，并且位于未伐木的森林中（占41.51％）。我们的发现倾向于证实选择性伐木与减影伐木技术相结合（在FSC认证的特许权中更为普遍）可以维持或增加大猿类生境的空间分布。不适宜的栖息地大多位于2003年之前被开发的区域（占不适宜区域的45.46％），没有减少影响的伐木做法，并且位于未砍伐的森林中（占41.51％）。我们的发现倾向于证实选择性伐木与减影伐木技术相结合（在FSC认证的特许权中更为普遍）可以维持或增加大猿类生境的空间分布。