The Faculty of Biology UGM has a Cooperation agreement (PKS) with the Mount Merbabu National Park, one of the activities outlined in this PKS is the assessment of habitat suitability for releasing wildlife in Mount Merbabu National Park, particularly the Javan Hawk-Eagle (Nisaetus bartelsi). This task is under the responsibility of Donan Satria Yudha, S.Si., M.Sc. from the Animal Systematics Laboratory, Faculty of Biology UGM and was assisted by Noorman Hendry Fauzy, S.Si. (an alumni of the Faculty of Biology UGM), and Eveline Wahyuningtyas Yusrina Seddi (an undergraduate student of the Faculty of Biology UGM). Eveline was working on her thesis entitled “Distribution and Density of Wreathed Hornbill (Rhyticeros undulatus Shaw, 1811) in Sokokembang Forest, Pekalongan Regency, Central Java.” which also involves analyzing habitat suitability, therefore her involvement align with this activity.
The habitat suitability activity commenced with a coordination meeting for technical preparation for the Mount Merbabu National Park officers before conducting field data collection for the Javan Hawk-Eagle habitat study. This coordination meeting was facilitated by Kristina Dewi, S.Si., M.Eng., M.Sc. and attended by Nurpana Sulaksono, S.Hut., M.T., Acting Head of the Mount Merbabu National Park. Following this meeting, field data collection took place over 3 days from October 9 to October 11, 2023, with Noorman Hendry Fauzy, S.Si. representing the Faculty of Biology UGM. Subsequently, the habitat study analysis was conducted at the Animal Systematics Laboratory, Faculty of Biology, UGM.
On Monday, November 27, 2023, the drafting of a habitat study document for the release of the Javan Hawk-Eagle was conducted. This activity was organized by the Gunung Merbabu National Park, held at the Animal Systematics Laboratory, Faculty of Biology, UGM. The event was attended by Donan Satria Yudha, S.Si., M.Sc. , Eveline Wahyuningtyas Yusrina Seddi, Rury Eprilurahman, S.Si., M.Sc., and several student assistants specializing in ornithology practicum. The finalization of the habitat study document took place on Friday, December 22, 2023, in the Meeting Room at the Gunung Merbabu National Park office. The conclusions were: (1) Habitat suitability modeling for the Javan Hawk-Eagle in the Gunung Merbabu National Park resulted in a habitat suitability of 178.42 hectares, concentrated in the Ampel and Selo areas, Boyolali Regency, and (2) Environmental variables influencing the suitability of the Javan Hawk-Eagle habitat included elevation, roads, slope, land cover, and Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI). However, there were other variables related to fauna that need attention, such as other eagle species like the black eagle (Ictinaetus malayensis) and three primate species – Javan lutung (Presbytis comata fredericae), Javan surili (Trachypithecus auratus), and long-tailed macaque (Macaca fascicularis) – which also inhabit the Gunung Merbabu National Park area and might potentially disrupt the nests and breeding of Javan Hawk-Eagle chicks.
The Faculty of Biology UGM team suggested that in the following year, it would be beneficial for the Gunung Merbabu National Park to conduct a population and distribution survey of other fauna inhabiting the Mount Merbabu National Park, such as the black eagle, Javan lutung, and long-tailed macaque. Subsequently, this fauna data could be combined with the habitat suitability data for the Javan Hawk-Eagle obtained this year. This could complement the study on the suitability of the Javan Hawk-Eagle habitat, which might also be influenced by the presence of other fauna. Hopefully, the outcomes of this endeavor will be valuable for the Gunung Merbabu National Park, and collaboration can continue to schedule further studies in the following year to enhance the existing data.
