Smallholder agriculture cuts into key Sumatran tiger habitat
by Rachel Fritts on 26 January 2021
Satellite data show several surges in deforestation in Kerinci Seblat National Park in 2020.
Kerinci Seblat provides vital habitat for critically endangered Sumatran tigers, as well as many other species.
The primary driver of this deforestation appears to be the expansion of small farms.
Initiatives in the area are attempting to reduce smallholder expansion by encouraging the adoption of more sustainable farming practices.
Indonesia’s Kerinci Seblat National Park is the largest national park on the island of Sumatra and the second-largest park in Southeast Asia. It is home to a wide variety of jungle cat species and is considered one of the world’s last great strongholds for critically endangered Sumatran tigers (