Habitat Preference of Key Wildlife Species in One of the Largest Lowland Evergreen Forests in Southeast Asia

Wildlife plays a vital role in maintaining ecological balance and biodiversity, relying on habitats that provide shelter, food, and essential resources. This study investigated wildlife distribution and diversity across the REDD+ program area in Cambodia’s Prey Lang Wildlife Sanctuary, a lowland evergreen forest ecosystem, and assessed the effects of forest habitats and anthropogenic pressure on their distribution. We used square transects for sampling and ArcGIS to calculate forest cover and distance to the nearest village as a proxy for human impact. Overall, we recorded seven mammals and two birds, with the great hornbill most frequently detected, followed by pileated gibbon, wild pig, long-tailed macaque, green peafowl, northern red muntjac, and Indochinese silvered langur; gaur and sambar deer were least detected. Wildlife richness and abundance were higher in evergreen-dominated habitats than in mixed deciduous-evergreen forests. Certain K-selected species, including pileated gibbon, Indochinese silvered langur, and great hornbill, were highly specialized and preferred intact forests, whereas generalist species such as northern red muntjac, long-tailed macaque, and wild pig showed ecological flexibility in habitat use. These findings emphasize tailored conservation strategies: protecting intact evergreen forests via REDD+ supports specialized species, while adaptive management in mosaic landscapes benefits generalists, enhancing wildlife conservation and sustainable management of Prey Lang Wildlife Sanctuary.