Feeding and avoided plants of Sumatran elephants and their implications for human elephant conflict mitigation in a fragmented landscape, Bengkalis, Indonesia
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Abstract. Yoza D, Saputra D, Mubarak, Metananda AA, Pebriandi, Darlis VV, Zulfahmi, Lubis A. 2026. Feeding and avoided plants of Sumatran elephants and their implications for human elephant conflict mitigation in a fragmented landscape, Bengkalis, Indonesia. Asian J For 10 (1): r100136. https://doi.org/10.13057/asianjfor/r100136. Human-Elephant Conflict (HEC) is one of the most critical conservation challenges in Riau Province, Indonesia, driven primarily by rapid habitat fragmentation and agricultural expansion. Understanding feeding preferences and avoiding plant species of the Sumatran elephant (Elephas maximus sumatranus) is essential for developing evidence-based vegetation management strategies to mitigate conflict. This study was conducted in secondary forests and surrounding agricultural landscapes of the Balai Raja Wildlife Sanctuary, Pinggir Sub-district, Bengkalis District, Indonesia, during both the late dry and early rainy seasons. Vegetation surveys were conducted using systematic transects (500 m × 20 m) along identified elephant movement routes, complemented by semi-structured interviews with local communities and elephant handlers. Vegetation data were analyzed using density, frequency, dominance, Important Value Index (IVI), and Shannon-Wiener Diversity Index (H’). Feeding preference was quantified through direct observation of feeding signs and controlled observation of two tame elephants. Statistical differences in biomass consumption between preferred and non-preferred species were tested using the Mann-Whitney U test. A total of 15 species were consumed at the seedling level and 16 species at the sapling level, whereas 10 economically important plant species were identified as avoided by elephants. Poaceae, Cyperaceae, Euphorbiaceae, and Zingiberaceae dominated the consumed vegetation, particularly in shrub and secondary forest habitats. The Mann-Whitney U test showed a significant difference in biomass consumption between preferred and non-preferred species. These findings indicate that early-successional vegetation plays a critical role in sustaining Sumatran elephants in fragmented landscapes in Balai Raja. The identification of avoided crops, such as chili (Capsicum annuum), citrus (Citrus spp.), lemongrass (Cymbopogon citratus), and cocoa (Theobroma cacao), highlights opportunities for vegetation-based buffer strategies that provide both ecological and economic benefits. This study provides practical ecological evidence to support sustainable, landscape-level HEC mitigation planning in Balai Raja.
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