Title
Biodiversity Surveys of the Corridor Forests East of Bugoma Forest Reserve up to Budongo Forest Reserve
Author(s)
Plumptre, A.J., Akwetaireho, S., Leal, M., Mutungire, M., Kyamanywa, J., Tumuhamye, D., Bamutura, B., Johnson, A. & Mukundane, R
Abstract
This report summarises biodiversity surveys made in late 2010 in corridor forests to the east of Bugoma Central Forest Reserve (CFR) in smaller CFRs and private forests (Corridor forests) between Bugoma and Budongo CFRs. The surveys were supported by the Jane Goodall Institute (JGI) and the Chimpanzee Sanctuary and Wildlife Conservation Trust (CSWCT). The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) survey teams worked with many privateland owners, and the National Forest Authority to undertake these surveys and we are very grateful for their support and participation.
Three main taxa were surveyed: large and medium sized mammals; birds and trees/shrubs. Recconnaissance surveys of large mammals and birds were made in these corridor forests while randomly allocated points were visited for tree/shrub plots and point counts of birds in the corridor forests.
Many large and medium sized mammal species still occur in the corridor forests including chimpanzees, redtail, grey-cheeked mangabeys, blue monkeys, baboons, vervets and black and white colobus monkeys.
Many bird species that probably require the corridors to link populations in the larger forest blocks were also found in these corridors, particularly the hornbills and tauracos. A few forest raptors were observed in the corridors but not many. No threatened bird species were found in these corridor forests which is similar to findings of a survey made of corridor forests to the south and west of Bugoma (Plumptre et al. 2010). A total of 170 bird species were recorded during these surveys, about 17% of Uganda’s total species number. 150 tree and shrub species were recorded in these surveys also with Wambabya CFR being significantly richer in species than the other corridor forests. Wambabya CFR was similar to Bugoma CFR in terms of its species richness. Carbon measurements in 20m radius circular plots showed that these corridor forests had a relatively low biomass of CO2 per hectare. It is estimated that about 80 tonnes of CO2 per hectare occurs in these corridor forests, compared to 175 tonnes in the forests to the south of Bugoma CFR and 393 tonnes in Bugoma CFR itself.
The conclusion of the surveys is that the corridor forests east of Bugoma are relatively rich in species and have a conservation value in terms of both species richness as well as providing the function of linking larger forest blocks and hence metapopulations of certain species that require these corridors to maintain viable populations (corridor species). A separate study is assessing the feasibility of REDD funding as a way of providing incentives to conserve these forests and this will also assess whether a premium price could be obtained because of the biodiversity value of these forests. Of all the regions in the Murchsion-Semliki landscape, though, this region will generate least funding from carbon funds and other mechanisms will be needed in addition to REDD funds to conserve the remaining forest.
Keywords
corridors, Murchison-Semliki Landscape, biodiversity, surveys
Access Full Text
Back
DMX1159200000