Kadiri Serge Bobo

Assessing conservation values: biodiversity and endemicity in tropical land use systems.

Despite an increasing amount of data on the effects of tropical land use on continental forest fauna and flora, it is debatable whether the choice of the indicator variables allows for a proper evaluation of the role of modified habitats in mitigating the global biodiversity crisis. While many single-taxon studies have highlighted that species with narrow geographic ranges especially suffer from habitat modification, there is no multi-taxa study available which consistently focuses on geographic range composition of the studied indicator groups. We compiled geographic range data for 180 bird, 119 butterfly, 204 tree and 219 understorey plant species sampled along a gradient of habitat modification ranging from near-primary forest through young secondary forest and agroforestry systems to annual crops in the southwestern lowlands of Cameroon. We found very similar patterns of declining species richness with increasing habitat modification between taxon-specific groups of similar geographic range categories. At the 8 km2 spatial level, estimated richness of endemic species declined in all groups by 21% (birds) to 91% (trees) from forests to annual crops, while estimated richness of widespread species increased by +101% (trees) to +275% (understorey plants), or remained stable (- 2%, butterflies). Even traditional agroforestry systems lost estimated endemic species richness by - 18% (birds) to - 90% (understorey plants). Endemic species richness of one taxon explained between 37% and 57% of others (positive correlations) and taxon-specific richness in widespread species explained up to 76% of variation in richness of endemic species (negative correlations). The key implication of this study is that the range size aspect is fundamental in assessments of conservation value via species inventory data from modified habitats. The study also suggests that even ecologically friendly agricultural matrices may be of much lower value for tropical conservation than indicated by mere biodiversity value.

Research and conservation of the larger parrots of Africa and Madagascar: a review of knowledge gaps and opportunities

Parrot populations in Africa and Madagascar are declining and the need for conservation actions to address threats is increasingly recognised. Effective conservation requires a robust knowledge base on which decisions over appropriate actions can be made, yet at present there is no current and readily accessible synthesis of the status of populations, the threats they face and knowledge gaps. Here we begin to address this shortfall for the larger species in the region belonging to the genera Coracopsis, Poicephalus, Psittacus and Psittacula. We review developments since the production of the IUCN Parrot Action Plan published in 2000, identify areas where critical knowledge is lacking and highlight opportunities to address them. While advances have been made over the last decade, progress has not been evenly spread, with a strong bias towards populations in southern Africa. To date much research has focused on describing aspects of ecology and behaviour and there remains a need for studies determining the current status of populations and the factors limiting distributions and abundance. This review aims to provide a basis upon which progress towards an improved understanding of the conservation needs of the larger parrots of Africa and Madagascar can be made.

Wildlife use and the role of taboos in the conservation of wildlife around the Nkwende Hills Forest Reserve; South-west Cameroon

BackgroundCameroon is known as Africa in miniature because of its multitude of ecosystems and associated biodiversity, cultures and traditions. The country also harbors very ancient human populations whose relationship with nature is very intimate and where animals play important roles for their livelihood. Located in the South-west region of Cameroon, the Nkwende Hills Forest Reserve (NHFR) represents an important wildlife conservation site because of its strategic position at the periphery of Korup National Park (KNP). The periphery of NHFR is inhabited by several ethnic groups amongst which are the Obang and Ngunnchang clans who share particular relationships with wildlife. The present paper studies these relationships and contributes to the growing trend of scientific ethnozoological studies across Africa.MethodFrom August to December 2011, a questionnaire survey was addressed to 126 randomly chosen household respondents (HRs) in seven villages at the Northwest periphery of NHFR. In households, preference was given to parents, and to the eldest child in case the parents were absent. Questions related to the uses and local taboos on wildlife species were asked to HRs.ResultsBoth communities have accumulated knowledge on the use of 51 wildlife species of which 50.9% represent mammals, 21.6% birds, 15.7% reptiles, 7.8% fish and 3.9% invertebrates. Four main use categories of wildlife by both communities were identified, namely (1) Food, medicine and sales values (41.2%), (2) Ethnomusical animals and parts used as trophy (29.2%), (3) Decoration and jewelry making values (21.9%) and (4) Magico-religious and multipurpose values (7.8%). Regarding local taboos, species specific taboos (generation totems and acquired totems), habitat taboos (sacred forests), method and segment taboos still persist but are rarely respected among the youth mainly because of the scarcity of wildlife (65.3% of HRs).ConclusionLike other communities living around forest areas, the studied communities use wildlife in their culture and tradition. Wildlife is not only used for consumption, but also for traditional medicines, craft materials and spiritual purposes. But, threats to wildlife and their traditional uses are real and acculturation seems to be the main driver. High priority should be given to the reconciling conservation of species with high values for local communities and human needs.

Estimating Forest Duiker (Cephalophinae) Density in Korup National Park: A Case Study on the Performance of Three Line Transect Methods

Forest duikers (Cephalophinae) are important targets of the bushmeat trade but a reliable and efficient assessment of these shy animals is often regarded as problematic. Using a power analysis approach, we assessed the performance of three established methods (diurnal, nocturnal and indirect dung surveys) in producing density estimates for the blue and the Ogilbys duiker (Cephalophus monticola, Cephalophus ogilbyi ogilbyi) in a 16 km2 section of primary forest, systematically sampled using line transects. Direct survey methods (diurnal and nocturnal) yielded density estimates between 8.3 and 6.8 (blue duiker) and 6.5 and 4.3 animals/ km2 (Ogilbys). The coefficients of variation of density estimates implied a resolution of 44% density change detectable in diurnal surveys but only of 140% in nocturnal surveys. Density estimates derived from the dung survey were lower than those of direct surveys (1.5 animals/ km2 and 1.4 animals/ km2, respectively). Associated coefficients of variation imply a resolution of change in density estimates detectable for changes far larger than 100%. However, dung pile density was susceptible to variation in key parameters (decay and production rates) and difficulties in data acquisition lead us to reject the dung survey as a suitable method in our particular setting. Our results suggest that diurnal direct surveying from line transects can be reliable and effective even for shy forest ungulates under (some) hunting pressure.

Social norms and cultural services - community belief system and use of wildlife products in the Northern periphery of the Korup National Park, South-West Cameroon

Abstract In many traditional societies, beliefs and taboos influence human behaviour towards the natural environment. Such beliefs and taboos are informal institutions where norms rather than official laws determine land use and nature protection in general and wildlife in particular. The present study on beliefs and taboos of the people of the northern periphery of the Korup National Park is an attempt to reveal how norms influence their relation to the environment. A total of 195 households were sampled through a household survey conducted in four villages. The results revealed that before the application of “modern” approaches for wildlife protection and management, the people relied on norms to establish a relationship with wildlife and nature. The enactment of the 1994 legislation on forest, wildlife and fisheries resulted in stiff resistance as it contradicts traditional norms. It was found that 57.4 % of the respondents still perceive wildlife as a resource that can never get extinct. Traditional norms had a differentiated impact especially on game protection. The study recommends that a wildlife benefiting code of beliefs and taboos is developed to provide a basis for establishing a synergy between park management laws and traditional belief/taboo systems that drive the management of wildlife.

Wildlife and Land Use Conflicts in the Mbam and Djerem Conservation Region, Cameroon: Status and Mitigation Measures

This study identified actual and potential resource-use conflicts around the Mbam and Djerem National Park, Cameroon and elucidated ways of mitigating them. Informal interviews were conducted and questionnaires were administered to 263 households from 11 communities. Ninety-one percent of respondents had experienced crop depredation from wildlife over the past two years. A negative relationship was found between distance to park border and the percentage of respondents reporting crop damages by wildlife. Sixty-four percent of respondents reported a positive relationship with conservation authorities, and 38% perceived benefits from the park. More than 95% of respondents in villages closer to the South and West limits of the park reported to perform traditional rituals in the park, although this is currently illegal. Conservation staff reported encroachment into the park by seasonal livestock herders. A participatory zoning plan, strategies for crop compensation, and a conflict management agency should be established at a local level.

Interactive simulations with a stylized scale model to codesign with villagers an agent-based model of bushmeat hunting in the Periphery of Korup National Park (Cameroon)

An agent-based model (ABM) representing snare trapping of blue duikers (Cephalophus monticola) was co-designed and used with local populations to raise their awareness about the sustainability of bushmeat hunting activities in the region of the Korup National Park (South-West Cameroon). Village meetings based on interactive simulations with a stylized scale model were structured in three successive steps. During the first step, an abstract representation of a village surrounded by a portion of forest was co-designed by directly manipulating the computer interface displaying a spatial grid. Then, knowledge about the live-cycle traits and the behavior of blue duikers was shared through the demonstration of the individual-based population dynamics module of the ABM. The objective of the second step, introducing the hunting module of the ABM, was to elicit snare trapping practices trough interactive simulation and to calibrate the hunting module by setting a value for the probability of a blue duiker to be caught by a snare trap. In a third step, a more realistic version of the ABM was introduced. The seven villages included in the process were located in the GIS-based spatial representation, and the number of “Hunter†agents for each village in the ABM was set according to the results of a survey. The demonstration of this realistic version triggered discussion about possible management scenarios, whose results obtained with the finalized version of the ABM will be discussed during next round of village meetings. We present the pros and cons of the method consisting in using at an early stage of the process interactive simulations with stylized scale models to specify empirically-based agent-based models.

SPECIES RICHNESS, SPATIAL DISTRIBUTIONS AND DENSITIES OF LARGE- AND MEDIUM-SIZED MAMMALS IN THE NORTHERN PERIPHERY OF BOUMBA-BEK NATIONAL PARK, SOUTHEASTERN CAMEROON

This study provides basic data on the species richness, spatial distributions, and densities of largeand medium-sized mammals in two Community Hunting Zones (CHZs 13 and 14) located in the northern periphery of Boumba-Bek National Park, southeastern Cameroon. The survey was conducted along 126 2-km transects and 101 recce walkways between transects, over a total of 398 km. A total of 31 species, or groups of species, of largeand medium-sized mammals were observed. The highest encounter rates (ERs) were recorded for red duikers (8.74 signs/ km), blue duiker (6.12), and brush-tailed porcupine (4.42). Relatively high ERs (0.5 or more) were observed for elephant, red river hog, tree pangolin, yellow-backed duiker, and gorilla. Human activities including hunting and snaring were widely observed in the study area. Spatial distribution analysis revealed that different species were affected differently by human activities. In CHZ 13, an area more populated by humans, populations of red duikers and red river hog, important game animals for the local people, appeared to have decreased. In contrast, duikers and red river hog remained in CHZ 14 at similar levels as in the neighboring national parks. These results suggest that areas neighboring the park can exist in different stages of animal deterioration; therefore, the situation should be examined carefully to elaborate an effective wildlife management model that contributes not only to the conservation of biodiversity but also to the sustainable use of bushmeat by local people.

Changes in the composition of hunting catches in southeastern Cameroon: a promising approach for collaborative wildlife management between ecologists and local hunters

In recent years, both depletion of wild animals and declining food supply have threatened the livelihoods of people inhabiting the forests of the Congo Basin, and rendered the bushmeat trade a national and global concern. Because initial approaches to wildlife management were criticized for lacking consideration of the customary rights of local people, a variety of projects have been proposed to ensure their active participation in management initiatives. However, unfamiliar with the concepts of conservation ecology, local people have found it difficult to contribute effectively. This paper proposes an approach to monitor the status of fauna, based on the ratio of blue duikers (Philantomba monticola) to medium-sized duikers (Cephalophus spp.) for the total number of hunting catches (the catch B/M). Analysis of changes in the composition of hunting catches across multiple sites in southeastern Cameroon revealed the following trends: (1) without substantive human intervention, i.e., hunting pressure and forest disturbance, medium-sized duikers were densely distributed while blue duikers were sparse, so that the catch B/M was low; (2) under moderate human intervention, blue duikers became more densely distributed while the original density of medium-sized duikers was maintained, so that the catch B/ M increased; (3) with extensive human intervention in specific areas, medium-sized duikers became sparsely distributed while a relatively high density of blue duikers was maintained, so that the catch B/M increased significantly and a mosaic of different compositions of duikers was formed; and (4) with extensive human intervention extending over the specific extensive area, both medium-sized and blue duikers became sparse. It appears that the catch B/M predicts changes in the status of game animals and of the background wild fauna, and is both a sufficiently reliable variable for ecologists and perceptible for local people. Furthermore, this approach has the potential to cultivate a relationship of trust between ecologists and local people, which is indispensable in establishing effective collaborative wildlife management.

BUSHMEAT HUNTING IN SOUTHEASTERN CAMEROON: MAGNITUDE AND IM PACT ON DUIKERS (Cephalophus spp.)

information regarding the hunting activities of local residents is essential for solving sustainability problems in afro-tropical forests. We studied bushmeat hunting in two Community hunting Zones (ChZs 13 and 14) located in the northern periphery of Boumba-Bek national park in southeastern Cameroon. We monitored 899.14 hunter-days in nine neighboring villages, over a period of 12 months. animals were hunted in national parks and in logging and agroforestry zones. We recorded 587 carcasses of 38 species, for a total fresh biomass of 3.46 tons. ungulates and primates were the most heavily hunted; however, the latter were primarily represented in ChZ 13, the zone with the most intensive hunting pressure. reptiles and birds were fairly represented among offtakes (4.36%). harvests varied considerably by species and ChZ. the blue duiker (41%) and the putty-nosed monkey (15%) were the most frequently captured. in contrast with the latter, the blue duiker was harvested at similar rates in all the villages, indicating its importance for local people. hunters consumed 26.7% of their total catch with their families and sold 67.8%. the bushmeat trade, defined in terms of the proportion of animals sold, was positively correlated with the number of households. in both ChZs hunting was largely unsustainable for blue duikers. however, in ChZ 14 offtakes of red duikers were probably under sustainable harvest limit. our analysis have implications for the development of adaptive wildlife management plans that could enhance sustainability in the region. overhunting will not be solved, unless the bushmeat trade is tackled effectively. key Words: Bushmeat; Cameroon; duiker; harvest rate; Sustainability.