SG Fauna and Flora
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H & B Consulting Th Immeuble HAJAL CENTER – 6 Floor – Suite 604 H & B Consulting USA LLC P O Box 2986 Yaoundé Cameroon 4800 Hampden Lane - Suite 200 (237) 22 22 38 90 – (237) 99 92 67 07 Bethesda, MD 20814 [email protected] Phone: 1-240-752-1564 www.handb-consulting.com Fax: 1-240-482-3759 [email protected] REPORT Impact assessment of Fauna and Flora In the SGSOC Concession Area near to the Kurop National Park and the Nguti area of Cameroon: EIA report for SG Sustainable Oils Cameroon LTD Draft Report prepared by: Dennis Anye Ndeh - EIA Consultant Revised by Andrew A. Allo, PhD. Associate Professor of Ecology, Bamenda University of Science and Technology; Visiting Professor of Ecology of Personal Life, SNL, DePaul University, Chicago and former WWF Korup Project Manager 1989-1992 September 2010 Table of contents 1. INTRODUCTION TO SGSOC PROJECT AND THE REGION..........................4 1.1. Introduction to the region....................................................................................... 4 1.2. Aim and objectives of the study ............................................................................. 8 1.3. The evolution of National Parks and Reserves in Cameroon ................................ 9 1.4. Protected Areas within the vicinity of SGSOC project site ................................... 10 1.4.1. Description and creation of Korup National Park ................................................ 12 1.4.2. Description and creation of Bayang Mbo Wildlife Sanctuary ............................... 14 2. METHODOLOGY .......................................................................................................... 15 2.1. Biodiversity review .................................................................................................. 15 2.2. Fieldwork ................................................................................................................ 16 2.2.1. Study sites .............................................................................................................. 16 2.2.2. Field methods used ................................................................................................. 17 2.2.3. Habitat surveys ....................................................................................................... 17 2.3. Species surveys ...................................................................................................... 17 2.3.1. Avifauna surveys ..................................................................................................... 17 2.3.2. Mammals survey ..................................................................................................... 18 2.3.4. Botanical surveys .................................................................................................... 19 3. DATA AND ANALYSIS .................................................................................................. 19 4. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION ...................................................................................... 19 4.1. An assessment of the geographical biodiversity context of the site: .................... 19 4.2. Project location in relation to international conservation priorities and protected areas network in Cameroon ..................................................................................................... 20 4.2.1. Birdlife`s “Cameroon Gabon Lowlands Endemic Bird Area” ................................ 21 4.2.2. BirdLife International’s Important Bird Areas ....................................................... 21 4.2.3. Protected Areas (WDPA 2006) ............................................................................ 22 5. DESKTOP BIODIVERSITY RESULTS AND DISCUSSION .......................................... 22 5.1. Medium to large sized mammals ......................................................................... 23 5.2. Small Mammals ................................................................................................... 25 2 5.3. Herpetofauna ...................................................................................................... 25 5.4. Avifauna .............................................................................................................. 26 5.5. Invertebrates ....................................................................................................... 27 6. FIELDWORK ASSESSMENT RESULTS AND DISCUSSIO.....................................27 6.1. Terrestrial mammals ................................................................................................ 28 6.2. Avifauna .................................................................................................................. 29 7. POTENTIAL IMPACTS OF SGSOC PROJECT IN THE AREA ............................................ 30 7.1. Potential impact on critical habitats ......................................................................... 30 7.2. Potential impact based on regional biodiversity priorities (analysis) ........................ 31 7.3. Potential impact based on connectivity and biodiversity corridors ........................... 31 7.4. Potential impact based on regional ecological processes ....................................... 32 8. MITIGATION MEASURES .................................................................................................... 32 8.1. Protection of Sensitive Areas as a mitigation measure ........................................... 32 8.2. Establishment of In-situ and Ex-situ Conservation Programs as a mitigation measure34 8.3. Wildlife Protection as a mitigation measure ............................................................ 35 8.4. Minimize land disturbance as a mitigation measure ................................................ 36 8.5. Managing Human-Wildlife Conflict as a mitigation measure ................................... 36 8.6. Biological control programs as a mitigation measure .............................................. 37 9. BIODIVERSITY OFFSETS ................................................................................................... 39 9.1. Possible offset option for the impact ....................................................................... 39 10. BIODIVERSITY INDICATORS FOR LONG TERM MONITORING ..................................... 40 10.1. Area / Habitat based indicator .............................................................................. 40 10.2. Ecosystem integrity indicators ............................................................................... 40 11. RECOMMENDATIONS ....................................................................................................... 40 12. REFERENCES ................................................................................................................... 42 Annex 1: Definitions of the IUCN Protected Area Management Categories ....................... 45 Annex 2: IUCN and CITES threat categories ........................................................................ 47 Annex 3: Biome restricted bird species of the Cameroon Gabon Lowlands EBA ............ 48 Annex 4: Bird species recorded at Project site with their relative abundance and encounter rates. ...................................................................................................................... 51 3 1. INTRODUCTION TO SGSOC PROJECT AND THE REGION 1.1. Introduction to the region SG Sustainable Oils Cameroon (SGSOC) is developing a sustainable Oil Palm Project located in a lowland region of the support zone of Korup National Park and the Nguti area in the Southwest region of Cameroon (Figure 1). The Project is located within the Mamfe, Kupe-Manenguba, Bangem and Mundemba Sub-Divisions of Cameroon. Biogeographically, the Project is located in the Guineo-Congolian forest region which is known for its extensive tracts of lowland humid forest. This Congolian Coastal Forest is one of Africa’s richest in forest birds, mammals and plants diversity. In fact, these lush forests are home to half of the endemic plants of west tropical Africa, including six whole families of plants that are found only in tropical Africa (WWF, 2003). These plants are well nourished by heavy, year-round rainfall. Some areas receive as much as 400 inches (10,000 mm) per year and the humidity is always close to 100 percent (WWF, 2003). Large-scale agro-industrial plantations owned by CDC and PAMOL that grow oil palms, rubbers and bananas exist near and around the SGSOC concession areas. Shifting cultivation is the major cause of deforestation around settlements. Other activities include logging by both International and National companies as well as the local population have left behind secondary forest in the concession with patches of intact undergrowth in accidented areas that could not be logged. Hunting of “bush meat” is also common to meet basic needs. The area has a typical equatorial climate with two distinct dry seasons (November–March and July to mid-August) and two wet seasons (April–June and mid-August to October. There are very few employment opportunities in the area and the local populations who are poor rely mainly on natural resources such as non timber forest products, and artisanal fishing in the creeks in the Ekondo Titi and Mundemba area, as their livelihood. 4 A) B) 5 C) D) 6 Figure 1. General geographic and soil context: A) national boundaries at sub-divisional level. B & C) terrain models at sites in Nguti, Mundemba and Toko. D) SGSOC boundary in