DOCSLIB.ORG

Village Forest Management As a Way to Protect Biodiversity in Tanzania

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Village Forest Management As a Way to Protect Biodiversity in Tanzania Village Forest Management as a way to protect biodiversity in Tanzania Authors: Heini Vihemäki (World Agroforestry Centre, Nairobi, Kenya) and Charles Leonard (Tanzania Forest Conservation Group, Tanzania) The experiences from around Tanzania suggest that Community Based Forest Management (CBFM) has had promising results in terms of forest recovery and maintenance. Local people also conceive that CBFM has decreased forest threats. Yet, further studies are required to verify the findings (e.g. Blomley et al. 2008). In this paper, we analyze the effects of CBFM, especially the Village Forest Reserves (VFR), for conservation of biodiversity, and the challenges facing their continuity. We draw from the results of a botanical survey and bird survey covering a gradient from Village Forest to agroforests and to more open land uses, conducted in the ‘biodiversity hotspot’ of the East Usambaras as a part of the CIFOR-ICRAF research collaboration, Landscape Mosaics project, and from field observation and secondary material. The results confirm the importance of VFRs for biodiversity conservation, in terms of species composition, but also indicate that the continuity of their management is at risk, e.g. due to dependency on externally funded projects. In the end, we discuss the challenges facing continuity of the management of village forest reserves and identify ways of improving the continuity. Key words: biodiversity conservation, village forest management, Tanzania 1. Introduction The need to conserve tropical biodiversity outside the strictly protected areas, in areas that are more or less intensively used by humans, has became acknowledged in the global conservation and development debate within the past years (Zuidema & Sayer 2002, Wiersum 2003, Sayer et al 2005). The research on biodiversity values of land uses outside the strictly protected areas has increased, but there are still gaps in our knowledge on their biodiversity values and contribution to conservation of rare species (Zuidema & Sayer 2003). Some have suggested that agroforestry areas can harbor substantial levels of bird diversity (Thiollay 1995, cited in Zuidema & Sayer 2003), and that local people may maintain or even consciously preserve endemic species outside the protected forests (Wiersum 2003, 37). In spite of the growing recognition of the importance of landscape approach to conservation (e.g. Sayer et al. 2005, 418-419), in which the idea is to optimize land use for a range of services and products instead of (only) maximizing the protected areas, the best strategies to conserve biodiversity in specific ecological and socio-economic conditions are still debated. As in many other forested developing countries (Sunderlin et al 2005), the forest area under the ‘ownership’ or control of communities has increased considerably in Tanzania during the past 15-20 years (Blomley & Ramadhani 2007). Community-based approaches to forest management and conservation have been promoted as a potential ‘win-win’ solution to address the livelihood needs of local communities and contribute to conservation, as well as to improve the governance of forests by making it more democratic and accountable locally (e.g. Brockington 2007). So far, there is some evidence about positive outcomes for forest recovery and maintenance in Village Forest Reserves, that are managed by a community, such as village, or group of villagers 1 given the managed duty, in different parts of Tanzania, (e.g. Kajembe et al. 2005, Mustalahti 2006, Blomley et al. 2008, Zahabu et al. 2008), as elsewhere in Africa (e.g. Gobeze et al. 2009). Yet, the knowledge on the effects of community-based forest management for forest quality in Tanzania is still inadequate (Blomley et al. 2008). There are also relatively few studies on their contribution to biodiversity conservation objectives, probably because many of the first community-based forest reserves have been established in the areas that are not targeted for biodiversity conservation (such as miombo woodlands), where other management objectives have been given priority. In East Africa, much of the early experience from community involvement in forest management is from robust woodlands rather than closed evergreen forests (Rodgers et al. 2002). There is also ongoing debate as to whether participation of communities in management of forests ‘works’ for biodiversity conservation objective in Tanzania (Rodgers et al. 2000, Newmark 2006, Woodcock et al. 2006). For instance, national level forestry officials have previously opposed the sharing of management responsibility with communities in the case of the Eastern Arc Mountains (Rodgers et al. 2002). The Eastern Arcs are famous for their high level of biodiversity and number of endemic and near endemic species (Rodgers & Homewood 1982; Burgess et al. 2007). They are also considered to belong to the global biodiversity hotspots by Conservation International. Newmark (2006, 132) suggests that protection of primary forests within protected areas in the Eastern Arc Mountains is critical for conserving many of the rare and threatened bird species found in the area. Burgess et al (2002) argue that in the Uluguru Mountains of Tanzania that belong to the Eastern Arcs, much of biodiversity would have been lost without protection of forests in the government managed forest reserves. This paper contributes to the discussion on the potential of Village Forest Reserves and other areas outside the government forest reserves to enhance biodiversity conservation in the East Usambara Mountains that also belong to the Eastern Arc Mountains in Tanzania. We approach biodiversity in a limited sense, in terms of analysis of species diversity of plants and birds, and Shannon index of plants in different land uses outside the government forest reserves. We draw mainly on results from the botanical and bird surveys carried out in three Village Forest Reserves (VFRs) and their surroundings in the East Usambara Mountains. In addition we review case studies from other parts of Tanzania. The biodiversity survey was conducted as a part of a research and development project named Integrating Livelihoods and Multiple Biodiversity Values in Landscape Mosaics , also known as Landscape Mosaics . The project is a partnership between CIFOR and ICRAF, and works in four additional sites1. In Tanzania, it is implemented by the Tanzania Forest Conservation Group 2 (TFCG) in partnership with ICRAF. The project aims to improve both the livelihoods of the rural people and biodiversity values in the tropical landscape mosaics. 1 The project is financed by Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, and other donors. 2 TFCG is an NGO supporting and implementing conservation activities in different parts of the country. Its history is related to the growing activism among the conservationists working in the Eastern Arc Mountains in the end of the 1970s. 2 2. Village Forest Reserves in Tanzania 2.1.Policy context and formation of Village Forest Reserves In Tanzania, the size of forest area managed by communities has grown considerably since the 1990s (Blomley & Ramadhani 2007), and the forest policies support the goal of devolving forest management and, to a more limited degree, conservation of forests to the communities and other stakeholders. In Tanzania, Participatory Forest Management (PFM) is the overall approach, and community based forest management (CBFM) and Joint Forest Management (JFM) as the two main approaches. CBFM is to be implemented in forests in village lands, and it means that the communities, or sometimes groups of people, ‘own’ and manage the forests, e.g. decide about the rules of management and can collect revenue from permits or fines. The ownership is not totally exclusive, however, as all land belongs ultimately to the state in Tanzania. JFM is an approach that is mostly designed for the management of the central or local government forest reserves, in which case the managed responsibilities and revenues are shared. CBFM is implemented in the forests or woodlands under the authority of a village. In the Tanzanian forest policy framework, Village Forest Reserves (VFRs) consist of (1) Village Land Forest Reserves, (2) Community forest reserves that are created out of village forests and (3) Forests on village land that are not reserved and which are managed by the village council, that are the lowest level with decision-making authority of the government. Sometimes only the first category (Village Land Forest Reserves) is referred to as VFRs. The village council, the lowest level of government’s administrative organization, is responsible for managing the VFRs, but often special committees, called Village Forest Committees or Natural Resources Committees are elected to take care of the management duties (Katila 2008). The committee is supposed to draft the management plan, including rules of management. These rules are not legally binding. For legally binding rules for the VFR, the village council is entitled to draw village bylaws. After the village assembly has agreed to declare a VFR and has approved the management plan and by-laws, they are to be submitted to the district for approval (Katila 2008). Participatory Forest Management is officially aimed to contribute to both livelihoods and forest management and conservation goals. Conservation of biodiversity does not appear as a key objective in the national level for the village forests. Yet, within the past years, community participation has increasingly been promoted in areas
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Disaggregation of Bird Families Listed on Cms Appendix Ii
    Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals 2nd Meeting of the Sessional Committee of the CMS Scientific Council (ScC-SC2) Bonn, Germany, 10 – 14 July 2017 UNEP/CMS/ScC-SC2/Inf.3 DISAGGREGATION OF BIRD FAMILIES LISTED ON CMS APPENDIX II (Prepared by the Appointed Councillors for Birds) Summary: The first meeting of the Sessional Committee of the Scientific Council identified the adoption of a new standard reference for avian taxonomy as an opportunity to disaggregate the higher-level taxa listed on Appendix II and to identify those that are considered to be migratory species and that have an unfavourable conservation status. The current paper presents an initial analysis of the higher-level disaggregation using the Handbook of the Birds of the World/BirdLife International Illustrated Checklist of the Birds of the World Volumes 1 and 2 taxonomy, and identifies the challenges in completing the analysis to identify all of the migratory species and the corresponding Range States. The document has been prepared by the COP Appointed Scientific Councilors for Birds. This is a supplementary paper to COP document UNEP/CMS/COP12/Doc.25.3 on Taxonomy and Nomenclature UNEP/CMS/ScC-Sc2/Inf.3 DISAGGREGATION OF BIRD FAMILIES LISTED ON CMS APPENDIX II 1. Through Resolution 11.19, the Conference of Parties adopted as the standard reference for bird taxonomy and nomenclature for Non-Passerine species the Handbook of the Birds of the World/BirdLife International Illustrated Checklist of the Birds of the World, Volume 1: Non-Passerines, by Josep del Hoyo and Nigel J. Collar (2014); 2.
    [Show full text]
  • The Biodiversity and Forest Condition of Mamiwa-Kisara North Forest Reserve
    TFCG Technical Paper 41 The biodiversity and forest condition of Mamiwa-Kisara North Forest Reserve By J. Gwegime, M. Mwangoka, E. Mulungu, J. Latham, R. E. Gereau and N. Doggart Dar es Salaam, 2014 i © Tanzania Forest Conservation Group Suggested citation: Gwegime, J., M. Mwangoka, E. Mulungu, J. Latham, R.E. Gereau and N. Doggart (2014). The biodiversity and forest condition of Mamiwa-Kisara North Forest Reserve. TFCG Technical Paper 41. TFCG, DSM, Tz. 1-86 pp. Cover photograph: Forest at the Nongwe Study Site by Justine Gwegime. ii ii Executive Summary The Ukaguru Mountains encompass six catchment forest reserves within the Eastern Arc Mountains (Ikwamba, Mamboto, Mamboya, Mamiwa-Kisara North, Mamiwa-Kisara South and Uponera). Mamiwa– Kisara North and South comprise the largest forest block in the Ukaguru Mountains. The reserves cover 14,469 ha (Mamiwa-Kisara North is 8,203 ha and Mamiwa-Kiwara South is 6,266 ha). The reserves are approximately 80 km from Kilosa and 20 km from Gairo. Mamiwa-Kisara forest is part of the Ukaguru Mountains Important Bird Area. At least three strictly endemic and 14 Eastern Arc endemic vertebrate species are found in the Ukaguru Mountain forests (Rovero et al., 2014). The forests also contain plants species that are either strictly endemic, such as Lobelia sancta (strictly endemic to Mamiwa-Kisara forest), or of restricted distribution, such as Impatiens ukagaruensis as well as Allanblackia stuhlmannii, Schefflera lukwangulensis, Pavetta lynesii, Streptocarpus schliebenii and Arisaema uluguruense (Lovett and Pocs, 1993). There is one newly discovered amphibian species known in Mamiwa–Kisara forest, Nectophrynoides paulae (Rovero et al.
    [Show full text]
  • The Birds of the Dar Es Salaam Area, Tanzania
    Le Gerfaut, 77 : 205–258 (1987) BIRDS OF THE DAR ES SALAAM AREA, TANZANIA W.G. Harvey and KM. Howell INTRODUCTION Although the birds of other areas in Tanzania have been studied in detail, those of the coast near Dar es Salaam have received relatively little recent attention. Ruggles-Brise (1927) published a popular account of some species from Dar es Salaam, and Fuggles-Couchman (1939,1951, 1953, 1954, 1962) included the area in a series of papers of a wider scope. More recently there have been a few other stu­ dies dealing with particular localities (Gardiner and Gardiner 1971), habitats (Stuart and van der Willigen 1979; Howell 1981), or with individual species or groups (Harvey 1971–1975; Howell 1973, 1977). Britton (1978, 1981) has docu­ mented specimens collected in the area previous to 1967 by Anderson and others. The purpose of this paper is to draw together data from published reports, unpu­ blished records, museum specimens and our own observations on the frequency, habitat, distribution and breeding of the birds of the Dar es Salaam area, here defi­ ned as the portion of the mainland within a 64-km radius of Dar es Salaam, inclu­ ding the small islands just offshore (Fig. 1). It includes Dar es Salaam District and portions of two others, Kisarawe and Bagamoyo. Zanzibar has been omitted because its unusual avifauna has been reviewed (Pakenham 1979). Most of the mainland areas are readily accessible from Dar es Salaam by road and the small islands may be reached by boat. The geography of the area is described in Sutton (1970).
    [Show full text]
  • Coordinated Monitoring of the Endangered Spotted Ground Thrush in the East African Breeding and Non-Breeding Grounds
    CEPF SMALL GRANT FINAL PROJECT COMPLETION REPORT I. BASIC DATA Organization Legal Name: BirdLife International Project Title (as stated in the grant agreement): Coordinated Monitoring of the Endangered Spotted Ground Thrush in the East African Breeding and Non-breeding Grounds Implementation Partners for This Project: Wildlife Conservation Society of Tanzania, Nature Kenya, A Rocha Kenya, individual contributors of basic data Project Dates (as stated in the grant agreement): March 1, 2007 - December 31, 2008 Date of Report (month/year): February 2009 II. OPENING REMARKS Provide any opening remarks that may assist in the review of this report. Spotted Ground Thrush Zoothera guttata is an endemic resident and intra-African migrant bird species. The species is classified as Endangered. Although the species can be found in seven African countries (DRC, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania), Z. g. fischeri, one of the five recognised races of the species, is confined to and migrates within the coastal forests of Kenya and Tanzania. Recent records from Rondo Plateau in the coastal forests of Lindi District in Tanzania indicate that Z. g. fischeri breeds in southern Tanzania coastal forests. It is known as a non-breeding visitor to forests on the Kenya coast and north- eastern Tanzania from Lamu to Pugu Hills. Since the bird is a cross-border species it is particularly difficult to conserve and requires concerted action. In response to this challenge, BirdLife International developed an International Action Plan for the species and further translated it into the national contexts for Kenya and Tanzania using participative stakeholder workshops. In all the three action plans, it is recognised that limited knowledge about the species distribution, movement and population size is a critical problem hindering its conservation, especially in East Africa.
    [Show full text]
  • Systematic and Taxonomic Issues Concerning Some East African Bird Species, Notably Those Where Treatment Varies Between Authors
    Scopus 34: 1–23, January 2015 Systematic and taxonomic issues concerning some East African bird species, notably those where treatment varies between authors Donald A. Turner and David J. Pearson Summary The taxonomy of various East African bird species is discussed. Fourteen of the non- passerines and forty-eight of the passerines listed in Britton (1980) are considered, with reference to treatments by various subsequent authors. Twenty-three species splits are recommended from the treatment in Britton (op. cit.), and one lump, the inclusion of Jackson’s Hornbill Tockus jacksoni as a race of T. deckeni. Introduction With a revision of Britton (1980) now nearing completion, this is the first of two pa- pers highlighting the complexities that surround some East African bird species. All appear in Britton in one form or another, but since that landmark publication our knowledge of East African birds has increased considerably, and with the advances in DNA sequencing, our understanding of avian systematics and taxonomy is con- tinually moving forward. A tidal wave of phylogenetic studies in the last decade has revolutionized our understanding of the higher-level relationships of birds. Taxa pre- viously regarded as quite distantly related have been brought together in new clas- sifications and some major groups have been split asunder (Knox 2014). As a result we are seeing the familiar order of families and species in field guides and checklists plunged into turmoil. The speed at which molecular papers are being published continues at an unprec- edented rate. We must remember, however, that while many molecular results may indicate a relationship, they do not necessarily prove one.
    [Show full text]
  • Guide to Theecological Systemsof Puerto Rico
    United States Department of Agriculture Guide to the Forest Service Ecological Systems International Institute of Tropical Forestry of Puerto Rico General Technical Report IITF-GTR-35 June 2009 Gary L. Miller and Ariel E. Lugo The Forest Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture is dedicated to the principle of multiple use management of the Nation’s forest resources for sustained yields of wood, water, forage, wildlife, and recreation. Through forestry research, cooperation with the States and private forest owners, and management of the National Forests and national grasslands, it strives—as directed by Congress—to provide increasingly greater service to a growing Nation. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, and where applicable sex, marital status, familial status, parental status, religion, sexual orientation genetic information, political beliefs, reprisal, or because all or part of an individual’s income is derived from any public assistance program. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TDD).To file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W. Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call (800) 795-3272 (voice) or (202) 720-6382 (TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer. Authors Gary L. Miller is a professor, University of North Carolina, Environmental Studies, One University Heights, Asheville, NC 28804-3299.
    [Show full text]
  • With Comment on the Choice of Bayesian Branch-Length Prior When Analyzing Heterogeneous Data ⁎ Rauri C.K
    Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 118 (2018) 172–183 Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/ympev The systematics and biogeography of African tailorbirds (Cisticolidae: T Artisornis) with comment on the choice of Bayesian branch-length prior when analyzing heterogeneous data ⁎ Rauri C.K. Bowiea, , Eric Pasquetb,c, Jay P. McEnteea, Fadhili Njilimad, Jon Fjeldsåe a Museum of Vertebrate Zoology and Department of Integrative Biology, 3101 Valley Life Science Building, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720-3160, USA b UMR7205 CNRS, «Origine, Structure et Evolution de la Biodiversité», Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, 55 Rue Buffon, 75005 Paris, France c UMS2700 CNRS, «Outils et Méthodes de la Systématique Intégrative», Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, 43, rue Cuvier, 75005 Paris, France d Udzungwa Forest Project, P.O. Box 99, Mangúla-Morogoro, Tanzania e Center for Macroecology, Evolution and Climate, Zoological Museum, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 15, DK-2100 Copenhagen, Denmark ARTICLE INFO ABSTRACT Keywords: The Long-billed Tailorbird (Artisornis moreaui), one of Africa’s rarest birds, has a strikingly disjunct distribution, Competitive exclusion the origin of which has long puzzled biogeographers. One small population (subspecies moreaui) occurs in sub- Taxon cycle montane forest in the East Usambara Mountains, a sky island near the coast of northern Tanzania, and another Sky island (subspecies sousae) on Serra Jeci in northwestern Mozambique, 950 km away. The African Tailorbird, the pu- Montane tative sister-species of Long-billed Tailorbird, also occurs in the East Usambara Mountains and on Serra Jeci, but Eastern Arc Mountains in addition occupies all the Eastern Arc Mountain forests between these disjunct sites.
    [Show full text]
  • The Avifauna of Coastal Forests in Southeast Tanzania
    Scopus 25: 122, December 2005 The avifauna of coastal forests in southeast Tanzania Flemming P. Jensen, Anders P. Tøttrup and Kim D. Christensen The avifauna of the coastal forest patches between the Rufiji and Ruvuma Rivers, southeast Tanzania, have so far received little ornithological attention compared to, for instance, the montane forests of the Eastern Arc Mountains. This is surprising given the large number of studies of other animals and plants that have documented high species richness and, especially for trees, very high numbers of species with restricted distri- butions (Clarke et al. 2000). This paper summarises information on the distribution of forest birds in the 11 coastal forests in Tanzania south of the Rufiji River for which we have been able to trace data and from our own fieldwork in six forests in 2001. We also include information on old records of forest birds collected near Mikindani although the exact location is unknown. We briefly discuss the species richness of the forests, make a comparison with some other Tanzanian lowland forests and provide new information on distribution and habitat selection of some of the forest birds encountered during our fieldwork. Finally, we explore the hypothesis that the Lindi Plateau forests in the southern part of the study area were a refugium for lowland forest birds during Pleistocene glaciations and that the isolation led to differentiation and the formation of a local centre of endemism. Study area A vegetation mosaic of lowland forest, Brachystegia forest (sensu Clarke 2000a), thicket and fire-climax miombo woodland, together with varying intensities of cultivation and farm-bush occurs along the coast of Tanzania between the Rufiji and Ruvuma Rivers (Clarke 2001).
    [Show full text]
  • Kenya: Birds and Other Wildlife, Custom Trip Report
    Kenya: Birds and Other Wildlife, custom trip report August 2014 Silvery-cheeked Hornbill www.birdingecotours.com [email protected] 2 | T R I P R E P O R T Custom Tour Kenya August 2014 Kenya lies across the equator, ranging in altitude from 5199 m to sea level. The country’s topography and climate are highly varied, hence it exhibits many different habitats and vegetation types. Huge populations of wildlife are concentrated in protected areas, mainly national parks, national reserves, and conservancies. However, there are also opportunities to find a wealth of biodiversity in non-protected areas, as for example in Important Bird Areas (IBAs), some of which are found in non-protected areas, while others are located in protected areas. The IBAs provide a good chance to see some of the national or regional endemic species of both flora and fauna. They also provide opportunities for visitors to interact with local populations, which might be sharing their knowledge of indigenous life and traditional lifestyles. Our 15-day safari took us through unique and pristine habitats, ranging from the coastal strip of the Indian Ocean and its dry forest to the expansive savanna bushland of Tsavo East National Park, the semiarid steppes of Samburu National Park in northern Kenya, the mountain range of the Taita Hills, tropical rainforests, and Rift Valley lakes, before ending in the Masai Mara in southwestern Kenya. The variance of these habitats provided unique and rich wildlife diversity. Nairobi The city of Nairobi has much to offer its visitors. The Nairobi National Park is just seven kilometers away from the city and offers lots of wildlife.
    [Show full text]
  • New Records of IBA Criteria and Other Bird Species from the Dryland Hilltops of Kitui and Mwingi Districts, Eastern Kenya
    Avifaunal Surveys of Hilltop forests in the semi-arid areas of Kitui and Mwingi Districts, Eastern Kenya. Ronald Kale Mulwa National Museums of Kenya, Ornithology Section, P.O. Box 40658 GPO Nairobi Contact email: [email protected] 1 KEY PROJECT OUTPUTS/MILE STONES 1. Involvement of local community members as field assistants enhanced capacity building, created awareness on the conservation of birds/biodiversity and generated some income through the wages they earned as field assistants. Exposure to use of binoculars and bird ringing. I assessed the existing local community groups as potential Site Support Groups (SSG) as they are termed in the Important Bird Areas framework. 2. The project offered a learning opportunity for two graduate interns in the Ornithology Department of National Museums of Kenya. They gained skills in bird survey methods and ringing and use of various equipments. 3. The project has led to immense filling up of knowledge gaps in this area, many birds were not known to occur in this area. Since survey has documented 5 Globally threatened bird species, discussions are under way to recognize as the area as an Important Bird Area (IBA). This is through BirdLife International and National Partner Nature Kenya. 4. For future monitoring a total of 363 individual birds in 35 species were ringed. These include resident, Afro-tropical and Palaearctic migratory species. 5. This project interaction with other projects in the area being executed by other institutional in collaboration with the local communities e.g. Bee keeping/Honey processing, Silk Worm rearing, Biodiversity monitoring, Horticulture & Woodlot nurseries, etc 6.
    [Show full text]
  • Habitat Fragmentation Reduces Nest Survival in an Afrotropical Bird Community in a Biodiversity Hotspot
    Habitat fragmentation reduces nest survival in an Afrotropical bird community in a biodiversity hotspot William D. Newmarka,1 and Thomas R. Stanleyb aUtah Museum of Natural History, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112; and bUS Geological Survey, Fort Collins Science Center, Fort Collins, CO 80526 Edited by James Hemphill Brown, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, and approved May 23, 2011 (received for review March 28, 2011) Ecologists have long hypothesized that fragmentation of tropical Here we examine in a multispecies analysis the impact of landscapes reduces avian nest success. However, this hypothesis has habitat fragmentation on avian nest survival within an Afrotro- not been rigorously assessed because of the difficulty of finding pical understory bird community. In this analysis, we compare large numbers of well-hidden nests in tropical forests. Here we daily nest survival and nest success between continuous and report that in the East Usambara Mountains in Tanzania, which are fragmented forest among species and nest types. We then ex- part of the Eastern Arc Mountains, a global biodiversity hotspot, that amine the influence of landscape structure and nest location on daily nest survival rate and nest success for seven of eight common nest survivorship across species and nest types. We include the understory bird species that we examined over a single breeding largest sample of species and nests yet included in such an season were significantly lower in fragmented than in continuous analysis from the tropics. forest, with the odds of nest failure for these seven species ranging from 1.9 to 196.8 times higher in fragmented than continuous forest.
    [Show full text]
  • January 13, 2015 Department
    Agenda Item over 50 pages, can be viewed in Minutes Agenda Item#: 3Ll PALM BEACH COUNTY BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS AGENDA ITEM SUMMARY Meeting Date: January 13, 2015 [X] Consent [ ] Regular [ ] Ordinance [ ] Public Hearing Department Submitted By: Environmental Resources Management Submitted For: Environmental Resources Management I. EXECUTIVE BRIEF Motion and Title: Staff recommends motion to approve: an updated management plan for the Frenchman's Forest Natural Area. Summary: The management plan for the Frenchman's Forest Natural Area was originally approved by the Board of County Commissioners on July 7, 1998. The management plan was updated in 2014 to include information related to the addition of two tracts of land, significant events and activities occurring sincethe County's acquisition, public use facilities constructed on the site and current management strategies. The next update will be due in 2024. The County manages the natural area with the assistance of the City of Palm Beach Gardens. District 1 (SF) Background and Justification: The 173.5-acre Frenchman's Forest Natural Area is managed by the County's Department of Environmental Resources Management. The Palm Beach County Natural Areas Management Advisory Committee (NAMAC) reviews management plans for each natural area and recommends approval of the plan by the BCC. NAMAC reviewed the updated management plan for the Frenchman's Forest Natural Area and unanimously recommended approval of the updated plan at its October 17, 2014 meeting. Annual maintenance and operation costs, including biological monitoring, on-going invasive/nonnative animal and plant control, and repair and replacement of facilities, as needed, are estimated to be $282,393.
    [Show full text]