USDA Forest Service Forest Technical Assistance Trip Tree Identification

USDA Forest Service Forest Technical Assistance Trip

Tree Identification, Vegetation Assessment, and Wildlife Monitoring Training Divundu, Namibia, and Mucusso, Angola

In support of the USAID Southern Africa’s Okavango Integrated River Basin and the Angolan Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development’s National Institute for Forestry Development and Management Project

Trip Report Mission Dates: March 7 – March 24, 2006

Report submitted by:

Hugh Safford, USDA-Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Region [email protected]; 707-562-8934

David Lombardo, USDA-Forest Service, Allegheny National Forest [email protected], 814-927-6628 ext 162

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Mission Itinerary 3 Executive Summary 5 Scope of the Technical Assistance 6 Background Objectives Activities Findings 8 Recommendations 11

Appendices I. Original training outline from February, 2007 12 II. Final Training agenda 15 III. Specific Considerations for Sustainable Forestry in Angola 17 IV. Photos 20

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MISSION ITINERARY FOR USFS TEAM March 6-March 24, 2007

Tuesday, March 6 – Thursday, March 8 • International travel days Thursday, March 8 • Safford meeting with Oliver Pierson, USFS-IP Africa Program leader, in Windhoek Saturday, March 10 • Team arrives in Divundu, Namibia • Meeting with IRBM staff and Barbara Curtis, Namibian botanist Sunday, March 11 • Continued preparatory meetings • Field site selection • Trip to Mahango Game Reserve Monday, March 12 • Beginning of training, Frans Dimare Youth Centre, Divundu, Namibia • a.m.: Basic land management planning, and administration and conservation of natural resources • p.m.: Group A: Introduction to terms, botany; Group B: Intro to wildlife biology Tuesday, March 13 • Continued training • a.m.: Group A: Tree identification using a key; Group B: basic wildlife species identifying characteristics Part I • p.m.: Group B: Introduction to terms, botany; Group A: Intro to wildlife biology Wednesday, March 14 • Continued training • a.m.: Group B: Tree identification using a key; Group A: basic wildlife species identifying characteristics Part I • p.m.: Group A: Introduction to important tree species of SE Angola; Group B: basic wildlife species identifying characteristics Part II Thursday, March 15 • Continued training • a.m.: Group A: Methods for botanical collections; Group B: using tracks, feces and other signs to identify wildlife species • p.m.: Group B: Introduction to important tree species of SE Angola; Group A: basic wildlife species identifying characteristics Part II Friday, March 16 • Continued training • a.m.: Group B: Methods for botanical collections; Group A: using tracks, feces and other signs to identify wildlife species • p.m.: Group A: Field exercises, Divundu area and Mucusso, Angola: tree ID, using a key, collecting specimens; formalities with city administrators, Mucusso; Group B: data collection methods for mammal species inventory Saturday, March 17 • Continued training

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• a.m.: Group B: Field exercises, Divundu area: tree ID, using a key, collecting specimens; Group A: data collection methods for mammal species inventory Sunday, March 18 • Preparatory meetings for week two; split attendees into three groups: Wildlife, Forestry, and Vegetation • Lesson planning with Botswanan mapping team from Oppenheimer Institute, Maun • Visit to Buffalo Camp wildlife area Monday, March 19 • Continued training • a.m.: All: Introduction to vegetation mapping and remote sensing • Forestry Group: p.m.: Introduction to compass use and orientation • Vegetation Group: p.m.: Introduction to Geographic Positioning System (GPS) • Wildlife Group: p.m.: Mammal field inventory methodologies and data collection – scat stations and walking transects Tuesday, March 20 • Continued training • Forestry Group: a.m.: Introduction to forest inventory, stand identification and sampling design; p.m.: Introduction to Geographic Positioning System (GPS) • Vegetation Group: a.m.: Introduction to field sampling protocol; p.m.: Preliminary field practice working closely with instructors • Wildlife Group: a.m.: Mammal tracks, scat and other signs Wednesday, March 21 • Continued training • Forestry Group: a.m.: Field exercise, Divundu Area; forest inventory sampling, mensuration, volume calculations and discussion; p.m.: free • Vegetation Group: a.m.: Field exercise, Divundu Area; transect sampling; p.m.: summarization of data and discussion • Wildlife Group: a.m.: Field exercise, West Caprivi; transect sampling; p.m.: Field exercise, Mahango Game Park; wildlife monitoring Thursday, March 22 • Continued training • Forestry and Wildlife Groups: a.m.: Field exercise, West Caprivi; transect sampling; p.m.: Field exercise, Buffalo Camp Game Park; wildlife monitoring • Vegetation Group: a.m.: Field exercise, Mucusso Area, Angola; transect sampling; p.m.: summarization of data and discussion Friday, March 23 • Departure of Dave Lombardo, Namibian foresters, and mapping team • Continued training • a.m.: All: Establishing a six-month inventory program • p.m.: All: Revisiting Saturday, March 24 • Review 6-month program for inventories, awards, and departure

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Hugh Safford (ecologist, Pacific Southwest Region), and Dave Lombardo (forester and certified silviculturalist, Allegheny National Forest) participated in a two-week training in Namibia entitled “Tree Identification, Vegetation Assessment, and Wildlife Monitoring.” The training was organized by the Integrated River Basin Management Project (a USAID sponsored group working within the Basin of the Okavango River), and carried out by a host of specialists in botany, wildlife monitoring, vegetation mapping, and forestry from the United States, Portugal, Botswana and Namibia. The target audience was personnel from the Angolan government (the Angolan Institute of Forest Development, and the Ministry of the Environment) and local community members from the area within the Coutada de Mucusso, a 23,000km2 area in SE Angola which is on track to be designated as a natural reserve. A number of Namibian and Botswanan foresters, botanists and wildlife biologists also attended the training. The training objectives were primarily to prepare the Angolans to carry out wildlife monitoring and vegetation plot sampling (in support of land cover mapping), but also to effect some collaboration between the Angolans and specialists in the neighboring countries of Botswana and Namibia, which also share the Okavango Basin. The training was (necessarily) somewhat complicated by language issues and the highly disparate nature of the audience (with regard to education, literacy, socioeconomic class, etc.) but we believe it was largely successful in meeting objectives. Sustainable forestry and land management planning were introduced at the training, but they were not principle focus areas. We believe that there is a real opportunity for further US-Forest Service involvement in Angola in helping to foster sustainable management and forestry practices and policies.

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SCOPE OF THE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE

Background

The USFS team included the following individuals:

• Hugh Safford, USFS Pacific Southwest Region, Regional Ecologist. • David Lombardo, USFS Allegheny National Forest, Forester & Silviculturist

Other individuals joining the USFS team included:

• Brenda Bergman, Biodiversity and Hydrology Coordinator, USAID’s Integrated River Basin Management Project (IRBM), Gaborone, Botswana • Barbara Curtis, consulting botanist and tree expert, Windhoek, Namibia • Luis Verissimo Neto, geographer/wildlife biologist, Luanda, Angola • Cornelius Venderpost, Harry Oppenheimer Okavango Research Center (HOORC), Maun, Botswana • Susan Ringrose, Harry Oppenheimer Okavango Research Center (HOORC), Maun, Botswana

Attendance at the training consisted of about 50 total people, including trainers. A complete list of attendees is available from Brenda Bergman, at IRBM. This was truly an international affair, with attendance of nationals from at least six different nations, including Angola, Botswana, Mozambique, Namibia, Portugal and the United States.

Objectives and Approach

The 2006 USFS visit to Angola (Zweede, Safford and Juergens, 2006) recommended a series of activities in order to build the Instituto de Desenvolvimento Forestal’s (IDF) capacity for carrying out a forest assessment and for using the assessment to develop a land management plan in order to provide sustainable forest use and economic development, and to reduce impacts on biodiversity. The report suggested that the USFS could help to provide training in the near future to IDF (and other government) personnel in the first three of the following areas:

1. Tree species identification and growth characteristics 2. Geographic Information System utilization and interpretation 3. Forest inventory, protocol and methodology 4. Forest and Land Management Planning Process 5. Fire Prevention and Community Awareness 6. Law Enforcement Training

The 2007 visit of USFS personnel to Angola and Namibia was meant to support a two- week training session developed principally by IRBM in consultation with various partners, including IDF, the Harry Oppenheimer Okavango Research Center (HOORC), and the US-Forest Service. The need for such a training was obvious based on the results

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of the 2006 USFS visit, and the training content was based on the first three bullets above, with most effort spent on the first and third.

Objectives of the training were:

A. To develop skills of Angolan foresters in Kuando Kubango and of select Mucusso community members in tree species identification, growth and use characteristics.

B. To prepare Angolan foresters and select Mucusso community members to conduct basic ground inventories of trees, and to raise awareness about the relationship between data and management planning. Ensure that participants are able to: a) identify key tree species b) use a key for tree identification c) operate a GPS unit d) conduct a basic ground inventory for verification of remote sensing data, including tree heights, diameters, and tree number by species e) understand the relationship between forest data and management planning, and g) commit to a program for collecting forest data through the course of the subsequent 6 months.

C. To prepare Angolan wildlife officers in Kuando Kubango and select Mucusso community members to monitor large mammals. Ensure that participants are able to: a) identify larger mammals species; b) use a set of techniques for data gathering; c) conduct inventories, in predetermined areas, for assessing mammal species; d) operate a GPS unit; e) understand the relationship between fauna data and management planning.

The training was carried out at the Frans Dimare Youth Centre, in Divundu, Namibia, with field work carried out in various nearby locations, including Mahango Game Reserve, and Buffalo Camp Game Reserve. The training was effected in three languages, English, Portuguese and Mbukushu.

Activities

The training was principally intended to prepare a select group of individuals for involvement in wildlife monitoring and vegetation mapping projects to be carried out in the approximately 23,000km2 Coutada (hunting reserve) of Mucusso, Angola, which is on track to be designated as some type of nature reserve/conservation unit within the next

- 7 - 8 year. The information to be gathered by the trained individuals is intended to allow the creation of a preliminary landcover map of the Coutada, and to generate information on large mammal populations within the Coutada. Our original visit to Angola (Zweede, Juergens, and Safford 2006) had identified a number of training needs related to sustainable forestry within the Kuando-Kubango Province, but this was not a focal point of the training as originally planned by IRBM. This led to some confusion in the beginning (i.e., with respect to the focus of the training and desired outcomes) but we were able to modify the training as we went in order to allow the incorporation of a couple of forestry-related mini-courses. In the end, the incorporation of the forestry material filled a real training need, as many of the Angolan participants were foresters and/or from headquarters’ staffs in Luanda or Menongue, and thus had real interest in basic forest mensuration and sampling techniques. The addition of the forestry modules also helped to reduce the size of the groups being trained for wildlife monitoring and vegetation assessment, which significantly improved the efficiency of the training.

Forest Service members carried out the following tasks:

Safford: 1. Gave presentation and led discussions regarding land management planning 2. Assisted in the botany/tree ID trainings (B. Curtis, lead) 3. Assisted in the vegetation mapping field protocol training (C. Vanderpost and S. Ringrose, leads) 4. Assisted in the forestry trainings (D. Lombardo, lead) 5. Assisted in concurrent modifications of training agenda 6. Acted as principal English-Portuguese/Portuguese-English translator for technical presentations in botany, vegetation, and forestry.

Lombardo: 1. Led the forestry training modules (see Appendix III for specifics) 2. Developed a detailed forestry- and silviculture-related powerpoint presentation which was delivered to the Angolan government representatives 3. Assisted in the wildlife monitoring trainings (L. Verissimo, lead).

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FINDINGS

1. The choice of training site was excellent, and provided good facilities and easy access to field sites for both wildlife- and plant-based training. The training could not have been held in Angola proper due to the lack of large wildlife species there at this time, however certain key tree species from SE Angola were missing in Namibia and we were not able to train participants in recognizing these taxa.

2. There is a very rudimentary knowledge of key tree species among the Angolan foresters, with little understanding of species ecology, growth rates, regeneration rates, etc. Local community members may have better knowledge of the species, but they only know common names and these are often grouped by genera. The botany training was an important first step toward remedying these problems, but only +/-30 species were covered, and some of the key genera (Brachystegia, Julbernardia) in Angola were missed as they do not grow in Namibia.

3. Because of the very limited understanding of species identities among Angolan participants, and the limited time available for on-the-ground training in sampling methodologies, the vegetation sampling protocols the participants learned will likely not be correctly implemented without continuing involvement by the vegetation mapping team from Botswana. Basic vegetation inventory will also be difficult until the Angolans have a basic foundation of identification (and mensuration) skills.

4. Large wildlife species are largely absent from SE Angola as a result of the war. Most Angolans had not seen the majority of the common large mammal species in the wild before. Hopefully, with the end of the war many of these species will begin to reappear in Angola. The wildlife identification skills and monitoring techniques participants learned will help in assessing populations of these animals as they recover from the war.

5. The Angolan forestry participants had some background in forest mensuration, but in general participants were novices at these skills (tree height measurement, tree diameter measurement, volume calculations, plot sampling, etc.). The training provided a brief overview of these skills to the participants but further training is clearly needed. See Appendix III for more details.

6. The Angolan participants appeared to have little in the way of previous scientific silvicultural training. Silvicultural skills are necessary for carrying out sustainable forestry. This should be a focus area for future USFS-led training in Angola. See Appendix III for more details.

7. The training also included some general presentations and discussions about land management planning. Participants appeared to understand the importance of planning for sustainable use and public participation in management. Again, this could be a focus area for future USFS involvement in Angola.

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8. Trainees were motivated, and keen to use the skills they learned in the course. Learning proceeded relatively slowly however, as there was a great diversity of people in the group with respect to language, previous education, literacy, and social and economic status. Every presentation and discussion had to be given in English, Portuguese, and Mbukushu, and some of the local community members could not read or write, both of which greatly complicated the teaching and learning process.

9. The training targeted personnel from Angola, but two groups of Namibian and Botswanan forestry and wildlife biology personnel also attended. Their presence was important to the workshop's success, as they were generally familiar with the plant and wildlife species involved, they had strong technical backgrounds (in forestry, botany and wildlife biology), and they were very helpful. Perhaps most importantly, they stated their willingness and availability to act as regional partners/contacts for the Angolan personnel. In the field of forestry, for example, the Namibian Forestry Department has growth and yield formulae and tables, as well as specific field mensuration techniques, which could be very valuable to the Angolan foresters.

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RECOMMENDATIONS

Recommendations for further US-Forest Service involvement in Angola:

1. Plan and implement a land management planning workshop, with a first-rate planner who can simplify things and has experience working in the third world. This should focus at the national and regional level, with subsequent local workshops to ensure public participation. If there is interest in focusing the effort on the Coutada de Mucusso, this should be done after the vegetation map is complete and probably after the six-month inventory period is up as well. Nonetheless, time is of the essence, as land designations will apparently happen soon (National parks, Coutadas, etc.), people are moving back into the province now that war has stopped, and some unmanaged resource damage is already occurring.

2. Provide aid in designing and implementing a national forest inventory system. Protocols from neighboring nations, particularly Namibia, should be adopted wherever possible. This effort needs to be focused at the national level (there is a need to standardize things nationally, and it is important that the inventory be managed at a level that is “above” local conflicts of interest) but with regional participation, especially from the Kuando-Kubango province, as this is the focus of the IRBM work. Zissala Pululu and Rosario ______are apparently the national contacts for inventory.

3. There is a real need for training in scientific silviculture and sustainable forestry. The USFS could engage directly with IDF to provide technical assistance in this area, if funding is available. See Appendix III for specifics.

4. There is interest in Angola in developing a diversity of non-timber forest products. A good example is honey production. This used to be a big export to Europe, but there is apparently little government support now and production is very limited. IDF has a staff member who works in apiculture out of Menongue (Silvano_____) and he would be an excellent contact. Agricultural diversification could also be explored. For example, chili pepper production has been used in Botswana and Zambia to provide an exportable product that also aids in protecting crops from elephant damage.

5. The Angolans suffer from an acute lack of access to scientific information. This is due to the general lack of electronic media, libraries, and English skills among most government personnel. They thus suffer under the mistaken impression that there is no information available on, e.g., basic ecology of tree species in miombo woodland. It would be very valuable to find a way to provide Portuguese translations of recent research results to key contacts in Angola (especially regarding key tree species’ growth rates, ecology, etc.). It would also be very valuable to fund someone to spend a few weeks in Lisbon, Portugal to search through the colonial archives. We know that quite a lot of scientific work was done by the Portuguese before they left Angola, but little of this work apparently survives in Angola.

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APPENDIX I

OKAVANGO INTEGRATED RIVER BASIN MANAGEMENT PROJECT Training outline Tree Identification, Forest Inventory and Mammal Monitoring March 2007

1. Background This training on tree identification, forest inventory and mammal monitoring is part of a program to support implementation of the National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP) in Kuando Kubango as approved by the Ministry of Urban Affairs and Environment (MINUA). Natural resources in Kuando Kubango are important to regional, national and local level systems. The province contains Angola’s largest block of forested protected areas, namely two nature reserves and four hunting reserves. This block of protected areas border Zambia and Namibia, encompass transboundary migration corridors of large mammals, and are dedicated to the future Kavango-Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area (KAZA-TFCA). Kuando Kubango also contains the vast majority of the Okavango River Basin’s catchment area. Long-term protection of its forest cover is important to maintaining healthy sediment flows to the Okavango Delta over time. Objectives of the Kuando Kubango biodiversity program include: I. To improve an understanding of the resource base and resource use patterns that will inform protection and management decisions, particularly in one reserve that borders the Kavango and Cuito rivers (the Mucusso reserve), and II. To develop capacity and systems for locally-engaged protected areas monitoring and management planning.

The training will be held in Mucusso Angola and Divundu Namibia. The Mucusso reserve is the focus reserve for overall information collection and management planning process. The Mucusso reserve encompasses approximately 28,500km2 along the Cuito and Kavango rivers.

2. Training Objectives A. To develop skills of Angolan foresters in Kuando Kubango and of select Mucusso community members in tree species identification, growth and use characteristics.

C. To prepare Angolan wildlife officers in Kuando Kubango and select Mucusso community members to monitor large mammals. Ensure that participants are able to: f) identify larger mammals species;

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g) use a set of techniques for data gathering; h) conduct inventories, in predetermined areas, for assessing mammal species; i) operate a GPS unit; j) understand the relationship between fauna data and management planning.

3. Approach A combined field and classroom based approach will be used. Participants will establish a vision for why information is important to resource management, will participate in training on resource identification and monitoring, and will establish a program for conducting resource monitoring throughout 2007.

4. Participants profile ◊ Institute of Forestry Development (IDF) technicians and select forestry leaders from the protected areas of Kuando Kubango who will carry out forest ground truthing throughout 2007 (7) ◊ Residents of the Mucusso forest reserve who will carry out tree inventories throughout 2007 (10) ◊ Government-employed (IDF or MINUA) technicians who can subsequently train other IDF personnel throughout the country (5) ◊ Non-government organization (ACADIR) tree leader who can subsequently train others in Kuando Kubango province (3) ◊ Technical officers of the Kuando Kubango provincial department of Environment (3) ◊ Forestry technicians from Namibia and Botswana who work in the Okavango River Basin (4)

Total number of participants: 32

5. Draft course outline Trees March 12 Basics of Resource Management Planning for Conservation / Commercial Purpose ◊ What is a management plan, and how can it impact people’s lives and government decisions ◊ What are the basic components of a management plan ◊ Relationship between information and management planning

March 13 - 17 Tree species identification • Terms – explanation of important terms eg. trunk, canopy, simple and compound leaf, leaf shapes and arrangements etc. – with drawings and live examples (1 day) • What to look our for when identifying a tree – points that are not covered in the terminology course above (1/2 day) • How to use field guides (1/2 day) • How to use a key (1 or 2 days) – with field-based practical • Collecting and pressing specimens – how to take proper voucher specimens to be lodged at the herbarium for future reference. Short theory, and practice by collecting and pressing specimens. (1 day)

March 19 - 21 How to conduct an inventory How to use GPS

March 22 – 23 Establishing a 6-month program for tree inventory Framework for a Simplified Management Plan: Content and Steps for Elaboration ◊ Components of a management plan ◊ How to elaborate management plans in a participatory process ◊ Drafting a table of contents of a management plan for Mucusso

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Large mammal monitoring March 12 Overall presentation of the module and introductory themes o Objectives and goals of the larger mammals monitoring program; o The importance of the fauna assessment on a management plan; o The importance of the fauna in the natural systems and its relationship with the human communities. March 13 – 17 Theoric classes on: 1. Characteristics of the larger mammal species of the Kuando Kubango province; 2. The Mucusso Reserve Mammals Data Base • Basic concepts on mammals; • The Kuando Kubango mammal species: morphological and ecological characteristics, behavior and historical distribution; • Species conservation regulations in Angola & abroad, & endangered species as priority targets; • Key aspects in the detection of mammals and techniques used on data collection: direct observation, indirect indicia, third party information, etc. • Introduction and training on the filling in of the different field data formularies for the Mucusso reserve mammals monitoring program; • The Mucusso Reserve Mammals Data Base, its importance and elaboration.

March 19 – 21 Theoric-pratice classes on: the mammals monitoring process • How to use the field guide on the mammals of Mucusso Reserve; • Essential steps for the reading of maps as a fundamental process for mammal data gathering in the field; • How to conduct inventories and the subsequent integration of data in a Geographical Information System (GIS); • How to use a GPS.

March 22-23 Establishing a 6-month program for larger mammals monitoring • Calendar of activities; • Definition of teams and local coordinator(es); • Priority tasks; • Information network; • Logistics; • Key areas to survey; • Establish a process for quality review and follow up throughout the year.

6. Trainers Trees ◊ Species identification: Lead trainers: Barbara Curtis, Namibian Forester and United States Forest Service (USFS) ◊ Inventory methodologies Lead trainers: USFS and Harry Oppenheimer Okavango Research Center (HOORC) Mammals Lead trainer: Luis Verissimo and Gorongoza National Park mammal monitoring specialist

Materials to be developed • Field guide on important trees in Kuando Kubango • Guidelines on forest inventory issues and basic methodologies • Check list of large mammals

7. Language All courses will be conducted in Portuguese, either directly or through simultaneous translation

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APPENDIX II

OKAVANGO INTEGRATED RIVER BASIN MANAGEMENT PROJECT

Week 1 training schedule Tree Identification, Vegetation Assessment and Mammal Monitoring March 2007

Date Group A Group B Sunday March 11 Arrive Arrive Monday March 12 - Morning Welcome and Basics of Resource Management Planning for Conservation Monday March 12 - Tree terms Mammal key aspects and terms Afternoon Tuesday March 13 - Morning Identifying a tree, using field guides, Field Guide introduction. KK how to use a key Mammal species characteristics (I) Tuesday March 13 – Mammal key aspects and terms Tree Terms Afternoon Wednesday March 14 - Field Guide introduction. KK Mammal Identifying a tree, using field Morning species characteristics (I) guides, how to use a key Wednesday March 14 - Introduction to the important trees KK Mammal species Afternoon as presented in our field guide characteristics (II) Thursday March 15 - Trees: collecting and pressing KK Mammal species tracks and Morning specimens – with practice at the scats and other signs. Their malaria camp importance and interpretation Thursday March 15 - KK Mammal species characteristics Introduction to the important Afternoon (II) trees as presented in our field guide Friday March 16 - Morning KK Mammal species tracks and scats Trees: collecting and pressing and other signs. Their importance and specimens – with practice at the interpretation malaria camp Friday March 16 – Afternoon Tree Field exercises: how to use a Mammal field inventory key, collecting and pressing methodologies and data specimens, meeting the important collection (I) trees Saturday March 17 - Morning Mammal field inventory Tree Field exercises: how to use methodologies and data collection a key, collecting and pressing (I) specimens, meeting the important trees Saturday March 17 - Rest or break-out groups to practice techniques studied, according to Afternoon sign-up sheet Sunday March 18 Rest and break-out groups to practice techniques studied, according to

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sign-up sheet

WEEK 2 Training schedule Tree Identification, Vegetation Assessment and Mammal Monitoring March 2007

Group Vegetation Group Mammals Group Forest and Management Monday March Overview of vegetation cover mapping 19 – Morning Monday March GPS and Quadrats Mammal field Compass and Orienteering 19 – Afternoon inventory methodologies and data collection – scat stations and walking transects Tuesday March Review of transect Mammal tracks, scat and other signs 20 - Morning procedures Tuesday March Transect field work Mammal field Forest measurements, including 20 – Afternoon inventory, walking measuring tree diameter transects Wednesday Transect practice at Mammal Monitoring March 21 - the Caprivi Exercise: Caprivi Forest Inventory: Delineating Morning forest stands, making data Wednesday Review of data sheets Mammal Monitoring sheets, siting plots March 21 - Exercises at Afternoon Mahongo Thursday March Mammal Monitoring Exercise: Caprivi 22 - Morning Transect practice in Angola Thursday March Review of data sheets 22 - Afternoon Mammal Monitoring Exercise at Mahongo

Friday March 23 Establishing a 6-month program for inventories, Oversight and management of an - Morning inventory program

Friday March 23 Framework for simplified management plan – Afternoon Saturday March Reviewing 6-month program for inventories and goodbye 24 - Morning Saturday March Departure 24 – Afternoon

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APPENDIX III

Specific Considerations for Sustainable Forestry in Angola

Contributed by Dave Lombardo, USFS Forester & Certified Silviculturalist

General The Okavango Integrated River Basin Management Project designed a two week intensive training course to develop and enhance skills for Angola participants in inventory and remote satellite imagery ground verification methodology.

Initially my scope of work was to develop and train Angolan professional foresters in timber inventory methodology. Upon arrival there were some adjustments in the final training schedule and the emphasis was on tree identification and wildlife inventory systems. As such and so as not to be under utilized I took on the task of adjusting the Forest Inventory program to move toward discussions on sustainable forestry and the need of sound inventory data in order to develop proper silvicultural prescriptions as well as sustainable forestry management plans.

Over the course of two weeks students were taught:

• Use of map and compass • Inventory methodology • Use of inventory data collected to develop prescriptions that would support sustainable forestry • Development of volume tables • Proper methods of tree measurement and use of forestry equipment

In addition, I was able to establish a collaborate environment whereby the Namibian Forest Service, Angolans and the USFS were able to discuss the potential to utilize established inventory and monitoring systems established in Namibia.

Observations It became apparent that the majority of the Angolan participants lacked basic forestry knowledge and skills, even amongst some of the educated natural resource leaders. Although the Angolans felt they were engaging in long term forest management, current logging practices are not taking best practices for long term sustainable forest management into consideration. In general, we observed that current logging practices involve high-grading the forest of the highest quality and value trees, thereby leaving the poorer quality trees behind. I spent extensive time discussing the need to develop a better pre-inventory system in order to develop sound silvicultural prescriptions and long term management plans.

I feel at this time that the Angolans could use assistance in developing a national forest inventory process. There is a new forestry law about to go into effect which will address sustainability and the Angolans are in the process of developing a national inventory

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system. This would be an opportune time to bring in USFS technical assistance to help direct the national system being developed so as to properly inventory and monitor Angola’s natural resources for sustainable management (Contact: [email protected]).

In discussions with a local mill owner in Angola, who didn’t participate with the training program, I was able to glean some information from him on species reproduction (Ray Forester). They are presently logging teak, rose wood and Pterocarpus Angolensis. In addition, in field observations I noticed that Pterocarpus was reproducing in an even age management setting. According to Ray they are able to regenerate trees after cutting if they can keep fire out. The major concern is loss of seedlings and saplings to fire. They have also planted with success.

In addition, I spent some extended time with the Namibian Forest Service Research branch that was charged with managing their national inventory system. I have a copy of their manual and they have a well developed computerized program that utilizes both Access and Fortran languages. They have been utilizing this system since 1996. This system was developed originally by the Germans and Fins and similar systems are utilized in Botswana, South Africa and Zambia. This would be an ideal low cost system to utilize in Angola. (Contacts: Lisias Tjeripo Tjaveondja [email protected] & Gerhardt Boois [email protected])

The system is very user friendly and volume and yields were developed based on data from multiple regions in Namibia. The system also includes a specific correction factor for the northern section of Namibia which could be utilized in Angola. The Namibians utilize the data gathered to develop sustainable management plans.

It was felt that the Okavango Project was moving in a direction of developing natural parks and excluding sustainable forestry as a viable component of the project. The USFS team strongly believes that if protection and/or sustainable management of Angolan forests is a priority, all relevant stakeholders should work together to develop a program of training and technical assistance to achieve these objectives. An immediate priority is to get basic, sound forest management practices in place in forest areas that are actively being logged. It is clear that such an effort is beyond the scope of the IRBM project, and the USFS should work with the Angolan Government and USAID to explore possibilities for additional USFS technical assistance in the areas of sustainable forest management and planning. This approach is critical to ensure that current practices of over-exploiting high value species and converting forests to lower-value, degraded areas does not persist.

Recommendations: In order to address the development of a long term sustainable forestry program the following recommendations need to be implemented through a muti-facet several stage TDY:

• Working on site where logging operations are occurring to insure use of best management practices (BMP). Work with Angolan counterparts in developing

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proper location of roads, skid trails, landings, water bars and other erosion control methods. This will address the immediate environmental concerns of site degradation. • Work on site of logging operations to develop proper sale layout and silvicultural prescriptions and help assure that these prescriptions get into the permits. • Literature research to develop cutting guidelines for commercial species to ensure natural regeneration. • Develop a partnership with the Namibian Forest Service, USFS and Angolans to develop a collaborate effort to initiate a national Angolan inventory system based on the Namibian inventory model. This should be a high priority due to the Angolans moving in the direction of developing a national system presently. In addition, collaborate with the Angolans and Namibians in developing sustainable management plans. A demonstration forest can be set up to implement this recommendation. The use of the Namibians would be a cost effective way of training the Angolans. One idea would be to have the Angolans spend a couple of months working in Namibia with the Namibian Forest Service in inventory design and data collection. • Review the new Angolan law being proposed and assist the Angolans in developing the skills and tools in order to implementate the new law. • To address the concern that there is a lack of skills in developing sound Forestry policy it is recommended that grant money be found to send existing forestry professionals and new potential professionals to forestry schools overseas to acquire bachelor, masters and PHD degrees. The schools selected should be a cross section of countries so that there is a diversity of ideas that can brought back to Angola when developing policy and programs. This recommendation will not see results for several years but should be looked at as a long term investment that will pay off in 10 to 20 years. The schools selected should have a strong curriculum in hardwood management versus softwood management and again it’s stressed to not have just one country targeted to send students to. This is an opportunity to influence the long term ability of Angola to develop a strong and lasting organization in managing sustainable their forest lands.

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APPENDIX IV: Photos

Lombardo:

forestry presentation to training

Vegetation plot sampling training

Safford: tree identification field lab

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Lombardo: tree mensuration field lab

Namibia independence day celebrations, Divundu

Field visit to Mucusso, Angola

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