Aerial Survey Report: Luangwa Valley 2009 WCS Flight Programme Aerial Survey Report Aerial Survey Report: Luangwa Valley 2009 WCS Flight Programme Aerial Survey Report This report should be referenced as: WCS Flight Programme (2009) “Aerial Survey Report: Luangwa Valley 2009”. WilDlife Conservation Society, New York. © 2010 Wildlife Conservation Society Report prepared by Howard Frederick Table of Contents Tables ..................................................................................................................................................... 3 Figures ................................................................................................................................................... 3 Introduction ........................................................................................................................................... 4 Methods ................................................................................................................................................ 6 Study Area ......................................................................................................................................... 6 Lab work ............................................................................................................................................ 7 Results and Discussion ........................................................................................................................... 8 Estimates & Trends ............................................................................................................................ 8 COMACO Core Area – previous survey zone ............................................................................... 13 Main Findings - Luangwa Valley National Parks .......................................................................... 16 Main Findings – COMACO core areas .............................................................................................. 16 Distribution Maps ............................................................................................................................ 21 Tables Table 2: Estimates for Luangwa Valley parks ......................................................................................... 9 Table 3: GMA blocks, Valley survey area. ............................................................................................ 10 Table 4: Trends 1999-2009, COMACO core areas. .............................................................................. 14 Table 5: Trends 1999-2009, COMACO core area. .................................... 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Table 6: Estimates and trends, North Luangwa National Park, 2001-2009. ........................................ 16 Table 8: Wildlife observed in Lukusuzi National Park, 2006-2009. ...................................................... 16 Table 7: Wildlife observations in the Upper Control area, 2006-2009 ................................................ 20 Figures Figure 1: Luangwa Valley survey area. ................................................................................................... 5 Figure 2: Transect lines, Luangwa Valley 2009. ..................................................................................... 6 Figure 3: Absolute estimate trends, COMACO core areas. .................................................................. 18 Figure 4: Overall trends in COMACO core areas, absolute numbers. .................................................. 19 Figure 5: Density and distribution of elephant, Aug-Sept 2009. ......................................................... 22 Figure 6: Density and distribution of buffalo, Aug-Sept 2009. ............................................................ 23 Figure 7: Density and distribution of bushbuck, Aug-Sept 2009. ........................................................ 24 Figure 8: Density and distribution of hartebeest, Aug-Sept 2009. ...................................................... 25 Figure 9: Density and distribution of impala, Aug-Sept 2009. ............................................................. 26 Figure 10: Density and distribution of kudu, Aug-Sept 2009. ............................................................. 27 Figure 11: Density and distribution of puku Aug-Sept 2009. ............................................................... 28 Figure 12: Density and distribution of roan, Aug-Sept 2009. .............................................................. 29 Figure 13: Density and distribution of warthog, Aug-Sept 2009. ........................................................ 30 Figure 14: Density and distribution of wildebeest, Aug-Sept 2009. .................................................... 31 Figure 15: Density and distribution of zebra, Aug-Sept 2009. ............................................................. 32 Introduction This report describes the results of the 2009 sample count of a large part of the Luangwa Valley in eastern Zambia. This survey was part of an ongoing research programme in the COMACO areas and controls which aims to monitor changes in the distribution and abundance of wildlife species. The same methods (Systematic Reconnaissance Flights with consistent observer and pilot training) are used from year to year to allow valid comparison between surveys. In 2009 the Wildlife Conservation Society organised this valley-wide sample count, extending beyond the areas normally sampled in the yearly programme. This is the first time a Luangwa Valley count has been carried out since 1973 (Caughley & Goddard 1975). Previous surveys in the ecosystem were done by the WCS Flight Programme in 2006, 2007 & 2008, and by the ZAWA in 1999 & 2002 (WCS 2007, 2008, 2009 and ZAWA 1999, 2002). WCS normally does a yearly count of the COMACO chiefdoms in the Game Management Areas outside the national park system, and the Zambia Wildlife Authority (ZAWA) and the Frankfurt Zoological Society (FZS) conduct surveys in North and South Luangwa National Parks. Censuses have been carried out by WCS in Lukusuzi National Park and a part of the Musalangu Game Management Area in 2006, 2007 and 2008. As these areas lie outside the normal COMACO project areas, they should act as ‘control’ areas for long-term monitoring efforts. This ecosystem approach to surveys was expected to provide more reliable and valid data on distribution and numbers. Wildlife move freely in much of the Luangwa Valley, and surveys that cover only small parts of the system risk bias due to movements of animals in and out of the survey areas. 2009 Survey Boundary Yearly COMACO surveys 2007 NLNP Survey Chiefdoms Kambombo GMA Luwingu Isangano National Park Musalangu Chambeshi Tem bwe Mukungule Chikwa North Luangwa Chifunda Bangweulu Nyampala Kafinda Luawata Kazembe Lavushi Manda Munyamadzi Lumimba Chitungulu Kasanka Luambe Mwanya Lukusuzi South Luangwa Upper Lupande l Mfuwe Lupande Malawi Chisomo Sandwe West Petauke Mozambique Luano Rufunsa Figure 1: Luangwa Valley survey area. Methods Study Area Figure 1 shows the boundary of the 2009 ecosystem survey, and the boundaries of the previous 2007 surveys. The survey area covered approximately 58,000 km2. Transects were flown in east-west directions at the indicated spacing (Figure 2). Transects were determined prior to all flights and transect endpoints programmed into GPS units; transects were subdivided into 2.5 km subunits also determined by GPS points. L10 Transects L20 L30 L40 L50 L60 2009 Survey Boundary L70 L80 Chiefdoms L90 L100 Kambombo L110 L120 L130 460 470 L140 480 490 L150 500 510 L160 520 Tem bwe 530 L170 c10 c1050 560 c20 c30 c1060 c1070 570 c50 c40 c1090 580 c70 c60 c1100 590 c80 c90 c1130 600 c100 c110 c1150 610 c130 c120 c1170 c140 620 c160 c150 10 Chikwa 630 c180 c170 20 c200 c190 30 110 c210 c220 Chifunda 40 120 c230 50 130 c240 c250 60 140 c270 c260 70 150 c290 c280 80 160 c310 c300 90 161 c330 c320 100 170 c340 c350 L230 180 c370 c360 190 c390 c380 Kazembe L240 c400 200 c420 c410 210 c440 c430 L250 220 c450 c460 Chitungulu 230 c470 c480 L260 240 c490 250 c510 c500 L270 260 c520 c530 270 c550 c540 L280 280 c570 c560 290 c590 L290 300 c600 c610Mwanya 310 c630 c620 L300 320 c650 c640 c660 330 c680 c670 L310 340 c690 c700 350 c720 c710 L320 360 c730 c740 370 L330 c760 c770 Upper Lupande 390 c780 L340 c810 c800 l 410 c840 c830 L350 c850 Mfuwe 430 c860 c870 L360 c890 c880 450 c900 c910 L370 c920 SW10 c930 c940 c950 L380 SW20 c970 Malawi SW30 c990 L430 L390 c1010 SW40 SW310 L440 L400 SW300 SW50 L410 SW290 SW60 SW270 L420 SW70 SW80 SW260 SW280 SW90 SW250 SW240 SW100 SW230 SW110 SW220 SW120 SW210 SW130 SW200 SW140 SW190 SW150 SW180 SW170 Mozambique SW160 Figure 2: Transect lines, Luangwa Valley 2009. The survey took place from the 29 September to the 04 October 2008. Systematic Reconnaissance Flight methodology (Norton-Griffiths 1978) was followed for the aerial survey and for data analysis. The survey aircraft (Cessna 182) was fitted with a digital radar altimeter and programmable Garmin GPS unit (GPS296). The survey pilot was responsible for safety, navigation to and along daily transect assignments, and reporting to the survey coordinator. The front seat observer (FSO) in the co-pilot’s seat was responsible for recording radar altimeter readings to the nearest 10 feet at the beginning of each subunit. The FSO recorded geo-reference information on data sheets and announced the beginning of each subunit. For each subunit, FSOs recorded the presence or absence of human activities