1991 2015

Overview of the Institute of

Tropical Forest Conservation

1991 2015

ITFC’s mission�Support & undertake research &

monitoring in AR

�Human capacity building & development in conservationdevelopment in conservation

�Supporting conservation management in AR (Parks)

�Bolster conservation understanding and practice in AR

Where is it?

Just inside Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

History

• 1942 Bwindi Forest Reserve

• 1986 Impenetrable Forest Conservation Project,

• 1991 ITFC (MUST) established• 1991 ITFC (MUST) established

• 1991 Bwindi + others become National Parks

• Since 1999 WCS support and other donors

Collaborators & donors

• MUST

• MacArthur Foundation

• IIED

• UWA

• WCS• WCS

• MPI-EVAN

• TEAM

• BMCT

• IGCP

• CARE

• Nature Uganda

• UOBDU

• TCS

• MGVP

• CTPH

• DFDGI

• Makerere, etc.

• Birdlife International

Herbarium

Facilities

Offices

Meeting roomLibrary

Herbarium

Student dormitory

Facilities

Staff houses

Conservation Education Centre

Human Capacity Building & Development in Conservation

• Some 72 post graduate students have

done their MSc or PhD research with

ITFC support since 1991

• Several now hold leading positions in

conservation organisations in Uganda conservation organisations in Uganda

and the region: (UWA, NFA & NEMA)

E.g. Assoc. Profs Eilu Gerald, Julius Bunny & Dominic

Byarugaba, James Musinguzi (UWEC)

• Over the past 5 years ITFC has granted 13

MSc scholarships to Ugandan students

Capacity building: Scholarship Students (past 4 years)• The impact of elephants on forest tree damage (completed-published)

• Land use change and carbon stocks (completed-published)

• Birds as indicators for the conservation value of matrix habitats

(completed)

• Emigration and land abandonment in and around Bwindi (yet to submit)

• Altitudinal zonation of birds species (Submitted)

• Inventory of Myrianthus holstii in Bwindi (completed-published) • Inventory of Myrianthus holstii in Bwindi (completed-published)

• Inventory of hemi-parasitic plants in Bwindi (Yet to submit)

• Invasive plant species in Semuliki (Yet to submit)

• Inventory of amphibians (Yet to submit)

• Rodents as potential carriers of parasites across park border (Submitted)

• Baboons as potential reservoirs of zoonotic pathogens (Yet to submit)

• Resilience of trees to elephants in Rabongo forest (Yet to submit)

• Re-assessment of indigenous vegetation recovery in Mgahinga (Analysis)

Capacity building: Scholarship Students (past 4 years)

Six PhD projects linked to ITFC• Robert Bitariho (MUST): Utilisation of forest resources in Bwindi :

conservation and socio-economic impact (graduated 2013)

• Dennis Babaasa (University of Massachusetts): Impacts of ecological, anthropogenic and climate change on the Mountain gorillas(graduated 2014)

• Edward Wright (Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology): Feeding ecology of Mountain Gorillas (report writing)Anthropology): Feeding ecology of Mountain Gorillas (report writing)

• Peter Alele (Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden): Soil microbial composition in the Nile watershed (report writing)

• Marieke Sassen (Wageningen University): Changes in forest cover, use and livelihoods on Mt Elgon, from 1973 to 2009 (graduated 2014)

• Nicole Seiler Spatial and temporal patterns of habitat utilization in

Bwindi mountain Gorillas (Gorilla beringei beringei).(Data analysis)

• Responding to research needs expressed by UWA on bamboo harvesting impact study in MGNP (recommendations out and used by UWA & report published)

• Responding to UWA’s and GVTC’s request to compile a report on Human-wildlife conflict experiences and lessons learned in the greater Virunga landscape (report out

Supporting conservation management in UWA

the greater Virunga landscape (report out and presented to GVTC & Partners)

• Responding to Nature Uganda and NFA’s request to study the status and distribution of Bamboo in Echuya F. R (Report out and recommendations made)

• Improving the implementation of the Multiple Use Programme (1st report-BMCT recommendations taken up by UWA)

Support & undertaking research & monitoring

• Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary

Anthropology: Mountain gorilla ecology

and behaviour.

• Dr Phil Shaw: breeding ecology of the

Stripe Breasted Tit

ITFC RESEARCH PROJECTS

(ONGOING, COMPLETED AND TO START)

Tropical Ecology Assessment and Monitoring (TEAM)

Vegetation monitoring

• six 1-ha plots, 3 altitudes

•Fauna monitoring

• 30 IR traps, 2 altitudes

www.teamnetwork.org

14

• 30 IR traps, 2 altitudes

•Climate monitoring

• automatic recording

• rainfall, temperature,

•Humidity & radiation

Phenology & forest tree seedlings (draft report out)

• Two phenology series

on 65 tree species

• One “fake seedling” pilot

Schedule Started N

stem

N

spp

Data

Gorilla food Monthly 9/2004 312 36 fruit, ripe fruit, fruit on ground, new

leaves, flowers

Representative Monthly 4/2011 530 54 Leaves (new, old, on ground, damaged,

dead ) flowers (buds, open, on ground)

fruit (unripe, ripe, rotten/dry, on ground)

Fake seedlings Monthly 4/2011 352 0! Persistence and types of damage

• One “fake seedling” pilot

A simple Monitoring tool for local community use in

monitoring plant harvest impacts (report out)

• Empowering forest resource users in monitoring

plant resource harvest impacts

• Engaging resources users in data collection &

analysis of plant off-takes &I illegal activity ( a

bottom-up approach)bottom-up approach)

• Have a simple monitoring tool for local community use

Batwa Cultural Values Project (BCVP)

• Integrating Batwa cultural values into PA conservation &

Management

• The role of cultural values in the conservation of PAs and

livelihood improvement

(Project ongoing with M& E, field data report out)(Project ongoing with M& E, field data report out)

Conservation through Poverty Alleviation (CTPA)

• What are the motivations for illegal resource use in PAs

• Governance issues within local people/UWA institutions

-To link conservation and poverty alleviation in PAs

• -Advocacy of policies that link poverty to conservation

– Project completed with support from IIED. ITFC

(research) other collaborators ACODE (policy) and JGI

(capacity building)

An assessment of hydrological systems in & around

Mgahinga & Echuya Forests (ongoing)

• Aims at assessing domestic water availability (quantity)

and quality in the region (achievement of the MDG

• To inventory water sources (quality & quantity) to

enhance effective community livelihoodsenhance effective community livelihoods

• Produce a Map of flood/soil erosion hazard areas

• Establish a database of water quantity/quality regimes

CULTURAL VALUES STUDY (draft report out)

• An assessment of how local communities’ indigenous

knowledge & cultural values can be used in BMCA park

management .

• Documenting indigenous knowledge & culture values

for biodiversity conservation in BMCAfor biodiversity conservation in BMCA

• Results show there is linkage betn traditional practices

& beliefs with forest conservation

Human Wildlife Conflict Intervention in Nkuringo-

Bwindi (draft report out)

• Assessing effectiveness of PAM interventions inNkuringo

buffer zone to reducing crop raiding incidences

• Assessing community perceptions on effectiveness of the

interventions

• Proposing mechanisms for continuous monitoring of • Proposing mechanisms for continuous monitoring of

human-wildlife conflict in the area

Successful proposal to begin soon (Funded)

• A proposal on the ecology and conservation of the African

golden cat got funding of 12,000usds from IFS &

15,000usds from the Mohamed bin Zayed Species Fund-

• A proposal for maintaining Bwindi’s long-term multiple • A proposal for maintaining Bwindi’s long-term multiple

use monitoring plots (PSPs) (plant harvesting areas is to be

funded by BMCT (25 million UGX annually)

• A Proposal on the Involvement of Women in Integrated

Conservation and Development (ICD) Policy

Implementation and Governance in Bwindi got funding

from Birdlife international (10,000usds) –ITFC & IITR

Proposal awaiting funding (not yet Funded)

• A proposal on strengthening mgt of Bwindi’s gorillas and

their habitat thru improved national capacity &

increased understanding of habitat carrying capacity

(ITFC, IGCP & MPI) submitted to USFWS

• A proposal on the hunger stories; merging science • A proposal on the hunger stories; merging science

with winning experiences to solve chronic nutritional

Inadequacy (ITFC,IMS, & KARDI) to IDRC & ACIAR

• A proposal on: Biodiversity Conservation Through

research training and Drug discovery (ITFC, University of

Hawaii, MUST- Pharmacology & Biology Dept) to the

National Institute of Health & National Science

Foundation-USA

Commitment to publication and impact

• ITFC’s staff, students and partners are

encouraged to publish …

• Regular meeting with UWA and others

to discuss priorities and implications

Recent ITFC Publications (2013 & 2012))• Twinamatsiko,M., Baker, J., Harrison, M.,Shirkhorshidi, M.,Bitariho, R.,Weiland, M., Asuma, S., Milner-

Gulland, E.J.,Franks, P., Roe, D. (2014). Linking Conservation, Equity and Poverty Alleviation.

Understanding the Profiles and Motivations of Resource Users and Local Perceptions of Governance at

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Uganda IIED, London.

• Baker, J, Bitariho, R, Gordon-Maclean, A, Kasoma, P, Roe, D, Sheil, D, Twinamatsiko, M, Tumushabe, G,

van Heist, M & M. Weiland, 2013. Linking Protected Area Conservation with Poverty Alleviation in

Uganda: Integrated conservation and Development at Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Nova Science

Publishers, Inc, New York

• Kasangaki, A & Bitariho, R, (2013). Review of Benefit Sharing and Community Conservation Approaches

in the Albertine Rift Region: in Albertine Rift Conservation report, Kanyamibwa, S (ed), Albertine Rift

Conservation Series No. 1, Arcos networkConservation Series No. 1, Arcos network

• Mugerwa, B, Sheil ,D, Sekiranda P, vanHeist, M & Ezuma, P (2013). A camera Trap Assessment of

Terrestrial Vertebrates in Bwindi National Park, African Journal of Ecology . 51, 21-31

• Ssali ,F, Sheil, D & Nkurunungyi , J. B, (2013). How selective are elephants as agents of forest tree

damage in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, African Journal of Ecology . 51, 55-65

• Kasangaki, A, Bitariho, R, Shaw, P, Robbins, M & McNeilage, A (2012). Long-term ecological and socio-

economic changes in and around Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, south-western Uganda: in the

ecological Impact of long-term changes in Africa’s Rift Valley, Plumptre, A (ed) Nova Science Publishers,

Inc, New York.

• Medard Twinamatsiko (2013). Resource Based Conflicts and Pastoral Community Livelihoods. The

interface of Basongora’s search for livelihood around Queen Elizabeth National Park. LAP, Germany

• Twinamatsiko ,M & Muchunguzi, C (2012). The Rights of the Minorities amidst Development Policy

Interventions. A case of Basongora Pastoralists-South Western Uganda. Lambert Academic Publishing,

Saarbrucken, Germany.

Vision for the future• Diverse exciting projects

• Steady flow of students

• Collaboration with UWA, NFA managers & others

• Good science, regular quality publications

• Broad geographical coverage• Broad geographical coverage

• Long term links to expertise

• Sustainable funding…

www.bwindiresearchers.wildlifedirect.org

For more see:

www.itfc.org/www.itfc.must.ac

Blog: bwindiresearchers.wildlifedirect.org