State of the Forest: Data State of the Forest: Data harmonization and harmonization and

managementmanagement

Helping us to know whether we areHelping us to know whether we aregetting the job done.getting the job done.

From diversity…From diversity…

……to harmonyto harmony

0 10 20 30 40 50 60

0.0

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

1.0

Distance to Nearest Major Road

Pro

babi

lity

of E

leph

ant O

ccur

renc

e

Within Protected Area

Outside Protected Area

Elephant occurrence versus distance to road

and interpretation through and interpretation through unified analysis…unified analysis…

0 10 20 30 40 50 60

0.0

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

1.0

Distance to Nearest Major Road

Pro

ba

bili

ty o

f H

um

an

Pre

sen

ce

Within Protected AreaOutside Protected Area

Human presence versus distance to road

……guides monitoring, and guides monitoring, and informs adaptive informs adaptive

management.management.

Conservation targetsConservation targets

We need to measure our progress towards conservation targets at three nested geographical scales :

Congo basin,

Landscapes,

Sites.

And these scales mustAnd these scales mustbe harmonizedbe harmonized

NATURAL HABITATS,NATURAL HABITATS,

FOCAL SPECIES,FOCAL SPECIES,

ECOLOGICAL PROCESSES,ECOLOGICAL PROCESSES,

DIRECT THREATS, andDIRECT THREATS, and

ENABLING CONDITIONS ENABLING CONDITIONS (Well-Being of People, Govt., Economies)(Well-Being of People, Govt., Economies)

What is the condition of, and What is the condition of, and the impact of actions on…the impact of actions on…

Critical/Endangered

ThreatenedThreatened

Troubled/VulnerableTroubled/Vulnerable

StabilizedStabilized

Conserved/Success/Balance Achieved

after 10 years

current status

We want to improve the condition We want to improve the condition of biological features, or keep of biological features, or keep

them stable over timethem stable over time

Improvement takes time, $$, a good strategy, and patience

We want to know where we are on this scale, and our trajectory

Cost, timeframe, and confidenceCost, timeframe, and confidence

Interventions

Threats

Conservation TargetWildlife and Habitat

Direct

Indirect

Costs of measuring change

Level of

confid

en

ce

Tim

e t

o s

ee a

n im

pact

Outputs

Outcomes

Impacts

What Do We Want to Track?What Do We Want to Track?

An effective measures program should provide a good estimate of :

How much the biological targets have changed from their baseline levels and range of variation;

The change in intensity and direction of direct threats;

The change in status and direction of enabling conditions;

Whether planned conservation implementation is actually happening on the ground;

Whether management interventions are working (causal relationships between actions and achievement of targets)

What Do We Want to Track?What Do We Want to Track?

Harmonized monitoring Harmonized monitoring frameworks have been frameworks have been

proposed:proposed:

Congo Basin Measures Congo Basin Measures (logframe version)(logframe version)

Congo Basin Measures (from Congo Basin Measures (from a conceptual model)a conceptual model)

Minimum Measures Requirements at the Congo basin Minimum Measures Requirements at the Congo basin ScaleScale

Focal Species

Habitats & Processes

Enabling Conditions

Direct Threats

1. Degree of Protection for Priority Areas a. % total & % top priorities b.representation by landscape, remote habitat & ecoregion

2. Habitat Integrity a. total area b. area within priority land/seascapes c. remote habitats where applicable d. linkages, corridors, connectivity index e. flows & barriers to rivers and intact watersheds

3. 1-5 Focal Species (taxa) a. pop. size b. range trajectory

4. 1-3 Major Threats to Habitat & Processes5. 1-2 Major Threat to Focal Species

6. Legislative Tools7. Financing for Conservation8. Protected Area Management Effectiveness9. Conservation Strategy

Minimum Measures Requirements for Priority LandscapesMinimum Measures Requirements for Priority Landscapes

Focal Species

Habitats & Processes

Enabling Conditions

Direct Threats

1. Degree of Protection for Priority Areas – a. % total & priority areas, b. representation of remote habitats

& habitat types 2. Habitat Integrity – a. total area & trajectory of natural

habitat, b. %, area, # remote habitats, d. degree of linkage-corridors, e. flows & barriers to rivers, f. intact watersheds

3. 2 Focal Species (taxa) – a. population size, b. distribution trajectory

4. 2 Major Threats to Habitat & Processes 5. 1 Major Threats to Focal Species6. Legislative Tools status for conservation7. Financing for Conservation for protected areas8. Protected Area Management Effectiveness category9. Conservation Strategy

Follows the same general categories as basin scale, but needs to be tailored to the particular natural history, ecology, and conservation situation

• Natural Forest Cover;

• Remote or Low-Access Forests

• Hunted Forests;

• Forested Watersheds and River Connectivity;

• Focal Species (elephants, apes, forest antelope guild, okapi, manatees, whales, key fish, plants);

Proposed Minimum Measures for the Proposed Minimum Measures for the Congo Basin: biological targetsCongo Basin: biological targets

• Direct Threats: unsustainable hunting, dams, poaching, mining, invasive species…..;

• Enabling Conditions: sustainable financing for protected areas, effective protected area management (limited security issues, transboundary agreements & monitoring systems functional), human capacity.

Proposed Minimum Measures for the Congo Proposed Minimum Measures for the Congo Basin: threats and enabling conditionsBasin: threats and enabling conditions

These monitoring frameworks These monitoring frameworks have not yet been widely have not yet been widely

discussed, agreed, discussed, agreed, implemented, or implemented, or institutionalized.institutionalized.

These must be the next steps.

How do we get there?

RequirementsRequirements

•Quantitative basin-wide assessment of what has been done so far, what exists and what is lacking

•Budgeted monitoring action plan agreed and coordinated among CARPE partners;

•Appropriate funding for monitoring;

•Dedicated, technical coordination team (training and field coordination, GIS, design and statistical analysis)

MIKE

CBFP REGIONAL APPROACHES

OTHER REGIONAL PROGRAMMES

OBSERVATOIRE

SOF BIODIVERSITY CORE TEAM

CARPE FOCAL POINT CONGO

CARPE FOCAL POINT DRC

Monitoring coordinator Landscape 1

Monitoring coordinator Landscape 2

Monitoring coordinator Landscape 3

Field team Socio-economics

Field team ecological monitoring

Field team Conservation

Field team Environmental Education and

outreach

OBSERVATOIRE

SOF BIODIVERSITY CORE TEAM

CARPE FOCAL POINT CONGO

CARPE FOCAL POINT DRC

Monitoring coordinator Landscape 1

Monitoring coordinator Landscape 2

Monitoring coordinator Landscape 3

Field team Socio-economics

Field team ecological monitoring

Field team Conservation

Field team Environmental Education and

outreachLines indicate principal communication routes

Coordination of SOF Coordination of SOF measures?measures?