Science And Conservation In African Forests

Forests need apes as much as the apes need the forests. They are the gardeners of the forest - keystone species in the ecology of African and Southeast Asian forests, dispersing seeds, creating light gaps and pruning branch-tips whilst feeding. Their habitat comprises two of the planet's three major tropical forest blocks that are essential for global climate regulation. But the economic pressures that are destroying ape habitats are much greater than current available conservation finance. This unique case study from the Kibale national park illustrates how biological research has had diverse consequences for conservation. It examines effects on habitat management, community relations, ecotourism and training. Lessons learned from this project over the last 20 years will inspire researchers and conservationists to work together to promote biodiversity through field projects.

Forests need apes as much as the apes need the forests. They are the gardeners of the forest - keystone species in the ecology of African and Southeast Asian forests, dispersing seeds, creating light gaps and pruning branch-tips whilst feeding. Their habitat comprises two of the planet's three major tropical forest blocks that are essential for global climate regulation. But the economic pressures that are destroying ape habitats are much greater than current available conservation finance. This unique case study from the Kibale national park illustrates how biological research has had diverse consequences for conservation. It examines effects on habitat management, community relations, ecotourism and training. Lessons learned from this project over the last 20 years will inspire researchers and conservationists to work together to promote biodiversity through field projects.

In this book, James Fairhead and Melissa Leach bring science to the heart of debates about globalisation, exploring transformations in global science and contrasting effects in Guinea, one of the world's poorest countries, and Trinidad, a more prosperous, industrialised and urbanised island. The book focuses on environment, forestry and conservation sciences that are central to these countries and involve resources that many depend upon for their livelihoods. It examines the relationships between policies, bureaucracies and particular types of scientific enquiry and explores how ordinary people, the media and educational practices engage with this. In particular it shows how science becomes part of struggles over power, resources and legitimacy. The authors take a unique ethnographic perspective, linking approaches in anthropology, development and science studies. They address critically prominent debates in each, and explore opportunities for new forms of participation, public engagement and transformation in the social relations of science.

"A unique book that is likely to become a benchmark for those who wish to save the rain forests through sustainable logging practices. Its uniqueness lies in the author's collection of long-term data (up to 25 years) on both plants and animals in the same site, the Kibale forest in Uganda. . . . Very highly recommended for libraries specializing in ecology, environmental science, forestry, and rain forests."--Choice "A much-needed volume that will be of interest to a wide audience, written by a leader in the field, and one with an international reputation. The current rosy advocacy for 'sustainable development' needs a wake-up call, and this is it. This volume combines some of the hottest topics in conservation science today into a cohesive whole that looks clear-eyed into the face of modern conservation in the tropics and finds it frighteningly lacking in scientific underpinning, rational consideration, and effective implementation."--Truman Young, University of California at Davis Thomas Struhsaker summarizes 20 years of research in the Kibale forest in Uganda, one of the most important centers for the study of tropical rain forests in Africa. Among the longest ongoing projects in rain forest ecology anywhere, Struhsaker's differs from the great majority of logging studies by emphasizing the fauna rather than looking only at the commercially valuable timber species. By providing long-term data on a variety of plants and animals, it offers the first truly in-depth synthesis of the consequences of selective logging in the tropics. The main body of the book demonstrates the adverse effects of logging--as many as 25 years after the event--on community structure and numerous other aspects of forest ecology. Although much has been claimed for the possibilities of sustainable logging in tropical rain forests, few data support these claims. Struhsaker demonstrates that future logging must be done at far lower intensities than is currently practiced if intact ecosystems are to be maintained. He also offers detailed recommendations for harvest plans compatible with the conservation of biodiversity and ecological integrity. The long-term data summarized here on the population dynamics of rain forest trees, primates, rodents, duikers, and elephants are unrivaled and will be widely cited, as will the data on seasonality, tree phrenology, gap dynamics, rainfall, and temperature. Struhsaker addresses the underlying causes of tropical deforestation and concludes that although there are numerous proximate factors, the ultimate causes are rapidly increasing human populations and rates of consumption per capita. He draws comparisons with relevant studies elsewhere in the tropics and offers specific recommendations to address the problems. Thomas T. Struhsaker has conducted field research in Africa over a period of 34 years. From 1970 through 1987 he established, developed, and directed the field research station in Kibale, Uganda. He maintains an active role in Kibale today and is a research scientist in the Department of Biological Anthropology and Anatomy at Duke University. His publications include The Red Colobus Monkey (1975) and more than 80 scientific and popular articles and technical reports on ecology, conservation, and animal behavior.

This innovative interdisciplinary study focuses on the history, science, and policy of tree planting and water conservation in South Africa. South Africa’s forestry sector has sat—often controversially—at the crossroads of policy and scientific debates regarding water conservation, economic development, and biodiversity protection. Bennett and Kruger show how debates about the hydrological impact of exotic tree planting in South Africa shaped the development of modern scientific ideas and state policies relating to timber plantations, water conservation, invasive species control, and biodiversity management within South Africa as well as elsewhere in the world. Forestry and Water Conservation in South Africa shows how scientific research on the impact of exotic and native vegetation led to the development of a comprehensive national policy for conserving water, producing timber, and protecting indigenous species from invasive alien plants. Policies and laws relating to forests and water began to change in the late 1980s and early 1990s as a result of political and administrative changes within South Africa. This book suggests that the country’s contemporary policies towards timber plantations, guided by the National Water Act of 1998, need to be reconsidered in light of the authors’ findings. Bennett and Kruger also call for more interdisciplinary research and greater emphasis on integrated policies and management plans for forestry, invasive alien plants, water conservation, and biodiversity preservation.

Tanzania is one of the most biologically diverse nations in the world. Traveling from west to east across Tanzania, one encounters an incredible array of ecosystems and species. Beginning at Lakes Victoria, Tanganyika, and Nyasa that form much of the western boundary of Tanzania, one finds the most diverse and some of the most spectacular concentrations of endemic fish in any of the world's lakes. Moving further inland from the lakes, one meets the woodlands and plains of Serengeti, Ngorongoro, Tarangire, and Lake Manyara. The assemblages and movements of large mammals in these protected areas are unparalleled worldwide. Traveling yet further to the east, one comes to Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest mountain in Africa. Mount Kilimanjaro is of sufficient height to not only contain seven major vegetation zones, but also maintain permanent glaciers. Finally, shortly before arriving at the Indian Ocean, one encounters the Eastern Arc Mountains, a series of isolated and geologically ancient mountains, which due to their height and proximity to the Indian Ocean intercept sufficient precipitation to support, in many areas, moist tropical forest. The Eastern Arc Mountains are among the richest sites biologically in all of Africa and harbor unusually high concentrations of endemic species - species whose geographic distribution are restricted to these mountains. Unfortunately, much of Tanzania's biodiversity is threatened by habitat alteration, destruction, and exploitation. The Eastern Arc forests face some of the most severe threats to any of Tanzania's biologically unique sites.

Africa's forests are being depleted at a faster rate than of any other continent. A major increase in the population growth rate began after World War II and it is now running at an annual rate of 2.9 per cent, resulting in massive demands for agricultural land, water, fuelwood and other products. There is no simple answer to environmental degradation and forest conservation must be part of a broader process of managing the landscape. Here to address this topic is the new Conservation Atlas of Tropical Forests: Africa, the first authoritative reference work on this subject. The second in a series this Conservation Atlas follows the format of the acclaimed Conservation Atlas of Tropical Forests: Asia and the Pacific (1991). Part I describes the issues, history of forests and climate, biological diversity, conservation of large mammals, and the peoples of the forests. Included are discussions of the links between population, environment and agriculture, the timber trade, protected areas system and the future for Africa's forests. Part II of the Atlas is a country by country survey of the forests of Africa. Stunning four-color maps, in a 9 x 12 format, have been compiled from satellite and radar imagery, aerial photography, and the latest information provided by forestry departments and development agencies. Both maps and text have been prepared and reviewed by a broad spectrum of specialists. The Atlas also includes four-color photographs and sketch maps. They represent the best visual portfolio available of Africa's forests today. For anyone interested in environmental issues, geography, forestry, development, economics, and the African region, this Atlas will be an essential resource.