Community Participation in Tourism Planning at Majete Wildlife Reserve, Malawi

This research assessed the local community's participation in protected area-based tourism planning at Majete Wildlife Reserve in Malawi. The assessment was based on the participatory planning elements from the community participation framework for protected area-based tourism planning. A qualitative research approach was applied, and both secondary and primary data sources were used. Content analysis was used to analyse the data. Results show that the reserve has a system that allows continuous local community participation in the planning process, with financial resources committed to support the process. Local people are represented by independent community-based organisations and traditional leaders during the planning processes. But the local communities have limited access to tourism information and tourism planning experts. The reserve also lacks an appropriate decision-making structure that can facilitate efficient flow of management decisions to local communities. There is need to empower local people and regard them as partners in the tourism planning processes so that they can influence decisions.

Identification of land cover changes before and after forest and land fires in conservation areas of North Sumatra, Indonesia

Damage to conservation areas in North Sumatra can be mitigated by understanding the pattern of land cover change, which can be performed by detecting hotspots and their temporal and spatial patterns. This study aimed to explore land cover spatially and temporally before and after forest fires in the conservation areas in North Sumatra. Data on the hotspots, satellite imagery, land cover maps, and field verification were used to see the transition of land cover changes before and after forest and land fires. Temporal and spatial analysis was employed to see the trend of land cover changes of the land before and after the fires. Field verification was conducted through observations and interviews related to land cover conditions in the field caused by forest and land fires. This study found three conservation areas with the highest number of hotspots in 2014 in the period 2001-2019, including Gunung Leuser National Park (GLNP), Dolok Surungan Wildlife Reserve, and Barumun Wildlife Reserve during the 2001-2019 period. In 2010 and 2014 there were strong indications of a large area of land burning in three conservation areas. The burned land was near the outer boundary of the conservation areas and continued to expand into the areas over time. The area of the non-forest cover was relatively stable between periods prior to the discovery of several hotspots. Changes in forest cover to non-forest have become more widespread after the highest number of hotspots were detected in 2010. Conservation area management and various parties need to prevent the expansion of forest clearing considering the strategic role especially in GNLP as a world heritage.

Willingness to pay estimation of microhydro power plant user for hydrological ecosystem services in North Buton Wildlife Reserve Area

One of community empowerment programs implemented by the Ministry of Environment and Forestry is the construction of a Micro Hydro Power Plant (MHP) for communities around forest areas. One of the environmental services provided by forests is hydrological benefit in the form of water source to drive MHP turbines. The existence of the perceived benefit will trigger public awareness to participate in preserving forest functions. Rewards for benefits generated from forests can be manifested through efforts to conserve water resources jointly between the community and the party that manages the area. In this regard, this research is conducted to determine the willingness to pay of MHP users around the North Buton wildlife reserve to maintain the MHP unit and support forest resource conservation activities. This study employes the contingent valuation method (CVM) to calculate the willingness to pay value. The results show that MHP users are willing to pay IDR 2,611.- for each kWh of electric power. The willingness to pay is influenced by the amount of electricity consumption and the amount of income of the respondent. If it is calculated based on the volume of water used, the total willingness to pay for environmental water service is IDR 414.-per 1 liter per second.

Weight-length relationship and condition factor of Mugil cephalus (Linnaeus 1758, Mugilidea) in the special wildlife reserve of Gueumbeul (RSFG) in Senegal

The weight-length relationship and the condition factors are fundamental parameters with several uses in biology, fish ecology and fisheries management. Thus, in the Special Wildlife Reserve of Gueumbeul (SWRG) in Senegal, the weight-length relationship and condition factor were established for Mugil cephalus (Linnaeus 1758). A total of 311 individuals (97 females and 214 males) of M. cephalus were collected by the artisanal fishery using cast nets. The total length and weight ranged from 11.1 to 25 cm and 15.9 to 145.26 g, respectively. The results showed that in the SWRG, both in females (b = 2.60) and males (b = 2.899), M. cephalus had negative allometric growth. The analysis of variance showed no significant difference (p > 0.05) in the coefficients of determination between females (R = 0.96) and males (R = 0.84). Condition factors (K) were 3.07 and 1.23 for males and females respectively for M. cephalus in the reserve.

Habitat use and conservation threats to Wild Water Buffalo Bubalus arnee (Mammalia: Artiodactyla: Bovidae) in Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve, Nepal

Wild Water Buffalo (WWB) Bubalus arnee is an endangered species and a protected animal in Nepal. The remaining WWB population is located in Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve (KTWR), and it appears to have low viability under prevailing conditions. We assessed the habitat use and conservation threats to wild water buffalo in KTWR. For habitat analysis the quadrant method was used. Eighty-four quadrants of 25 m2 for trees, 168 quadrants of 10m2 for shrubs and 336 quadrants of 1 m2 for herbs were laid out in the study area. Ivlev’s electivity index (IV) was calculated to assess the use of different habitat components. The important Value Index (IVI) was used for vegetation assessment. A relative threat ranking method was used to assess conservation threats for wild buffalo and their habitats. Wild buffalo mostly preferred habitats with distance to water resources less than 500 m (IV= 0.4), less than 25 % crown coverage (IV= 0.39) and more than 75 % ground coverage (IV= 0.42). The trees species Phyllanthus emblica, Acacia catechu, shrub species Mimosa pudica and the herb species Brachiaria distachya, Vetiveria zizanioides, Imperata cylindrica, and Saccharum spontaneum were preferred by WWB in the study area. Among the different plant categories, we found that Acacia catechu was the most preferred tree species (IVI= 156.95), Mimosa pudica the most preferred shrub species (IVI= 58.68), and Imperata cylindrica the most preferred herb species (IVI= 64.73). Major conservation threats perceived by local stakeholders for wild buffaloes were overgrazing by cattle and genetic swamping through crossbreeding with domestic buffalo. Therefore, conservation of grass species through control of grazing, and prevention of cross breeding are measures supported by this study. Additionally, site-specific conservation strategies should be adopted, based on identified threats in the study area.

Nagydobrony és a Nagydobronyi Vadvédelmi Rezervátum (Kárpátalja) földrajzinévtárának elkészítése és ábrázolása történeti térképek alapján

The Wildlife Reserve of Velyka Dobron – which is located next to the village of Velyka Dobron (Hungarian: Nagydobrony), the fourth most populous Hungarian community in Transcarpathia – is the third-largest protected reserve of national importance in the country. We used a Geographic Information System to process and map the historical geographical place names of the settlement and the protected area (pieces of land within the cadastral boundaries but located either outside the settlement boundary or on its outskirts) based on the 1st, 2nd and 3rd military surveys, a cadastral map dating back to 1865 and the documents available in the Beregszász branch of the State Archives of Transcarpathian Oblast (fonds 125, description 6, file 344), as well as literary materials. As a result, a database comprising a list of 57 place names of the area was compiled. Likewise, a map of the pieces of land within the former cadastral boundaries and in the Nagydobron’ Wildlife Reserve was made. Analysis of forest area and land use changes showed that 16 pieces of land within the cadastral boundaries, but located either outside the settlement boundary or on its outskirts, have completely lost their former nature and as a result became part of the inner area of the settlement. Consequently, the compiled database and maps may help to specify the location of the ongoing research and clarify the accurate place of the earlier studies.

Participation of Forest Encroachers in Participatory Ecosystem Restoration Program in Dangku Wildlife Reserve, Musi Banyuasin

Land conversion and forest encroachment are one of the causes of environmental degradation, as is happening at the Dangku Wildlife Reserve in Musi Banyuasin Regency. The participatory ecosystem restoration program at Dangku Wildlife Reserve has had several positive impacts. It is necessary to analyze the influence of the level of perception on the level of participation of the forest encroachers in supporting the participatory ecosystem restoration program at Dangku Wildlife Reserve. This research is survey research with a qualitative approach that uses respondents as a sample of a population with a total sample of 118 respondents. Perception and participation scores were obtained from the classification or category of answers or opinions of respondents to the questions given by the researcher. The scoring of each answer from the respondents is obtained using a Likert scale. The results showed that although the community's perception of the program was classified as good, it was not positively proportional to the participation of the forest encroachers which was classified as moderate. One of the factors that influence this condition is that the benefits derived from the program are not in line with the expectations and needs of the forest encroacher communities.

Structure and composition of the woody plant communities of Majete Wildlife Reserve, Malawi

Background: The role of protected areas as sanctuaries for indigenous vegetation in Malawi, particularly miombo woodlands, will become increasingly important in the face of global change and rising human populations. Accurate knowledge of the extent and composition of woody components of plant communities will therefore play a vital part in informing conservation and management initiatives.Objectives: The aims of this study were to (1) classify, describe and map thewoody plant communities of the Majete Wildlife Reserve (MWR) using a combination of remote sensing and on-the-ground surveys, and (2) to compile an inventory of the tree and shrub species present in MWR.Methods: A combination of remote sensing and on-the-ground surveys was used to classify, describe and map the woody plant communities of MWR. Additionally, an inventory of the tree and shrub species in each delineated woody plant community was made.Results: Five distinct woody plant communities, two of which were subdivided into three sub-communities each, were recognised in MWR, and a total of 118 woody plant species within 31 families were identified. A description of the location, structure and species composition of each community is provided. Miombo was the most widespread community (covering 35.9% of the area), while the lower-altitude shrublands and woodlands were the richest floristically.Conclusion: This information is intended to provide a basis for improved management planning and policy development, including fire management, the placement of infrastructure, and the re-introduction of extirpated mammal species, as well as providing a baseline against which to monitor change. Additionally, this study provided an example of how the combination of remote sensing and ground surveys can provide a rapid and relatively inexpensive method for classifying the woody components of communities at a relatively fine scale over large areas, which may become particularly relevant for developing countries and regions that undergo rapid and constant change.

Impact of rehabilitation and status area change on land cover and carbon storage in Paliyan Wildlife Reserve, Gunung Kidul, Indonesia

Puspanti A, Kusumandari A, Faida LRW, Sudaryatno. 2021. Impact of rehabilitation and status area change on land cover and carbon storage in Paliyan Wildlife Reserve, Gunung Kidul, Indonesia. Biodiversitas 22: 3964-3971. This study analyzed the land cover change and carbon storage after the rehabilitation of Paliyan forest. This study mainly focused on the forest status during 1999-2019, especially after establishing a wildlife reserve forest and after rehabilitation activity. We used a combination of canopy density model, carbon conversion, and changes of management-related data to analyze land cover classes in two decades of 1999-2009 and 2009-2019 representing the change in status of the area, rehabilitation, and management dynamics through the time. The result shows that at baseline (1999), the status was still production plantation forest dominated by non-forest/open land with the most carbon storage in plantation forest of 5463.04 tons of carbon. In the first decade, important events occurred such as continuing illegal logging until 2001; change of area status to wildlife reserve forest; and initiation of rehabilitation in 2003. There was an increase in non-forest areas during the first decade, and carbon storage decreased mostly in plantation forests with only 867.71 tons of carbon remaining. In the second decade, rehabilitation has shown a positive impact in increasing forested areas, and altered non-forest to the forested area dominated by open forest/mixed agriculture area, followed by plantation forest, and secondary forest. In this decade, the legality of the area status and rehabilitation activity underwent to be more advance. The carbon storage also shows the positive result with the most increase of storage in plantation forest of 4072.932 tons carbon, or almost 4.7 times higher than that in 2009. Total carbon storage in 2019 was 13257.50 tons, or almost three times higher than that in 2009. The rehabilitation required a longer period to achieve a more dense forest condition as in 2019 the area was still dominated by open forest or agriculture. The smallholder farmers and high dependency of the surrounding community manage the land to feed their livestock, impede the rehabilitation and restoration process, and de-escalate the transition from non-forest to forest resulted in the more vegetated area. This result is important for stakeholders for designing appropriate forest-related policies and supporting further rehabilitation strategies.