PAPFor

The Ziama Biosphere Reserve

Yuzhou — 2024-03-07T14:05:52Z

The Ziama Forest is located in Guinea, more precisely in the Forest Guinea (Guinée Forestière) region in the south-east of the country. The region is characterised by its lush vegetation, dense forests and ecological diversity.

The Ziama Biosphere Reserve is located in the prefecture of Macenta. It covers an area of 119 019 hectares, with a highpoint of 1 387 metres.

The reserve is home to one of the last primary forests in West Africa and is recognised for its exceptional biodiversity. It was classified on 12 September 1942 and declared a biosphere reserve in 1981. It is home to numerous plant and animal species.

The reserve is surrounded by 31 villages, with a current population estimated at 110 779, an increase of 4.2 % on the population in 2018. Thi population is characterised by its ethnic diversity, rural lifestyle and traditional religious and social practices, as well as by challenges relating to access to basic services and socio-economic development.

Biodiversity of the Ziama forest

Vegetation

The Ziama forest is characterised by vegetation comprising numerous species of trees, herbaceous plants, lianas and ferns. There are endemic species as well as trees of great economic value such as precious wood. According to studies carried out, two plant species have been identified as endemic by the IUCN. These are Mikaniopsis camarae and Invesodicraea pepehabai. Ziama also has 33 endangered plant species: Tarenna hutchinsonii (Critically Endangered (CR), according to the IUCN Red List categories), Thieghemella heckelii (Endangered (EN)) Entandrophragma utile (Vulnerable (VU)), Neolimoniera clidantrifolia (VU), Terminalia ivorensis (VU), Heritiera utilis (VU), Khaya anthotheca (VU), Guarea cedrata (VU), Omphalocapum ahia (EN), Lophira alata (VU), Garcinia Kola (EN), Enthandophragma cylindricum (VU), Anospyxise klaineanna (VU), and Lovoa trichioides (VU).

Fauna
The forest is home to a great diversity of animals, including numerous mammals such as primates (chimpanzees, colobus monkeys, etc.), antelopes, bushpigs, forest elephants, pangolins, civets and various small mammals. It is also home to a wide variety of birds, reptiles and amphibians.

Forest elephant – Loxodonta cyclotis (CR)

This is a key conservation species. The elephant population in Ziama is one of the last in Guinea and is currently in an evolutionary phase after a period of heavy poaching between 2008 and 2016. Enforcement patrols have reportedly played an important role in stopping poaching, but other activities are contributing to the conservation of the species, such as ecological monitoring using patrols, camera trap surveys and satellite collars; the development of beekeeping to manage elephant incursions into farmers' fields, and awareness-raising sessions. The group of elephants in the image was pictured by camera traps installed in collaboration with staff from the N'Zérékoré Forestry Centre and local communities.

West African Chimpanzee – Pan troglodytes verus (CR)

West African chimpanzees are an emblematic species and are integral to Ziama's ecosystems. As great apes, they play a crucial role in maintaining the forest's biodiversity, as predators, seed distributors and architects of the forest environment. Chimpanzee presence and population trends in Ziama serve as indicators of the overall health of the ecosystem. Camera traps recently deployed have enabled staff to begin to get to know a few groups of individuals.

Pangolins
Pangolins are one of the most threatened species in Ziama, due to the ease with which they can be hunted and the illegal trade in their meat and scales. Two species have been identified as a result of research activities: the white-bellied (or tree) pangolin (Phataginus tricuspis) and the long-tailed (or black-bellied) pangolin (Phataginus tetradactyla). A study is currently underway to confirm the presence of the giant pangolin in Ziama. Pangolins play an essential role in Ziama's ecosystems by regulating insect populations, particularly ants and termites.

Birds

The birdlife at Ziama is remarkably diverse due to the richness of its forest habitat. The reserve is home to many bird species adapted to life in the forest, including passerines, woodpeckers, touracos, barbets, parrots and other species specialising in woodland habitats. Following a rapid survey in 2019, a total of 131 species (37 families) were confirmed. Threatened species recorded during these surveys include the white-breasted guinea fowl (Agelastes meleagrides (VU)), yellow-casqued wattled hornbill (Ceratogymna elata (VU)), yellow-bearded greenbul (Criniger olivaceus (VU)). These three species were observed in both Wologizi and Ziama, while Phyllanthus atripennis (NT) was only seen in the Ziama forest.

Threats to biodiversity in Ziama
Ziama faces a number of threats to its fragile ecosystem and exceptional biodiversity. These include poaching and agricultural encroachment, the latter combined with the use of pesticides and worsening human-wildlife conflicts.

Hunting and poaching : hunting and poaching represent a major threat to many animal species in the Ziama Forest, including large mammals such as chimpanzees, pangolins and primates. The growing demand for bushmeat, wildlife trophies and other animal products is threatening the survival of many vulnerable species in Ziama.

Deforestation : Deforestation in Ziama is mainly caused by the expansion of agriculture, bush fires and other human activities. Land conversion through the exploitation of low-lying areas for farming leads to the loss of vital habitats for many plant and animal species. The use of chemicals in the lowlands also pollutes watercourses and represents a potential threat to aquatic fauna, especially amphibians.

Demographic pressure and expansion: Population growth and urban expansion around Ziama are putting increasing pressure on the forest. The increase in the human population means greater demand for land, natural resources and the ecosystem services provided by the forest, leading to an intensification of destructive activities.

Community governance
The conservation and management of the Ziama Biosphere Reserve is a matter of concern, as it will contribute to climate change resilience and the water and food security of neighbouring communities. This cannot be achieved without the effective involvement of the communities living around the reserve. To this end, community management committees have been set up around Ziama. There are three levels to this structure:

The local level, which covers the 31 villages;
The communal level, which will make up the 5 communes of Ziama; and
The central level, which will serve as the coordinating committee for the Ziama landscape.

These structures were set up on the basis of an elective approach with a total participation of 3 732 people, including 1 686 women. On average, 36 % of the members of these committees are women.

The committees will play a crucial role in the co-management of Ziama by being involved in the implementation of activities aimed at promoting equity and benefit-sharing, increasing and guaranteeing the full participation of indigenous and local communities, respecting their rights and recognising their responsibilities in the management of the Ziama reserve.

Supporting sustainable livelihood activities

The programme strives to develop livelihood activities to help communities improve their well-being. This bee-keeping activity (pictured) has been set up to manage conflicts between wild animals and humans in order to reduce the damage caused to crops by elephants. This activity also helps to increase household income.

Outlook
PAPFor supports the Ziama Reserve through the Wologizi-Wonegizi-Ziama landscape programme implemented by FFI and GRET. The PAPFor programme will come to an end in 2024, but funding from the Agence Française de Developpement through the ‘Project to conserve biodiversity and improve climate resilience in the Ziama Biosphere Reserve' ("Projet de conservation de la biodiversité et d'amélioration de la résilience climatique de la Réserve de Biosphère de Ziama") will enable the actions undertaken by the European Union project to continue. This will make it possible to continue biodiversity conservation actions and resilient agricultural development, to the benefit of the populations and ecosystems for the conservation of the Wologizi-Wonegizi-Ziama cross-border forest landscape. From 2026, the new European Union programme, NaturAfrica, will complement these actions in this landscape.

Cross River National Park, Nigeria

Yuzhou — 2023-09-19T15:26:40Z

The Cross River landscape contains the largest forest block left in Nigeria, with a wide variety of habitats ranging from dense rainforest to montane forest to high-altitude grasslands. Contiguous with forests in Cameroon, the landscape is a biodiversity hotspot of global significance and a centre of endemism for primates, birds, freshwater fish and amphibians. The Oban and Okwangwo Divisions of Cross River National Park are recognised as UNESCO Biosphere Reserves and have been proposed as a World Heritage Site.

The region bounded by the Cross River in Nigeria and the Sanaga River in Cameroon is considered an important centre of plant diversity due to its speculated isolation during the Pleistocene era. The ecotone of unbroken and little-disturbed forest from 150 m to 1 700 m is rare in Africa and an important feature of the Okwangwo Division of Cross River National Park. Protection of these forests on the slopes of Cross River National Park is essential to maintain a continuous flow of safe and sustainable water supplies for local communities.

Gorilla country! A view of the Okwangwo Division of CRNP from the Obudu Plateau © WCS Nigeria

Map of Cross River National Park

Despite continued hunting pressure the primate fauna is remarkably diverse, with 19 species present: Cross River gorilla, Nigeria-Cameroon chimpanzee, drill, red colobus monkey, putty-nosed guenon, mona guenon, red-capped mangabey, red-eared guenon, crowned guenon, Preuss's guenon, Talbot's needle-clawed galago, Allen's galago, Demidoff's galago, Thomas's dwarf galago, potto, angwantibo, vervet monkey, patas monkey and olive baboon. Four of these species are endemic to the region and seven others are represented by endemic subspecies. Cross River National Park also supports an important population of forest elephants.

/Cross River gorilla Gorilla gorilla diehli © WCS Nigeria

A total of 463 bird species have been recorded from Cross River National Park including some that were previously considered endemic to certain highland areas of Cameroon such as the yellow-footed Honeyguide, Ursula's Sunbird and the Mount Kupe Bush-shrike. Cross River National Park also contains several globally threatened bird species such as the yellow-casqued hornbill, mountain saw-wing, Cameroon montane greenbul, grey-headed greenbul, green-breasted bush-shrike, Crossley's ground thrush, white-throated mountain babbler, Bannerman's weaver and the endangered red-headed rock fowl.

Forest elephants Loxodonta cyclotis in Cross River National Park © National Park Service

It has been estimated that Cross River National Park contains more than 1 100 species of butterfly and as such is reputed to be the richest site in Africa for butterflies. The river Cross is reported to have more fish species than any other hydrologically comparable West African river basin with one of the highest fish diversities recorded in West Africa and at least 11 endemic fish species. The region is also known to be a hotspot of amphibian richness and diversity with 61 amphibian species from the Oban area alone.

Cross River National Park is managed by the National Park Service, a parastatal of the Federal Ministry of Environment, with support from the Wildlife Conservation Society.

Park rangers on a long-distance foot patrol © WCS Nigeria

PAPFor has supported the management of Cross River National Park through the Wildlife Conservation Society since 2019. The ‘EU Support Programme for the Preservation of Forest Ecosystems in Cross River State' has helped strengthen protection of the national park through support for ranger patrols and renovation of park infrastructure. The project also supports a conservation education outreach programme with surrounding schools, as well as a sustainable livelihood programme for adjacent communities.

Local schoolchildren on a field trip to Cross River National Park © WCS Nigeria

Cross River National Park is a popular tourism destination and is easily accessible from Calabar, the capital of Cross River State.

Park rangers have benefited from refresher training organised by WCS © WCS Nigeria

Taï National Park

Yuzhou — 2023-07-03T14:32:17Z

Location

Map of protected areas of Côte d'Ivoire ©OIPR 2022

The Taï National Park (PNT) and the adjoining N'Zo Partial Natural Fauna Reserve (RPFN) were created in 1972 on the basis of a decision taken as early as 1926 to protect an immense area of dense evergreen rainforest in the south-west of Côte d'Ivoire between the Sassandra and Cavally rivers.
The massif is shared between the Nawa, San-Pedro and Cavally regions. Managed by the Office Ivoirien des Parcs et Réserves (OIPR) through its South-West Zone Directorate (Direction de Zone Sud-Ouest (DZSO)) as a single area under the name of Taï National Park (TNP), the two units TNP and (RPFN) cover an area of 536.016 ha.

Taï NP covers 25 % of the total surface area of Côte d'Ivoire's network of 17 protected areas.

Taï and Grebo-Krahn national parks © GiZ 2022

Biodiversity

Taï National Park is the largest area of dense rainforest in West Africa under strict protection. Over 98.4 % of its surface area is occupied by natural forest cover, most of which is characterised by various types of evergreen forest growth, shaped by annual rainfall in excess of 1 600 mm.
The remaining 1.6 % is largely occupied by the waters of Lake Buyo and the denuded slopes of Mount Niénokoué.

[fr]Vue sur le Parc national de Taï © OIPR[en]View of Taï National Park © OIPR

TNP's plant heritage is unique, with over 1 200 species, with 273 classified as rare or endemic (Van Rompaey et al., 2001). Of these species, 73 are of great interest (Adou Yao et al, 2002) for forest conservation, hence the importance of TNP as a reservoir of unique biodiversity in the West African sub-region. This flora is comparable to that of Grebo-Krahn and Sapo national parks further west in Liberia, which contributes to the uniqueness of the Taï - Grebo-Krahn - Sapo landscape.

Sassandrian endemism is essentially in terms of species, with the exception of a few genera: Triphyophyllum, with a single, locally abundant liana species of the Dioncophyllaceae family; Monosalpinx (Rubiaceae), the only known species in Côte d'Ivoire; Polystemonanthus (Caesalpiniaceae) and Kantou (Sapotaceae), with the unique and rare Inhambarella guereensis species, the sacred tree of the Guéré people.

The park contains 42% of the plant species classified in Côte d'Ivoire as "rare and/or threatened" on the IUCN Red List (2016).

Corythaeola cristata, Musophagidae © OIPR

The particularity of TNP is also reflected in its fauna. It contains over 90 % of West Africa's forest fauna, including 146 mammal species (forest elephant, pygmy hippopotamus, leopard, forest buffalo, giant forest hog, giant pangolin, tailed monkeys, chimpanzees, etc.), 234 bird species, 15 of global interest, including the white-breasted guineafowl, rufous fishing owl, white-necked rockfowl, etc, 56 amphibian species, 42 reptile species and almost 300 insect species. 65 species of fish have been recorded in the rivers that flow through the park.

The Great blue turaco (Corythaeola cristata) is a species of cultural interest to the Patokola people in the south-west of the park.

Choeropsis liberiensis, Hippopotamidae © OIPR

As with the flora, some fauna species (and subspecies in the case of primates) are rare and/or endemic to West Africa, such as Jentink's duiker (Cephalophus jentinki), found strictly west of Sassandra, the zebra duiker (Cephalophus zebra) and the Western chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes verus).

Also endemic to West Africa and "vulnerable" according to the IUCN (among almost 43 species mentioned on the 2016 Red List), the largest population in the world of the pygmy hippopotamus (Choeropsis liberiensis) is in the TNP.

As a result of this exceptional richness, TNP has enjoyed Biosphere Reserve status since 1978, and was added to UNESCO's list of World Heritage Sites in 1982. This international recognition give it the status of a globally important forest.

Pressure and threats

Gold panners on the Hana river at the park's exit © G. Gellé (GIZ 2021)

Illegal gold panning is practised in the west of the TNP along the Hana river. Outside the park, it is carried out to both the east and west in the rivers and shallows of the rural areas and classified forests. These illegal activities destroy soils and habitats, and pollute watercourses.

After gold panning, which is localised, poaching is the other major pressure on the protected area, and affects the entire park. It is carried out with snare traps and 12-gauge shotguns. Duiker and monkeys are the main species hunted.

As for illegal fishing, some fishermen on Lake Buyo use nets with mesh that is too fine, and do not respect protected spawning areas. As a result, fish stocks are dwindling and certain riparian species (otters, turtles and reptiles, water birds, etc.) are becoming increasingly rare.

Despite the strong pressure on rural land on the periphery of the park, land clearing for agricultural purposes has been contained by strong action in the past and constant surveillance in the field. Nonetheless, this is a major threat, which requires us to remain vigilant.

In terms of indirect ecological threats, the first is the island effect of the TNP due to a very high level of agricultural occupation (over 95 %) of the land on its entire periphery, including in the classified forests belonging to the Taï area, which isolates flora and fauna populations and carries the risk of genetic impoverishment for these species in the long term.

In addition to the pollution of watercourses by products used in gold panning, pollution is also caused by agricultural inputs (pesticides and chemical fertilisers) used indiscriminately around the TNP. This concerns the upstream basins of the Hana and N'zè rivers to the north-east and north-west respectively, as well as the banks of Lake Buyo in the N'Zo Fauna Reserve to the north. The negative consequences for aquatic fauna and their predators (as well as for the health of the communities that use this resource on the periphery) are inevitable.

Finally, climate change is a threat that has yet to be fully assessed, with changes to be expected in terms of the frequency and intensity of rainfall episodes and in terms of difficulties for the fruiting and regeneration of certain plant species.

Management

Since 1997, TNP has had a development and management plan (PAG), which is periodically revised in a participatory manner by the OIPR and management stakeholders, for 10-year periods. The latest validated PAG runs from 2020 to 2029. Annual planning and budgeting is provided for the implementation of this document.

A Local Management Committee (LMC) ensures that stakeholders take part in the park's management. This committee is made up of representatives of the administrative authorities, local authorities, local communities, the private sector and research and higher education centres, as well as technical and financial partners involved in the management of the TNP.

Typically, development and management plans are organised around 6 programmes: (i) surveillance, (ii) ecological monitoring and research, (iii) support for local development or "neighbourhood measures", (iv) outreach (communication and education to raise awareness of conservation values and ecosystem services, and promote ecotourism), (v) infrastructure and equipment, (vi) management. In the last PAG, programme (vi) was strengthened by the concept of cross-border collaboration for consultative management of the Taï - Grebo-Krahn - Sapo landscape.

Current management is achieving the expected results, particularly in terms of responses to direct pressures and threats to TNP, as shown by the assessments made by UNESCO for the Biosphere Reserves and World Heritage Sites, and in the use of the IMET (Integrated Management Effectiveness Tool), METT (Management Effectiveness Tracking Tool) and EoH (Enhancing our Heritage) tools to periodically measure the effectiveness of park management and make recommendations.

In light of these results and in its ongoing vision to improve the governance of its protected areas, through the OIPR, Côte d'Ivoire has been engaged since 2017 in the IUCN "Green List" process of protected and conserved areas, certifying a protected area for its good management demonstrated by convincing and sustainable results in terms of nature conservation and benefits for humans. The TNP application for the Green List was submitted to the IUCN expert group in 2023 for analysis.

German development cooperation contributions to TGKS projects

German development cooperation has been supporting the Ivorian government for almost 40 years in the sustainable management of the TNP (capacity building, surveillance, ecological monitoring, research, local development, etc.), and in 2009 joined a cross-border collaborative effort initiated by the governments of Liberia and Côte d'Ivoire with their partners in the Taï –Grebo-Krahn – Sapo landscape for the conservation of its exceptional biodiversity.

Two new projects were launched, starting in late 2015 and early 2017 respectively:

The project "Strengthening ecological connectivity in the Taï-Grebo-Sapo forest complex between Côte d'Ivoire and Liberia", implemented by GiZ, and
The project "Biodiversity conservation in the Taï-Grebo-Sapo complex", funded by KfW and implemented by the AHT-CSRS consortium.

The main implementing partners are Côte d'Ivoire's MINEDD (Ministry of the Environment and Sustainable Development) and OIPR, and in Liberia, the FDA (Forestry Development Authority). In 2019, the European Union proposed that GiZ reinforce its TGS project with co-financing under PAPFor. This action started in July 2020.

The basic idea behind these 2 projects is to foster connectivity between the 3 protected areas in the TGS landscape, including the Grebo-Krahn National Park, which was created on the basis of the "Grebo National Forest" in 2017 (with support from the TGS-GiZ project), to reinforce its former conservation status. Responding to the concern about the island effect of protected areas already mentioned for the TNP, "ecological connectivity" is a complex process that must enable the exchange of populations of fauna (above all) and flora, either through continuous wooded corridors, or through a discontinuous network of wooded areas. All projects take into account the good management of connected protected areas and the active involvement of local communities.

On the edge of the Nigré village forest

In the western part of the Taï area, between the TNP and the Cavally river, the TGS-GiZ project is working on support for the sustainable management of residual forests (18 village forests and the banks of the Hana, Méno and Moumo rivers) and the promotion of agroforestry systems designed to maintain or return trees to a deforested rural landscape. To revegetate the banks of the Hana river, the TGS project is working in partnership with Beyond-Beans, a foundation of the Export Trading Group (ETG), a multinational trader and processor of agricultural products (including cocoa), which supports good farming practices through training and input kits supplied each year as payments for environmental services for releasing part of their plantation to natural regeneration and adopting agroforestry practices.

the "Tanties Troti" women's nursery in Zaïpobly © G. Gellé (GiZ 2021)

Makoré fruits

For agroforestry, TGS relies on the existing presence of nursery cultivation in the Taï department of a forest species, the Makoré – Tieghemella heckelii, from whose fruit butter for food and cosmetic use can be extracted.

One side effect of increasing connectivity for conservation is the development of value chains for non-timber forest products (NTFPs), which can help boost the economic prospects for local communities. A group of 55 women from Zaïpobly, the Tanties Troti, receives support for the development of makoré butter production and a second nursery activity (potential of 5 million seedlings produced per year, sold to companies and cooperatives in the cocoa sector).

In addition, and in the spirit of "periphery measures" introduced by OIPR to develop the TNP, support has been provided to 6 villages for the participative preparation of local development plans, and is being actively pursued with capacity-building to support the implementation of these plans, particularly for activities chosen by volunteers such as grasscutter (Greater cane rat) farming, snail farming, fish farming, rice farming, beekeeping, etc.

Lastly, while the TGS-GiZ project is directly involved in promoting a green network in village territories and local development in the west of the Taï area, this area is also involved in the TGS-MINEDD-KfW project, the Ivorian component of the "Conservation of biodiversity in the TGS" project.

Map of affected plots (UEP-TGS, 2021)

Location of the corridor in the Taï sub-prefecture (GiZ)

Following a 2-year feasibility study (2017-2019), a project concept for the development of a woodland corridor has been approved along the Saro river, 3 kilometres south-east of the town of Taï, at the narrowest point between TNP and the Cavally river (4 linear km along the river). At 450 m wide, the proposed corridor covers 236 ha.

The choice of target wildlife species (species under whose ecological requirements a number of species will find their way along the corridor) to develop the corridor was based on the following:

3 primary species: Forest elephant, Pygmy hippopotamus, Diana monkey
4 secondary species: Dwarf crocodile, Jentink's duiker, Chimpanzee, White-breasted guinea fowl.

Negotiations with the communities affected (3 villages and 1 settlement), and more specifically the people affected by the project (PAP), were carried out to assess compensation for the change in use of their land and to jointly define the boundaries of the future corridor. Once the PAP had reached agreement and been compensated in March-April 2023, the Project Implementation Unit (PIU) is free to undertake measures to secure the corridor and curb encroachment, pending its creation as a Voluntary Nature Reserve at the request of the Management Committee, set up by the communities in April 2022.

A detailed plant inventory has already identified 235 species on the site that are eaten by large fauna (elephants, monkeys including chimpanzees, duikers and pygmy hippopotamuses), which is an asset. Discussions are underway on possible human-wildlife conflicts, the demarcation of boundaries, forest restoration in the corridor and the development of agroforestry on neighbouring land.

Focus on the Pinselli and Soyah Classified Forests (OKKPS)

Kristell — 2023-05-25T17:12:38Z

Location

The Pinselli and Soyah forests are located in Guinea, south-east of the town of Mamou, in the region of Moyenne-Guinée, Mamou Prefecture. The two forests are very close to each other and are protected as Classified Forests. With an area of 13 000 and 8 400 ha respectively, they consist of dry forests on undulating and rocky terrain at the higher elevations (Soyah forest reaches heights of over 900m in altitude). Along the rivers, denser and higher gallery (corridor) forests form cooler and wetter environments.

These forests are managed by the Office Guinéen des Parcs Nationaux et Réserves de Faune, with a base in the village of Soyah.

Both forests are close to the border with Sierra Leone and notably to Outamba National Park. Together, this mosaic of protected and rural areas form the Outamba-Kilimi-Kuru-Pinselli-Soyah transboundary landscape, better known by the acronym OKKPS.

Biodiversity

The Pinselli-Soyah area, together with the adjacent Sabouyah area, is recognised as an area of high biodiversity value. Initial inventories in 2011-2012, complemented by ongoing inventories under the PAPFor programme, have confirmed the presence of critically endangered species such as: forest elephants, West African chimpanzees, various monkey species, the giant pangolin and various bovid species. The high density of chimpanzees represents one of the highest conservation values. A few large carnivores such as leopard and lion remain, while the patches of dense forest and gallery forest in this area represent the last refuges for species more typically associated with the dense forests of Upper Guinea.

Bulbul fourmilier (Bleda canicapillus), endémique aux forêts guinéennes, Réserve de Soyah / Anteater Bulbul (Bleda canicapillus), endemic to the Guinean forests, Soyah Reserve

Libellule (Chlorocypha curta) typique des zones périphériques aux forêts d'Afrique de l'Ouest et Centrale (Forêt Classée de Soyah) / This dragonfly (Chlorocypha curta) is typical of the peripheral areas of the forests of West and Central Africa (Soyah Forest Reserve)

Cette aracée Amorphophallus aphyllus est typique des zones de savane d'Afrique de l'Ouest (Forêt Classée de Pinselli) / This Amorphophallus aphyllus root is typical of the savannah areas of West Africa (Pinselli Classified Forest)

The presence of typical forest species, typical savannah species and transitional species is one of the major conservation values of the OKKPS landscape, and is unique among the landscapes supported by PAPFor.

Pressures and responses to threats

The main pressures on the forests of the Pinselli and Soyah region are bushfires, agricultural expansion and hunting.
The PAPFor programme, implemented by the Wild Chimpanzee Foundation, is working on several fronts to ensure that conservation and development coexist. A programme of inventories and monitoring of fauna and flora (bio-monitoring) allows for a better understanding of the forests' biodiversity and species densities and distribution as well as of any signs of hunting or other human activities that threaten them. Among the eco-guards carrying out this work, an all-female patrol regularly covers the area and uses the opportunity to meet village inhabitants in order to raise awareness of nature conservation and to encourage respect for the law.

Equipe d'écogardes vérifiant les données de bio-monitoring récoltées dans la région de Sabouyah / Team of ecoguards verifying bio-monitoring data collected in the Sabouyah region

Another major component of WCF/PAPFor's intervention is providing support to encourage a transition from slash-and-burn to mulch-based agriculture. These activities include explaining and promoting various techniques that enable higher yields on small permanent cultivation sites. This allows farmers to stabilise their farming areas and avoid cutting further into forests to establish fields. In addition to composting techniques, natural fertilisation, plant protection etc., fences are erected around plots to protect crops from domestic and wild animals. Support for the development of beekeeping on the edge of the forest also allows villagers to secure additional income, encouraging them to protect the forest against fire and shifting cultivation.

Une des zones maraîchères appuyées par WCF/PAPFor (périphérie de la forêt de Soyah) /One of the market garden areas supported by WCF/PAPFor (periphery of the Soyah forest)

An extensive forest conservation awareness programme uses a variety of methods suitable for the local context: sets of pictures, environmental clubs in schools, radio and TV broadcasts, posters and information boards, and talks in villages.

Support for existing and future protected areas

In addition to the bio-monitoring patrols, the programme works with the Office Guinéen des Parcs Nationaux et Réserves de Faune (OGPRF), which has a mandate to ensure the effective protection of the classified forests of Pinselli and Soyah, and to prepare an ambitious programme for the creation of the Pinselli-Soyah-Sabouyah National Park.

The programme supports patrols to ensure compliance with environmental laws in and around the classified forests. It also provides technical support for the development of management plans and monitoring of management effectiveness through training and IMET (Integrated Management Effectiveness Tool) evaluation.

Bio-monitoring work focuses on the area between Pinselli-Soyah and the border with Sierra Leone, with a view to establishing a National Park ensuring connectivity between these protected areas and the Outamba National Park in Sierra Leone. Coupled with socio-economic surveys and participatory land mapping, numerous discussion sessions are taking place with camps and small villages to ensure the support of neighbouring communities. This co-creation also aims to ensure that the process is inclusive and respects the principles of Free, Prior and Informed Consent for the creation of a new protected area.

Development and support to sustainable livelihoods and markets

Kristell — 2023-04-03T17:42:32Z

Complex challenges require integrated approaches to ensure they are adequately addressed. This includes promoting agroforestry (tree crops), agroecology and conservation agriculture (minimum tillage); Integrated Pest Management using local organic pesticides; compost production; nitrogen-fixing cover crops to encourage growth of biomass to
reduce fallow periods; techniques and practices to increase both the land equivalent ratio and income generation potential of farmers' fields, and improvement of post-harvest storage to conserve yields. In addition, crop diversification has the potential to develop the regional market, and support in advisory services, value chain, market development, sector consultation and collaborations, access to credit and other inputs, all of which could
generate increased economic returns in the landscape while encouraging the adoption of climate-smart practices.

As well as nutrition support to households and communities, there is also the potential to mitigate HEC through prioritising deterrents to elephant crop raiding such as non-palatable crops like pepper and ginger, and through apiculture.

Promoting connectivity and maintaining tree cover through community engagement

Kristell — 2023-04-03T17:40:50Z

In a context of high anthropic and agricultural pressure, it is important to maintain physical connectivity between the protected areas by supporting communities to recognise and support the management of forest corridors on village lands that are used as migratory routes for wildlife.

Participatory land-use plans and rural appraisals will be conducted by WWZ community governance structures to implement appropriate community planning and monitoring protocols; priority corridors and core forest areas will be identified/confirmed and then monitored.

Community agreements and participation measures will be put in place to mitigate impacts of connectivity bottlenecks across the landscape. Direct links to livelihood support will be focused on those communities adjacent to priority corridors to provide clear incentives to maintain and enhance them.

Support for protected areas co-management and transboundary collaboration

Kristell — 2023-04-03T17:39:01Z

Within the context of increased community participation and governance, PAPFor provides support to CFZ in Guinea and the FDA in Liberia, both government agencies in charge of managing Ziama and Wologizi-Wonegizi, using different approaches. The programme offers capacity-building opportunities through training in law enforcement techniques and management tools, such as SMART software and IMET (Integrated
Management Effectiveness Tool) to enable close monitoring of management effectiveness and tracking of threats, law enforcement and biomonitoring.

Other actions are assessing social impacts of the protected areas and support for field and office equipment and transboundary patrol implementation and coordination, and in some cases, infrastructure.

Human-wildlife conflict

Kristell — 2023-04-03T17:36:58Z

Human-elephant conflict (HEC) continues to be a threat to the conservation of the last remaining population of forest elephants across the WWZ landscape, estimated to be over 50 with new calves born in 2022.

Land conversion for agricultural purposes boosts HEC, as crop raiding events increase around forest blocks. Animals often destroy crop fields close to grazing sites and migratory routes, leading to reprisal by farmers, who trap or gun down the animals.

Poaching, bushmeat hunting and trade

Kristell — 2023-04-03T17:35:58Z

Although there are national and international laws that prohibit the capture and killing of protected species, traditional regulation has diminished and illegal hunting in the WWZ landscape poses serious challenges. Commercial hunting is prevalent in the landscape as some hunters and marketeers continue to trade in bushmeat, pangolin scales, elephant ivory and pets (chimpanzees).

This is a serious threat to protected species as hunters do not distinguish between protected and non-protected species. The project will work with FDA and local authorities to ensure wildlife laws governing the two countries, Liberia and Guinea, are well understood and adhered to.

Shifting agriculture

Kristell — 2023-04-03T17:34:43Z

There is a general perception among farmers that food crops grow well with an increase in yield only on farms made in the high forest with decades of deposit of organic matter in the soil. As a result, intact forest is cut down to be planted with crops for a few years, such as with rice then vegetables, then peanuts, before the land is abandoned or left fallow.

This practice is one of the major drivers of deforestation and the loss of critical habitat that was previously partly protected through local customary regulations (sacred forests), leading to the loss of the landscape's connectivity. Another underlying major factor is population growth, which puts increased pressure on forest habitat to be converted to agriculture.