Standardised mammal surveys in support of law enforcement and measuring conservation success; an example from the Central Annamites
HUE, November 10, 2015 - From 10 to 11 November 2015, the German Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (IZW) and WWF’S Carbon and Biodiversity (CarBi) programme will jointly host a workshop on the application of standardised biodiversity surveys in forests in Vietnam. Results from four protected areas, namely Bach Ma National Park, Quang Nam and Hue Saola Nature Reserves (Vietnam), and Xe Sap National Protected Area (Laos), will be presented and discussed by national and international scientists and stakeholders.
WWF’s CarBi programme contributes to the avoidance of deforestation and forest degradation in the border area of Southern Laos and central Vietnam. A significant component of CarBi concentrates on improved management of the four protected areas listed above. These areas are located in the southern regions of the Central Annamites Landscape, an area of outstanding biodiversity richness, providing critically important ecosystem services to the people and industries of the area. CarBi operates in the contiguous trans boundary complex of the four protected areas and adjacent corridors, aiming to preserve the critically endangered Saola (a forest-dwelling bovine) and a number of additional threatened species of global importance. CarBi has been working closely with government agencies in Vietnam and Laos to improve the protection of these conservation areas. An important instrument in measuring conservation success, is biodiversity monitoring.
IZW studies the diversity of life and the interactions of wildlife with people and their environment. IZW’s work integrates applied and function-oriented research to develop the scientific basis for novel approaches to conservation of wildlife. IZW has been working in Southeast Asia for almost a decade, using mainly non-invasive techniques, particularly camera trapping, to study species and their communities.
WWF CarBi and IZW have partnered to undertake scientifically robust surveys to study the threatened mammals and their communities in this biodiverse landscape. Most wildlife survey methods are designed to study particular species, but are unsuitable for studying species communities. The IZW designed mammal community surveys, recognising that the diversity of medium and larger sized mammal species are of particular importance for conservation. This workshop will discuss the results of surveys undertaken in 2014 and 2015. The workshop aims to:
- Convene stakeholders around this important topic, including Directors of protected areas, Forest Protection Departments, CarBi Project Management Units, national stakeholders (Ministry of Agricultural and Rural Development), NGOs and national and international scientists and organisations.
- Create a platform to present and discuss enforcement and mammal survey activities in the Central Annamites Landscape.
- Discuss lessons-learned, opportunities and challenges of the application of standardised mammalian biodiversity surveys and enforcement activities.
- Identify the needs in the coming years to adapt, continue and possibly extend the current enforcement activities and mammalian biodiversity surveys.
- Draft recommendations for a national programme on standardised mammalian biodiversity surveys to be submitted to the Vietnam government for consideration.
The Leibniz Association connects 89 independent research institutions that range in focus from the natural, engineering and environmental sciences via economics, spatial and social sciences to the humanities. Leibniz Institutes address issues of social, economic and ecological relevance. They conduct knowledge-driven and applied basic research, maintain scientific infrastructure and provide research-based services. The Leibniz Association identifies focus areas for knowledge transfer to policy-makers, academia, business and the public. Leibniz Institutes collaborate intensively with universities – in the form of “WissenschaftsCampi” (thematic partnerships between university and non-university research institutes), for example – as well as with industry and other partners at home and abroad. They are subject to an independent evaluation procedure that is unparalleled in its transparency. Due to the institutes’ importance for the country as a whole, they are funded jointly by the Federation and the Länder, employing some 17,500 individuals, including 8,800 researchers. The entire budget of all the institutes is approximately 1.5 billion EUR.
WWF is one of the world’s leading conservation organisations. WWF works in 100 countries and is supported by close to 5 million members globally. WWF's mission is to stop the degradation of our planet's natural environment, and build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature. The first, is to ensure that biodiversity stays healthy and vibrant for generations to come. The second, is to ensure that the natural resources required are managed sustainably and equitably.
To learn more about WWF’s activities, please visit http://vietnam.panda.org/