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Forest Health Monitoring - Monitoring Forest Conditions, Fragmentation and Land Conversion in the Eastern Arc Mountains of Tanzania and Kenya - Prospectus Current as of January 24, 2000 I. Introduction and Background In recent years, forest sustainability has become a major concern worldwide. There is an expectation that forests are healthy and sustainable when biotic and abiotic influences do not threaten the attainment of conservation objectives now or in the future. Conservation objectives can vary from very intensive community-based forest use to complete protection and preservation. Conservation objectives can be compromised by animals, weather, climate change, forest insect and disease-causing pests, air pollution, fire, poor harvesting techniques, understory cultivation and forest land conversion and fragmentation. An approach is needed to account for changes in forest health and sustainability The USDA Forest Service and the National Association of State Foresters have developed a program of forest health monitoring utilizing a combination of remote sensing, permanent plots and special aerial and ground survey techniques. This program provides land mangers, planners and policy makers and interested communities and individuals with the status and trend information needed for making decisions. The monitoring system also provides an early warning system of stresses on the forest ecosystem through the use of specific indicators for the forest ecosystem health criteria. One area that desperately needs quality information on forest condition is the Eastern Arc Mountains of Kenya and Tanzania The Eastern Arc Mountains are a chain of ancient crystalline mountains (1,238,400 ac [501,377ha]) which run from the Taita Hills in Kenya to the Makambako Gap just to the south-west of the Uzungwa Mountains in Tanzania (Figure 1). Although there are other mountains in the region such as the volcanic derived Mt. Kilimanjaro, the Eastern Arc Mountains are considered a separate group because they are under the direct climatic influence of the Indian Ocean. The mountain chain is a series of isolated mountains, which have been heavily covered by forests. The forests covering the mountains can be classified as montane, submontane and lowland/foothills. Much of the original forest, especially at the more accessible or lower elevations, has been converted to agricultural crop production. The Eastern Arc Mountains have been recognized by Conservation International as one of 24 globally important "hot spots" for threatened biodiversity and are major national, regional and local sources of hydropower, water, a wide array of forest products and agricultural production. In November of 1997, the Second International Conference on the Eastern Arc Mountains was held in Morogoro, Tanzania. Convened by the Tanzanian Forestry Research Institute, University of Dar es Salaam and Sokoine University, the aim of the conference was to:
The Conference concluded that this unique ecosystem was undergoing an accelerated rate of destruction and that there was an urgent need for documentation of the problem if changes were to be made to reverse or slow the process. The documentation is the primary purpose of this project. II. Problem In recent years, increasing human populations have placed greater demand on the resources of the Eastern Arc Mountains to provide food, fuel wood, clean water and other forest products. In Tanzania the natural forest resource is shrinking by 1.15 percent (total natural forest 1990 33,555,000 hectares) and in Kenya by 0.55 percent (total natural forest 1990 1,187,000 hectares) per annum as land is converted to other uses. The Eastern Arc Mountains are subject to these pressures. The Taita Hills in Kenya are a good example of just how far fragmentation and conversion can go. There, the indigenous forests are almost gone. Pressure on the Eastern Arc Mountains is coming form both human related causes, and, possibly from the indirect influences of damaging forest health agents such as insects, tree pathogens and animals. There are serious conflicts between the use of the ecosystem by the local people to meet their requirements for income and food production, and the sustainability of the forest resource with its unique biodiversity of flora and fauna. Although changes are occurring, little documentation exists for assessing the magnitude of the problem. Additionally, little work is being done to identify the agents causing the changes, evaluate their relative importance, or to suggest ways to mitigate their impact. Until both the rural people and government agencies can see and understand what is happening there is little incentive to implement corrective actions. To solve these problems reliable information must be available to determine the status and trend of the forest conditions to assist in planning and identifying the areas where changes are most needed. Once remedial measures are initiated, information is also necessary to determine if they are working. III. Objectives of This Project The primary objective of this project is to show through the use of new and existing forest health monitoring technology and techniques, that current status and trend in forest condition of the Eastern Arc Mountains can be determined. The proposed project will identify and measure the agents and processes responsible for any adverse impacts, establish a baseline to compare with future surveys and make this information available to Kenya and Tanzania for planning and policy change purposes. This project is seen as a technology pilot and information dissemination pilot, which, if successful, would have application and utility in Africa The second objective is to train Africans in the use of forest health monitoring technology so they can acquire information on any forest ecosystem where continuous information is needed for planning or intervention where forest health problems are detected. The third objective is to evaluate the capabilities of regional institutions and agencies to conduct forest health monitoring and to assist in developing and improving these capabilities where possible. The fourth objective is to design and implement an information technology system (world wide web/CD-rom-based) to: 1) demonstrate the capability and use of these technologies, 2) to improve communications between and among project cooperators, and 3) to make summarized project findings and project-related information available to government agencies, regional institutions, NGOs and the local communities. In addition, an attempt will be made to show how these data can be used to strengthen the coordination and cooperation between government agencies, regional institutions, NGOs and the local communities. The information obtained will be used to improve land use patterns to increase food production, provide alternative income opportunities and reduce the impact of damaging forest agents. IV. Approach
V. Relevance of Project to U.S. Policy and Interests USAID Africa Bureau's Strategic Objective (SO) 5. Progress accelerated in the development and spread of strategically-viable and environmentally sound natural resource management systems Management and wise use of natural resources in Kenya and Tanzania is critical to the whole social, economic and environmental structures of these two countries. In order for government and village officials to make good decisions they must know about the resource they are dealing with. This project will allow them to know about the trends in land use change and the health and vitality of what remains. In-county partners will assure the capability to obtain and utilize the information continues after the project is completed. Capabilities already exist in both countries for the use of remote sensing data. An excellent example of that is the Tanzania Natural Resources Information Centre at the University of Dar es Salaam. Sokoine University in Tanzania and the Forest Health Centre in Nairobi will continue to monitor the forest health plots. We will help Sokoine University to develop the capacity to maintain the Eastern Arc web site. Our activity will assure an in-country capacity for this natural resource management system Environmental priorities of the United States include encouraging African countries to develop strategies to conserve and sustainably use their biological resources. The US diplomatic and development assistance initiatives aim to encourage the sustainable use of natural resources, halt deforestation, preserve biological diversity, combat desertification, maintain coastal areas, improve water quality, and fight infectious diseases. These initiatives are designed to build African capacity, promote U.S. environmental technology and integrate and improve the quality of U.S. Government environmental aid programs. Good decisions require high quality data This study will provide those kinds of data to decision-makers. A unique aspect of this study will include the development, implementation and utilization of electronic (www/CD-rom-based) information system. The system might include: newsboards, operational instructions, and interim and final reports; that will be available worldwide! VI. Context of Proposed Work There are probably 150 different folks that represent government agencies, NGO's and universities working in the Eastern Arc Mountains. Communications and data sharing almost seem to disappear between major meetings (held every 10-15 yrs). Our project will assure that does not happen now or in the future. This Team has been active in the region since 1992. Since 1992 in country capacity has been put in place in Kenya (Forest Health Centre), 20 scientific exchanges, 3 major conferences (cypress aphid, leucaena psyllid, off-forest products), development of the African forest pest network and a publication (How To Prune) in Swahili. A Letter of Record between the Kenyan Forestry Department and the USDA Forest Service has been in place since 1994. Approval has been given by Sokoine University for a similar Letter of Record (signed in October 1999) between them and the Forest Service. A draft Letter of Record has been submitted to the Tanzanian Department of Forestry and Beekeeping. The University of Georgia team members have been active in East Africa since attending the second IUFRO Extension Working Party Symposium held in Nairobi and hosted by personnel associated with The Kenyan Forestry Research Institute (KEFRI) in 1997. Subsequent to the IUFRO meeting, several of the Arc Project team members authored an invited paper and made a presentation at the Integrated Pest Management Communications Workshop: Eastern/Southern Africa (ICWESA) held in Nairobi at the International Centre for Insect Physiology and Ecology (ICIPE) in March 1998 dealing with our concept of utilizing information systems to assist in the implementation of forest and agroforestry IPM in Africa. Since the ICWESA meeting Dr Douce has been an active member of the University of Georgia African studies faculty. Dr Douce has also initiated and obtained signatures on International Memorandum of Agreements (IMA) in the focus areas of forestry/agroforestry information systems between the University and Moi University in Eldoret, Kenya and ICRAF in Nairobi. Other IMA's are being considered with the Kenya Forestry Research Institute in Nairobi and Sokoine University in Morogoro Tanzania. VII. Expected Results From This Project
VIII. Schedule and Activities
XI. Participating Agencies, Organizations and Institutions
X. Other Possible Cooperating Institutions and Agencies
XI. Project Team
Salaries and other expenses contributed by investigators $50,000/yr XIII. Financial Transfer/Control Mechanisms We propose that USAID AFR/SD/PSGE make use of the existing interagency agreement between the USDA Forest Service and USAID G/ENV. The USDA Forest Service International Programs Office will serve as the grant recipient for this activity. An administrative charge of 18 percent will be applied to the total budget. Services provided by International Programs will include but not limited to: Transfer of funds as needed to African and stateside cooperators
For Additional Information please contact: Dr. Gerard D. Hertel, Assistant Director
Phase II Plans: (January 24, 2000) Eastern Arc Project 2000
Travel Schedule:
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The Bugwood Network - The University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences and Warnell School of Forest Resources Copyright 2004. All rights reserved. Page last modified: Wednesday, August 8, 2001 Questions and/or comments to: bugwood@arches.uga.edu |
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