Bateke Plateau National park (Gabon): Ecological monitoring of large mammals and human impact

Citation

Bout N & Maisels F (2006) Bateke Plateau National park (Gabon): Ecological monitoring of large mammals and human impact. Colloque Société Française pour l’Etude du Comportement Animal 2006, Boult-aux-Bois, Ardennes, France.

Abstract
The newly created (2002) Bateke Plateau National Park in Gabon is a savanna-forest mosaic at the eastern edge of the main rainforest bloc of Gabon. The vegetation (and its fauna) follows a west-east gradient through from closed canopy rainforest, wooded and bush savanna, to almost pure grass at its easten limit on the Republic of Congo border. The area had been subject to high levels of illegal hunting for both meat and ivory before its gazettement. Hunters came from both Gabon and Congo. The Park was systematically surveyed for large mammal and human distribution and relative abundance (April 2005-February 2006), using a zigzag sampling design. Methods used were recconaissance walks along which all terrestrial sign was recorded within one metre each side of the observer. In addition, all human sign and all direct visual or auditory observations of animals and humans were recorded. Large mammals (including apes, elephants, buffalo, red river hog) occured at low relative abundance in the Park, especially in the northeast where hunting pressure continues. However, areas which have received protection by antipoaching staff in the centre of the park held larger numbers of animals. Wildlife was also more abundant closer to rivers. Data from the northern buffer zone indicated that the area was important for elephants, but that there was still significant pressure from ivory poachers. The data collected is the baseline for the park monitoring system, and thus allows informed conservation management decisions. Results have already been used to alert park management authorities to the vulnerable and/or important parts of the site.