INTERNATIONAL GORILLA CONSERVATION PROGRAM
Biodiversity Monitoring Program in the Mwaro ecological
corridor, Mikeno Sector, Parc National des Virunga
Augustin K. BASABOSE*, M. Gratien
BASHONGA** and Z. BALEZI***
* IGCP Species Conservation Coordinator
**
Independent Consultant, Botanist
***
Université Officiele de Bukavu June 2010
ibution of the ve
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Table of Contents
Acronyms 4
Executive Summary 5
Acknowledgements 6
1. INTRODUCTION 7
1.1. Background 7
1.2. Objective of IGCP Monitoring Program in Mwaro corridor 7
1. 3. Study Site 8
1.3.1. Location 8
1.3.2. Climate 8
1.3.3. The Virunga National Park, the Mikeno sector and
climate change 8
1.3.4. Vegetation and biological value of the Mikeno
sector 9
1.3.5. Mikeno Sector Management 9
1.3.6. Human Environment 10
1.3.6.1. Demographical context 10
1.3.6.2. Economic and Social Context 10
1.3.7. Role of the International Gorilla Conservation
Program in
the Mikeno sector 10
2. METHOD 11
2.1. Study techniques 11
2.1.1. Site Selection of permanent transect and plot
11
2.1.2. Establishment of the permanent transect and plot
12
2.1.2.1 Opening the transect 12
2.1.2.2. Establishment of the plot 12
2.1.3. Data Collection 13
2.1.3.1. Data collection on the transect 13
2.1.3.2. Data sampling within the plot 15
2.1. 4. Data processing 15
2.1.4.1. Floristic richness 15
2.1.4.2. Quantitative study of the flora 15
Biodiversity survey of Mwaro corridor, Altitudinal
distribution of the vegetation and assessment of Gorilla food
availability
2.1.4.3. Vegetation stratification 16
2.1.4.4. Geographic data 17
2.1.5. Documentary research 17
2.2. Material 17
3. RESULTS 18
3.1. Floristic richness of Muwaro corridor 18
3.2. Morphological types of identified species 19
3.3. Vegetation description of the Mwaro corridor 20
3.3.1. Vegetation structure within the 1-ha plot 20
3.3.2. Dynamic of vegetation prospected in the 1-ha
plot 21
3.3.3. Altitudinal distribution of the vegetation in the
Mwaro
ecological corridor 24
3.3.3.1. Quantitative observation of vegetation in Muwaro
corridor 26
3.3.3.2. Assessment of plant species diversity in the 7
segments 35
3.3.4. Herbaceous plant species identified in Mwaro
corridor. 36
3.4. Animals signs identified in Mwaro ecological corridor 40
3.5. Human Activities in Mwaro ecological corridor. 41
4. DISCUSSION 42
4.1. Floristic richness and variation between different
phytocenoses 42
4.2. Altitudinal variations along the line transect. 43
4.3. Wildlife presence in the Mwaro ecological corridor 44
4.4. Human Activities 44
4.5. Flora of interest to the Mountain Gorilla 45
4.6. Comparison of plant species consumed by gorillas according
to different sites 46
5. CONCLUSION 47
6. REFENCES 48
7. ANNEX 50
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