Browsing by Author "Mukama, Kusaga"
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Item Designing a Mangrove Research and Demonstration Forest in the Rufiji Delta, Tanzania(2016) Mangora, Mwita M.; Shalli, Mwanahija S.; Semesi, Immaculate S.; Njana, Marco A.; Mwainunu, Emmanuel J.; Otieno, Jared E.; Ntibasubile, Elias; Mallya, Herry C.; Mukama, Kusaga; Wambura, Matiko; Chamuya, Nurdin A.; Trettin, Carl C.; Stringer, Christina E.Despite the growing body of literature on science and management of mangroves, there is a considerable knowledge gap and uncertainty at local levels regarding the carbon pool size, variability of carbon sequestration and carbon stocks within mangrove forests, mechanisms that control carbon emissions from degradation of mangrove forests, impacts of conversion to other land uses, challenges and opportunities associated with restoration practices and sustainability of ecosystem services. These concerns are valid globally, but they are particularly important in Africa due to limited research that has been conducted in the continent. The USDA Forest Service (USFS) and the Center for International Forest Research (CIFOR) have completed comprehensive studies on mangrove carbon in the South East Asia (SEA) and the Oceania (Donato and others 2011, Kauffman and others 2011) with financial support from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) as part of its Sustainable Wetlands Adaptation and Mitigation Program (SWAMP). By drawing from the reported findings, lessons and experiences from SWAMP, inter-agency consortiums of academic and research institutions and conservation non-governmental organizations in Tanzania and Mozambique, with technical support from the USFS Center for Forested Wetlands Research and financial assistance of the USAID Africa Bureau, are developing the East Africa Mangrove Carbon Project (EAMCP). This initiative intends to support capacity development, advance scientific knowledge, and improve data collection in the areas of measurement and monitoring of carbon stocks and the impact of utilization and degradation in mangrove forests. Ultimately, EAMCP aims to provide scientific information and capacity to inform effective policy and management actions for the secured future of mangroves in East Africa. The consortium in Tanzania is utilizing the EAMCP opportunity to establish a mangrove research and demonstration forest in the Rufiji Delta (MRDF). This facility will be officially designated and sanctioned within the administering government agency, the Tanzania Forestry Service (TFS). The designation will entail recognition of the site as a special use area, where activities are aimed at research, demonstration, and training for capacity development of academic and scientific community, practitioners and managers, and communities.Item Tanzania's reptile biodiversity: Distribution, threats and climate change vulnerability(2016-05) Meng, Han; Carr, Jamie; Beraducc, Joe; Bowles, Phil; Branch, William R.; Capitani, Claudia; Chenga, Jumapili; Cox, Neil; Howell, Kim; Malonza, Patrick K.; Marchant, Rob A.; Mbilinyi, Boniface P.; Mukama, Kusaga; Msuya, Charles; Platts, Philip J.; Safari, Ignas; Spawls, Stephen; Farpon, Yara S.; Wagner, Philipp; Burgess, Neil D.Assessments of biodiversity patterns and threats among African reptiles have lagged behind those of other vertebrate groups and regions. We report the first systematic assessment of the distribution, threat status, and climate change vulnerability for the reptiles of Tanzania. A total of 321 reptile species (including 90 Tanzanian endemics) were assessed using the global standard IUCN Red List methodology and 274 species were also assessed using the IUCN guidelines for climate change vulnerability. Patterns of species richness and threat assessment confirm the conservation importance of the Eastern Arc Mountains, as previously demonstrated for birds, mammals and amphibians. Lowland forests and savannah-woodland habitats also support important reptile assemblages. Protected area gap analysis shows that 116 species have less than 20% of their distribution ranges protected, among which 12 are unprotected, eight species are threatened and 54 are vulnerable to climate change. Tanzania's northern margins and drier central corridor support high numbers of climate vulnerable reptile species, together with the eastern African coastal forests and the region between Lake Victoria and Rwanda. This paper fills a major gap in our understanding of the distribution and threats facing Tanzania's reptiles, and demonstrates more broadly that the explicit integration of climate change vulnerability in Red Listing criteria may revise spatial priorities for conservation.