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Fisheries in the Southern Border Zone of Takamanda - Impact ...

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136 Sunderland-Groves et al.<br />

Table 3. Encounter rate for gorillas along transects, <strong>Takamanda</strong> Forest Reserve, Cameroon, 2001<br />

Site Nest groups<br />

Individual<br />

nests<br />

Survey distance<br />

(km)<br />

Groups/km Individuals/km<br />

Takpe Hill 4 6 7.0 0.57 0.86<br />

Basho Hill 7 14 7.0 1.00 2.00<br />

Obonyi I Hill 7 24 7.0 2.00 2.00<br />

Mblishe Hill - - 3.5 - -<br />

Atolo Hill - - 3.5 - -<br />

Total 18 44 28<br />

In all, 84% <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> gorilla nests detected were with<strong>in</strong><br />

5 m <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> transects (roughly 275,000m²), and 33% <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />

chimpanzee nests were with<strong>in</strong> 10 m <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> transects<br />

(280,000 to 555,400m²). Follow<strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong> formula <strong>of</strong> Tut<strong>in</strong><br />

and Fernandez (1984), a rough estimate <strong>of</strong> ape density<br />

was made (aga<strong>in</strong> based on small sample sizes). In<br />

apply<strong>in</strong>g this formula, we estimate that <strong>the</strong>re were<br />

approximately 2.06 gorillas/km 2 a n d 0.59<br />

chimpanzees/km 2 .<br />

To summarize, <strong>the</strong> <strong>Takamanda</strong> Forest Reserve<br />

covers 676 km 2 ; 19% <strong>of</strong> this area is above 500 m, which<br />

dur<strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong>se surveys was classified as highland. Us<strong>in</strong>g<br />

<strong>the</strong> gorilla density figures calculated dur<strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong> 2000-<br />

2001 surveys results <strong>in</strong> an estimate <strong>of</strong> about 286 gorillas.<br />

Encounter rate/km walked<br />

2.5<br />

2<br />

1.5<br />

1<br />

0.5<br />

0<br />

traps<br />

hunters paths<br />

<strong>Takamanda</strong>: <strong>the</strong> Biodiversity <strong>of</strong> an African Ra<strong>in</strong>forest<br />

This seems highly unlikely given <strong>the</strong> estimate from <strong>the</strong><br />

1998-1999 surveys and because gorilla sign was not<br />

recorded at all highland sites. We <strong>the</strong>refore ma<strong>in</strong>ta<strong>in</strong> that<br />

<strong>the</strong> estimate is about 100 gorillas.<br />

5.5 Human Sign<br />

highlands lowlands<br />

When all data from <strong>the</strong> lowlands were compared with all<br />

data from <strong>the</strong> highlands (dry season only), <strong>the</strong>re were<br />

significantly more traps and hunters’ paths <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />

lowlands than <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> highlands, reflect<strong>in</strong>g more hunt<strong>in</strong>g<br />

pressure <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> lowlands (Figure 2).<br />

The 2000-2001 surveys were only conducted <strong>in</strong><br />

highland areas, so we only compared hunt<strong>in</strong>g pressure<br />

among <strong>the</strong> highland sites (Figure 3). Dur<strong>in</strong>g transect<br />

Figure 2. Encounter rates <strong>of</strong> hunters paths and traps <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> highlands and lowlands, <strong>Takamanda</strong> Forest Reserve, Cameroon,<br />

1998-1999

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