(HCVF) Toolkit for Malaysia - HCV Resource Network

Box 1 identifies the key questions to be considered when developing a programme for the management
of HCV1.
Box 1. Key Questions for Wildlife Monitoring in FMUs
In general, the WHY, WHAT, WHERE and HOW questions need to be answered before one proceeds
on wildlife monitoring. A strategic approach will determine what aspects of wildlife are important in the
broader context of managing an FMU.
WHY
are you creating a monitoring program? What are your objectives? Are they
scientific or management objectives? To identify rare, endangered, and protected
wildlife in your FMU? How about endemics, keystone species, indicator species?
Responsible management will consider all these aspects.
WHAT
are you going to measure? Mere presence or some quantitative or qualitative
value? Or relative abundance, or putting more emphasis on rare species?
WHERE
are you going to put your sampling points? Randomly located or in areas where
these animals are found? What about temporal sampling? Different sampling
points in space and time yield different answers. This depends on the variables we
want to monitor.
HOW
are you going to measure? Mere presence or some quantitative or qualitative
value? Or relative abundance, or putting more emphasis on rare species?
Contributed by: Melvin Gumal and Jason Hon, Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), Malaysia. For further
information please contact WCS Malaysia.