Conservation research presence protects: a case study of great ape abundance in theDja region,Cameroon

Abstract

Research programmes have been shown to exert a positive impact on faunal communities, but few studies provide empirical evidence. In this study, we surveyed three neighbouring sites, differing in terms of official protection status and level of active management, in the Dja Conservation Complex, southeast Cameroon. We recorded signs of human activity and anthropogenic pressures and found that they significantly differed by site. We assessed chimpanzee and gorilla relative abundance using nest count surveys. We found that chimpanzee nest abundance was related to the presence of active management, but both active management and availability of suitable habitat affected gorilla nest abundance. Our results suggest that gorillas are more tolerant of human activity. We also provide evidence that the presence and activities of the conservation research project Projet Grands Singes served to actively deter poachers and limit hunting of great apes as a result of researcher presence, community sensitization and of valuing living apes and intact forests by local people. Such empirical evidence for the positive effect of research activity on biodiversity preservation should encourage continued investment in such programmes as part of a landscape-wide, multistakeholder conservation management of great ape habitats.

Drivers affecting mammal community structure and functional diversity under varied conservation efforts in a tropical rainforest in Cameroon

“…Our findings support earlier studies that confirm the efficacy of conservation efforts (both primary in Ekom, and secondary in La Belgique) (Tagg, Petre & Willie, ; N'Goran et al ., ; Tranquilli et al ., ; Tagg et al ., ). The lower mammal abundances and altered mammal species composition in La Belgique and Madjuh suggest that abundances decline disproportionately across species.…”

“…Local people rely heavily on the forest for resources and hunting for bushmeat occurs for sustenance and commercial reasons. Similar to the forest in La Belgique, the habitat composition of Madjuh is altered due to historic logging activities, showing higher levels of young secondary forest compared to Ekom (Tagg et al ., ).…”

The Critically Endangered western chimpanzee declines by 80%

“…For instance, Marahoué National Park in Côte d'Ivoire disappeared in just a few years (Campbell et al, ), due to inadequate park management, law enforcement and immigration controls. Only two conservation interventions have been demonstrated to build effective resistance to threats in protected areas—these are the strict regulation of access through law enforcement, and ranger patrols (N'Goran et al, ), as well as protection through long‐term presence of research or tourism projects (Campbell et al, ; Tagg et al, ; Tranquilli et al, ). Tourism may be an option in some countries in West Africa, but not in others due to lack of infrastructure.…”

“…A wide variety of conservation interventions for the protection of great apes and sympatric wildlife have been implemented during recent decades, including legal regulations and law enforcement, creation of protected areas, environmental education and awareness campaigns, mitigation of the impacts of mineral and timber extraction, community development and veterinary interventions (Caldecott & Miles, ). However, the effectiveness of most interventions is uncertain, as only a few studies have evaluated the usefulness and efficiency of specific activities, such as the effectiveness of law enforcement (N'Goran et al, ; Robbins et al, ), long‐term conservation presence of research and tourism (Campbell, Kuehl, Diarrassouba, N'Goran, & Boesch, ; Robbins et al, ; Tagg, Willie, Duarte, Petre, & Fa, ; Tranquilli et al, ), environmental education (Borchers et al, ), veterinary interventions (Robbins et al, ), or mitigation of the impact of the extractive industry (Rabanal, Kuehl, Mundry, Robbins, & Boesch, ).…”

Informing Protection Efforts for Critically Endangered Chimpanzees (<b><i>Pan troglodytes verus</i></b>) and Sympatric Mammals amidst Rapid Growth of Extractive Industries in Senegal

“…During strategic planning, conservation investors often face the challenge of identifying the relative effectiveness of protected areas (PAs) [Bruner et al, 2001;Brockington, 2004], given that conservation outcomes are affected by myriad factors such as law enforcement capacity, research or tourism activities, and community engagement [Tranquilli et al, 2012;Oldekop et al, 2015;Tagg et al, 2015]. More so in unprotected areas (UPAs) of West Africa, there is significant global pressure to develop extractive industries [Arcus Foundation, 2014;Prause, 2016], large-scale agriculture [Wich et al, 2014], and infrastructure projects such as hydroelectric dams [Barbier et al, 2016].…”