Ecological Survey Training, Lower Zambezi National Park.

During October 2004 African Wild Dog Conservation (AWDC) carried out a skills and technology transfer programme aimed at increasing the Zambia Wildlife Authority’s (ZAWA) capacity to continue the annual mammal and habitat surveys that AWDC initiated as part of a study on the African wild dog. The information provided by continuing these surveys may prove valuable for long term National Park management. ZAWA’s Ecologist for the Lower Zambezi Management Area, Rhoda Kachali, took part in all aspects of the skills and technology transfer. Conservation Lower Zambezi (CLZ) Operations Manager Ian Stevenson also took part in the training sessions in order to increase CLZ’s capacity to support ZAWA if required.

African Wild Dog Conservation Project Director Kellie Leigh carried out the programme over two sessions due to time restraints on both CLZ and ZAWA personnel; from the 8th to the 13th October with CLZ, and the 15th to the 19th October with ZAWA.

There were five modules to the training sessions, which covered all aspects of the ecological surveys from initial design through to final data presentation.

• Design of Methodology for Surveys

  Discussion of methodology design and sampling techniques. Re-design of AWDC’s surveys to target the more general objectives of monitoring multiple species population changes and diversity throughout the National Park. The new designs incorporate input from ZAWA and CLZ. Species/groups included: Lion, spotted hyena†, vegetation, prey counts, African wild dog telemetry.

   

• Familiarisation with Field Survey Techniques

  Demonstration of field methods used in the surveys of different species. Included methodologies for vegetation sampling, prey transect counts, wild dog telemetry, lion census and spotted hyena audio call-in.

   

• Ecological Records Logged raw data from surveys into spreadsheets

   Summarised and formatted data for plotting into a Geographical Information System (ArcGIS).

   

• GIS, Spatial Analysis

  Conversion of data to appropriate file types, then layered into GIS. Basic spatial analysis techniques used in GIS.

   

• Summary and Reports:

  Presentation of results derived from spatial analysis. Use of graphs and scatter plots for reports

This skills and technology transfer programme was sponsored by AWDC and a grant-in-aid from the University of Sydney, Australia. CLZ assisted with shared sponsorship of on-site logistics and accommodation costs, and provided their operations camp and facilities for the programme. Thanks go to ZAWA for providing permission and free National Park entry for the duration of the programme.

Kellie Leigh, Project Director.

† Future hyena audio surveys will require permission from ZAWA to reward the responding hyenas with game meat to maintain annual response rates (pers. comm. Gus Mills, methodology designer).

© Afrikeye 1999 - 2007 (certain items under permission of original copyright owner)

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