Protocol for the monitoring of fauna and flora within Ngamiland, Botswana

Abstract

During a wildlife expert workshop held at Maun Lodge, 26th & 27th January 2012, the Southern Africa Regional Environmental Program (SAREP) and the Department of Wildlife and National Parks (DWNP) co-hosted a seminar aimed at tackling the issue of the decline of wildlife in Botswana. This document details the outputs of this seminar, and the deliberations that took place follow its conclusion. These deliberations included several additional meetings between SAREP, DWNP and various experts, who subsequently the guidelines for the basic monitoring of flora and fauna within the Ngamiland concessions in Botswana. Designed to mesh seamlessly with the Management Orientated Monitoring System (MOMS), these monitoring data are collected by guides, under the responsibility of concessionaires, for the long-term trend assessment of flora and fauna and observation of wildlife population demographics in Ngamiland. The data collected from the protocol will be applicable at the local and national level. Predator densities and movements, as well as long-term herbivore population trends, will be obtained for management purposes; local game hotspots can be determined, rare species recorded and general dynamics (bush encroachment, stochastic local processes such as disease outbreaks etc.) can be observed and addressed fairly rapidly. The table below outlines wildlife monitoring activities that have been selected for standardised monitoring