Page 24 - UNAM’s National Capstone Contributions

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Mudumu National Park Biodiversity

Monitoring Framework/Plan

UNAM was awarded a direct contract in 2018 to develop present at maximum capacity (around 30 individuals),
a Biodiversity Monitoring Framework and Plan for the while others at low abundance such as the cheetah
Mudumu National Park and Training Implementers (BMF) and leopard with less than ten cheetahs and about
by the Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism to nine individuals, respectively. Most of these populations
the tune of N$496,900. seem not to have recovered to size recorded between
1980 and 1990. Identified management and scientific
The project was implemented through the Departments research gaps represented five main thematic
of Wildlife Management and Ecotourism, and Computer areas: (1) population dynamics of flora and fauna of
Science. It was completed in 2020. The project had conservation concern, (2) fire ecology, (3) soil ecology,
three main outputs that included a baseline report on (4) conservation threats, and (5) management actions.
research and monitoring gap analysis and current state The implementation of an integrative biodiversity
of key biodiversity species of the Mudumu National monitoring programme will allow for the development
Park, a Biodiversity Monitoring Framework for the Ark of management actions underpinned by scientific
and Training Manual on its implementation, and Training data.
Report on the implementation of the Biodiversity
Monitoring Framework for Mudumu National Park. In response to the identified gap, the team developed
and recommended an ecosystem integrative
Key highlights in terms of baseline and gaps analysis framework that captures the park’s natural biodiversity
are that the Mudumu National Park is rich in species along with its underlying ecological structure and
across various taxonomic groups with relatively low supporting environmental processes.
levels of endemism in comparison to the more arid
parts of Namibia. Over 190 plant species have been A monitoring framework was then developed to monitor
detected in the park, 71 mammal species, excluding primarily trends in abundance, density and spatial
small mammals (≤ 500 g) with at least six rare water- distribution of 4 species from 24 mammal and 11 plant
dependent mammals, and more than 400 bird and 40 species and associated 7 water and 9 soil properties
fish species. and 12 categorized conservation threats as potential
covariates.
While these species’ inventories are encouraging,
there is a need for long-term data to permit an Target tree species include the Andansonia digitata
appraisal of trends on the density, abundance, spatial (baobab), Sclerocarya birrea (marula) and a few
distribution, and occupancy for many of these species acacia trees while grass species include the Digitaria
disaggregated to the Park level. To some extent, an erianthra, Cenchrus cilaris, Eragrostis porosa, and E.
exception to this general data limitation are herbivores superba. Herbivore species include the Loxodonta
and carnivores, which have been monitored using africana (elephant), Hippotragus equinus roan,
aerial counts and camera trapping for over the last 40 Damaliscus lunatus (tsessebe), Tragelaphus scriptus
and 5 years, respectively. (bushbuck), Kobus lechwe (red lechwe, while large
carnivores include the Panthera leo (lion), Acinonyux
A preliminary outlook of trends in counts of herbivore jubatus (cheetah) and Lycaon pictus (wild dogs). Birds
populations within the park suggests that populations species include Terathopius ecaudutus (bateleur), Gyps
appear to be stable with most present at low numbers africanus (white backed Vulture), Podica senegalensis
based on aerial counts conducted from the year 2013 (African Finfoot) and the Bucorvus leadbeateri (Southern
to 2019. In turn, large carnivores such as lions seem to be Ground-Hornbill).

UNAM’s National Capstone Contributions