Mushagalusa Batumike Rodrigue
Other projects
4 May 2018
Forest Use by Local Communities and its Implication for Conservation: The Case of Lomami National Park in DRC
To determine which species can be sustainable harvested, park managers need information on which species people are using (previous study) and estimates of species’ densities and populations’ structure. I will use vegetation plots to assess density, population structure and regeneration of key plant species highly used and valued by local communities surrounding Lomami national park. This will inform the management plan of this newly created park, which is being drafted at the moment. This work complements a previous RSRG research project. In the mid-term, the park will be better conserved while the surrounding populations will be able live decently.
Lomami National Park was created in July 2016. This new park has a core area and a large buffer zone in which local communities should be allowed certain extractive activities to satisfy their own needs (Mushagalusa, 2016). However, to date, there is no management plan as little information is available about this park.
A recent project funded by RSRG identified the key bush meat and plant species targeted for different purposes (food, timber, medicinal, firewood) by local communities, and those sold in Kindu, the major city in the region. However, there is no information on the density, population structure and regeneration of the plant species perceived as declining in the park, as mentioned by local communities.
This small research project could help fill in this gap, and help inform the management plan which will regulate the extraction of certain forest products. I will also raise awareness of the park importance among school children in the area, which I found was very low during my last field campaign.