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IMPACT OF SWIDDEN AGRICULTURE AND SUBSISTENCE HUNTING ON DIVERSITY AND ABUNDANCE OF EXPLOITED FAUNA IN THE ITURI FOREST OF NORTHEASTERN ZAIRE (PYGMY)
Abstract
This 18 month study examined the impact of long-term recurrent roadside swidden cultivation and subsistence hunting on the composition and abundance of exploited fauna and the ability of roadside post agricultural regrowth vegetation to support exploitable populations of these animals. A computer model was also developed to graphically represent the spatial patterning of horticultural land-use and forest vegetation regeneration under a variety of demographic and land-use conditions. Track counts and pellet group counts in conjunction, are an effective means to estimate faunal composition and relative abundance within a tropical moist forest. Densities of forest duikers, which are most commonly exploited and are the most important species group dietarily, are comparable in post-agricultural regrowth forest and uncut forest within 5km of the road. Hunting success and bushmeat capture weights are comparable from hunts conducted in regrowth and uncut forest. Hunters concentrate 56% of their effort in regrowth forest that constitutes only 26% of the available forest within 3km of the road. Given that subsistence hunting pressure is greater in regrowth forest within 3km of the road and that ungulate densities are comparable in regrowth and uncut forest, this study concludes that post-agricultural forest can and does provide substantial and sustained quantities of bushmeat for consumption by local human populants and may support a higher biomass of exploitable fauna than comparable areas of uncut forest. The ability of forest faunal populations to withstand the intensive exploitation associated with widespread market hunting is however dubious. The spatial patterning of horticultural land-use in the Ituri forest can be effectively stimulated using a very simple set of rules to govern forest clearing and post-abandonment regeneration.
Subject Area
Forestry
Recommended Citation
WILKIE, DAVID SCOTT, "IMPACT OF SWIDDEN AGRICULTURE AND SUBSISTENCE HUNTING ON DIVERSITY AND ABUNDANCE OF EXPLOITED FAUNA IN THE ITURI FOREST OF NORTHEASTERN ZAIRE (PYGMY)" (1987). Doctoral Dissertations Available from Proquest. AAI8710515.
https://scholarworks.umass.edu/dissertations/AAI8710515