This week decision-makers from across the world have come together to discuss the future of our planet’s wildlife at the Convention on Biological Diversity international summit. One of the events at the summit will celebrate the Gola Rainforest in West Africa and so in our latest blog we are going behind the scenes on an exciting new conservation project that has been launched in this internationally important biodiversity hotspot.
In the dense, steaming forests of western Liberia, some very important little boxes have been playing a crucial role, both in monitoring the region’s wildlife and supporting conservation efforts well into the future. Read on to uncover how researchers are using camera traps to learn more about the secret lives of the animals that call Gola’s forests home. Nick Williams, Flyway Conservation Outreach Officer at the RSPB, picks up the story.
Tackling tough terrainOn paper it all seems fairly simple. A group of researchers walk into a forest, fix small, rugged boxes to trees at pre-specified points, and then they walk back out. These little boxes contain cameras which are triggered by the motion of passing animals to take photographs. They remain in position for several weeks, ready to record images of forest wildlife day and night. The cameras are then recovered, the images uploaded to a database and analysed to help us better understand how various species are using different forest habitats so that future conservation efforts can be targeted in the best way possible.
That’s the theory. However, the reality of this important work is far from straightforward. As Dickarmien Deemie, Science and Conservation Coordinator at the Society for the Conservation of Liberia, describes it:
“In addition to the bad road conditions, during the rainy season all of the streams are inundated with water, the forest terrain becomes harsh and provides impediments, while in the dry season it is very difficult to find drinking water”
The dense tree cover of Gola’s forests makes trekking through them exhausting work for researchers. Credit: Michael Duff-RSPB.
Not only is working in this environment a huge challenge for people, but the technology itself can also struggle. The biggest enemy is moisture and keeping the camera systems dry and weather-sealed is a difficult task in such a humid environment.
Coupled with this come the long, arduous treks through dense vegetation and across undulating and uneven terrain, all the while carrying equipment and supplies, and covering distances of up to 20km in a single day to reach the deployment sites.
Deploying our eyes in the forestIt is these challenging conditions that researchers have been tackling as part of a new project studying the movements of wildlife in the Gola forests of western Liberia. The group consisted of staff from the Society of Conservation Nature of Liberia (or ‘SCNL’), the RSPB and community ecoguards who help to patrol the forest alongside government rangers and whose local knowledge of the terrain is invaluable. SCNL, like the RSPB, is a partner organisation within the BirdLife family of conservation NGOs.
Setting out into the forest the team navigated to points on their GPS devices which had been assigned for each camera trap. On approaching the site, some quick decision-making was needed to pick the best tree that the camera trap can be mounted on at the correct height from the ground and at the correct angle to get a clear view. It was particularly crucial to make sure the camera was not at risk of being submerged in a flood (as has happened in the past!) and that it was not facing either east or west, where the glare of the rising or setting sun would affect the camera’s images and could cause false triggers.
Members of the training group Susana Tuah (left) and Roland K. Warner (right) deploy a camera trap ready to gather important data on forest wildlife. Credit: Tarik Bodasing-RSPB.
Once it has been safely positioned researchers briefly pretend to be rainforest animals by crawling past the camera to check its motion detection is working! Then comes a final check and it is on to the next location.
All this needs to be done as quickly and efficiently as possible to minimise disturbance at the site and not leave too much human scent behind which could affect which species then pass the camera. This process was repeated, with teams spending multiple days and nights in the forest, as they deployed a total of 40 cameras.
Uploading excitementThe cameras were left to record for a minimum of 30 days before the crucial next stage – the collection. This saw the team return to the forest and not only collect the cameras but also gather a range of useful data on their locations. This included information on the condition of surrounding habitat, proximity to water bodies, and canopy cover. This last one is estimated using the wonderfully-named ‘densiometer’ – a small device with a mirror facing up into the canopy which allows researchers to estimate percentage cover by counting the number of points within a grid where the sky above is visible.
A densiometer in use in the field during the camera trap collection training. Credit: Ryan Wilkie-RSPB.
The camera traps are then brought back to the office, their data safely backed up, before the images are uploaded for cataloguing on an online platform. Then begins the complex task of verifying which images actually contain animals (and which are the result of other motion like a branch blowing in the wind), and which species they show. This can be particularly challenging as sometimes only a tiny part of the animal is visible. Test your skills by seeing if you can spot the creatures hidden within the images below.
Spot the creature! Research staff must sift through thousands of camera trap images to identify species – can you see where the Pangolin and Sooty Mangabey are hiding in these pictures? Credit: SCNL.
The process of reviewing the images and identifying species can be rewarding too. As Gordon Sambolah (Biomonitoring Lead at SCNL) observes: “the fact that we still have these flagship species makes it exciting”.
He was especially excited to see that the cameras had recorded images of the mysterious White-necked Picathartes, a species very sensitive to habitat disturbance and therefore, as Gordon observes, “the presence of Picathartes gives an indication of ecosystem health”.
Challenging assumptionsThis work is taking place within the Greater Gola Landscape – a vast 350,000 hectare area of lowland tropical forest that spans the border between Liberia and its neighbour Sierra Leone. This landscape is made up of different forest areas, including national parks, forests reserves, and community forests, all of which have different levels of legal protection.
By placing camera traps across a spectrum of different areas, known as a ‘gradient’, the team are hoping to build up a picture of how different species are using these different areas of forest.
Camera traps can reveal close-up details of animals in a way that is not possible for human researchers, like the bristles on this elephant’s trunk recorded during a previous study. Credit: SCNL.
Crucial to this is investigating the value of community managed forests for biodiversity protection, and gathering baseline information for these areas (the national park and community lands) to compare with similar areas across the region and for analysing future trends.
This research will not only help shape our understanding of the value of community forests but also inform future conservation management strategies, helping to ensure that the right areas can be prioritised for protection.
We look forward to bringing you an update on the results of this project, including some of the exciting species recorded, once the analysis of the camera trap data has been completed. Subscribe to receive our blog updates so you don’t miss out – see below for details.
A model for the futureThis project, part of the wider USAID-funded WABiLED programme of work to help protect Gola’s forests, is not just about gathering important scientific insights. The camera trap study is also helping to develop the skills of Liberian conservationists. The data collection phase of this project formed part of a training programme to establish a new biomonitoring team at SCNL.
Unlike humans, camera traps are able to collect data continuously day and night. This gives researchers important insights into the nocturnal life of the forest with some of this study’s nighttime images showing Honey Badger and White-bellied Pangolin. Credit: SCNL.
This work is designed to future-proof the biomonitoring efforts of SCNL and standardise the approach to studying wildlife across the Gola landscape, both in Liberia and Sierra Leone. A Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) has been produced, as a clear guide on camera trapping process, meaning that this repeatable approach can be rolled out to study wildlife in other areas across the country.
“The SOP is now a guide for us to conduct our camera-trapping activity systematically across all projects” according to Gordon Sambolah.
That systematic, consistent approach is very much the key here. Success in this project is not necessarily focused on capturing lots of images of charismatic species like elephants or chimpanzees, but instead it is about empowering Liberia’s conservationists with the tools they need to effectively monitor those wonderful species.
This monitoring will be crucial in allowing the team to influence and inform conservation efforts and policy decisions in the future. By working together in partnership, we can continue to support the passionate people who are dedicating themselves to the protection of Gola’s forests and the wonderful wildlife they hold.
Perhaps one of the most important photos recorded on the project’s camera traps showing an adult and juvenile Western Chimpanzee, a critically endangered sub-species. Credit: SCNL.
Acknowledgements
This camera trapping research work and training has been made possible by the generous support of the American people through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) under the West African Biodiversity and Low Emissions Development (WABiLED) programme.
This project was run in partnership between the RSPB and the Society for the Conservation of Nature of Liberia (SCNL) alongside the Forestry Development Authority (FDA) and the communities of the Upper Sokpo Community Forest.
Continue reading• From smart phones on patrol to secret DNA: Innovative science in the Gola Rainforest• Cocoa, cooperatives and conservation: The power of forest-friendly chocolate• ‘We are the frontline’: The Rangers of the Gola Rainforest
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