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[[West Africa]] > [[Liberia]] > [[Gba Community Forest]]

[[West Africa]] > [[Liberia]] > [[Gba Community Forest]]

= Summary = <!-- An overview of the site, with one sentence for each section. May include a site map -->

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<div style="float: right">{{#display_map: height=190px | width=300px | scrollzoom=off | zoom=5 | layers= OpenStreetMap, OpenTopoMap|NA~[[Gba Community Forest]]~Pan troglodytes verus}}</div>

* Western chimpanzees (''Pan troglodytes verus'') are present in Gba Community Forest.

* Western chimpanzees (''Pan troglodytes verus'') are present in Gba Community Forest.

* It has been estimated that 25 (CI: 12-52) individuals occur in the site.

* It has been estimated that 25 (CI: 12-52) individuals occur in the site.

* Conservation activities have focused on poaching patrols and supporting local farmers.

* Conservation activities have focused on poaching patrols and supporting local farmers.

= Site characteristics = <!-- A paragraph summary of physical and geographic aspects of the site, and a table of key information -->

 

= Site characteristics =

The Gba Community Forest is located in the Proposed Protected Area of West Nimba, located opposite the East Nimba Nature Reserve (ENNR). The Community Forest is adjacent to ArcelorMittal Liberia Mines on the western ranges of Nimba. The Community Forest was established by an act of Legislature on October 9, 2011 by the Forestry Development Authority of Liberia. The Community Forest is a home to some of Liberia's protected species; some of which are of global concern. It is also a home to some endemic species of the northern Nimba forest landscape (Gbelee 2022).

The Gba Community Forest is located in the Proposed Protected Area of West Nimba, located opposite the East Nimba Nature Reserve (ENNR). The Community Forest is adjacent to ArcelorMittal Liberia Mines on the western ranges of Nimba. The Community Forest was established by an act of Legislature on October 9, 2011 by the Forestry Development Authority of Liberia. The Community Forest is a home to some of Liberia's protected species; some of which are of global concern. It is also a home to some endemic species of the northern Nimba forest landscape (Gbelee 2022).

'''Table 1. Basic site information for Gba Community Forest'''

'''Table 1. Basic site information for Gba Community Forest'''

{| border="1" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0" class="basic-information"

{| border="1" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0" class="Site_characteristics-table"

| Area <!-- Please include units: km2/ha e.g 200ha -->

| 80 km²

|Area

|80 km²

|-

|-

|Coordinates

|Coordinates

|

|Lat: NA , Lon: NA

|-

|-

|Designation

|Type of site

|Community Forest

|Non-protected area (Community Forest)

|-

|-

|Habitat types <!-- List IUCN Habitat Classification 3.0 categories present (without number), see link below -->

|Habitat types

|Subtropical/tropical moist lowland forest

|Subtropical/tropical moist lowland forest

|}

|}

= Ape status = <!--An overview of ape population status (population sizes, trends, etc.), followed by a table of specific surveys and results -->

= Ape status =

The 2010-2011 transect survey data for Gba Community Forest (c. 80 km2) estimated a chimpanzee population size of 17 chimpanzees (7- 39), with a coefficient of variation of 45%. The 2017 survey in Gba Community Forest estimated a population of 25 individuals (12-52) within the same area, with a coefficient variation of 37%. Both the 2011 and 2017 chimpanzee population size estimates have wide confidence intervals, making it challenging to understand chimpanzee population trends over the last c. 5 years (Kouakou & Campbell 2018). A total of nine individuals (five females and four males) were genotyped , including two individuals at Mt Gangra. The chimpanzee density estimated for Gba Community Forest is higher than the national average, which includes all protected and unprotected areas (Gbelee 2022).  In addition, a rapid assessment was done in the ENNR, Blei and Zor forest in the east of Nimba forest. There is no baseline data on chimpanzees for ENNR which make it hard to estimate potential gains. Preliminary data suggest that there could be a chimpanzee population size of between 13 and 63 chimpanzees (Gbelee 2022).

The 2010-2011 transect survey data for Gba Community Forest (c. 80 km2) estimated a chimpanzee population size of 17 chimpanzees (7- 39), with a coefficient of variation of 45%. The 2017 survey in Gba Community Forest estimated a population of 25 individuals (12-52) within the same area, with a coefficient variation of 37%. Both the 2011 and 2017 chimpanzee population size estimates have wide confidence intervals, making it challenging to understand chimpanzee population trends over the last c. 5 years (Kouakou & Campbell 2018). A total of nine individuals (five females and four males) were genotyped , including two individuals at Mt Gangra. The chimpanzee density estimated for Gba Community Forest is higher than the national average, which includes all protected and unprotected areas (Gbelee 2022).  In addition, a rapid assessment was done in the ENNR, Blei and Zor forest in the east of Nimba forest. There is no baseline data on chimpanzees for ENNR which make it hard to estimate potential gains. Preliminary data suggest that there could be a chimpanzee population size of between 13 and 63 chimpanzees (Gbelee 2022).

'''Table 2. Ape population estimates in Gba Community Forest'''

'''Table 2. Ape population estimates reported for Gba Community Forest'''

{| border="1" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0" class="population-estimate-table"

{| border="1" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0" class="Ape_status-table"

! Species

!Species

! Year

!Year

! Abundance estimate (95% CI)

!Abundance estimate (95% CI)

! Density estimate [ind./ km²] (95% CI)

!Density estimate [ind./ km²] (95% CI)

! Encounter rate (nests/km)

!Encounter rate (nests/km)

! Area

!Area

! Method

!Method

! Source

!Source

! Comments

!Comments

! A.P.E.S. database ID

!A.P.E.S. database ID

|-

|-

|''Pan troglodytes verus''

|''Pan troglodytes verus''

|

|

|80 sq.km

|80 sq.km

|Line transects (Distance)

|Line transects

|Kouakou & Campbell 2018

|Kouakou & Campbell 2018

|A total of 51 transects of 1 km in length were included in the Gba Community Forest within a survey area totalling c. 80 km2 Transects were walked at a speed of between 0.5-1 km/hr to ensure sufficient time to search through the canopy to detect chimpanzees.

|A total of 51 transects of 1 km in length were included in the Gba Community Forest within a survey area totalling c. 80 km2 Transects were walked at a speed of between 0.5-1 km/hr to ensure sufficient time to search through the canopy to detect chimpanzees.

|

|

|80 sq.km

|80 sq.km

|Line transects (Distance)

|Line transects

|Kouakou & Campbell 2018

|Kouakou & Campbell 2018

|A total of 51 transects of 1 km in length were included in the Gba Community Forest within a survey area totalling c. 80 km2 Transects were walked at a speed of between 0.5-1 km/hr to ensure sufficient time to search through the canopy to detect chimpanzees.

|A total of 51 transects of 1 km in length were included in the Gba Community Forest within a survey area totalling c. 80 km2 Transects were walked at a speed of between 0.5-1 km/hr to ensure sufficient time to search through the canopy to detect chimpanzees.

|}

|}

= Threats =     <!-- a text overview of threats, followed by a table of key threats -->

= Threats =

Hunting animals using guns and setting traps along long fences to capture animals and doing large slash-and-burn farms in primary forest. Finally, the use of chainsaw to harvest logs for timber production (Kouakou & Campbell 2018).

Hunting animals using guns and setting traps along long fences to capture animals and doing large slash-and-burn farms in primary forest. Finally, the use of chainsaw to harvest logs for timber production (Kouakou & Campbell 2018).

'''Table 3. Threats to apes in Gba Community Forest'''

'''Table 3. Threats to apes reported for Gba Community Forest'''

{| border="1" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0" class="threats-table"

{| border="1" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0" class="Threats-table"

!align="left"|Category <!-- PLEASE DO NOT CHANGE THE THREAT CATEGORIES -->

!Category

!Specific threats <!-- For specific threats, please use list of comma separated keywords from the IUCN list linked below -->

!Specific threats

!Threat level <!-- For threat level, please use keywords: low, medium, high, present, absent, unknown-->

!Threat level

!Description

!Description <!-- Add descriptive information -->

!Year of threat

!Year of threat <!--  Enter specific year(s), “ongoing”, or “unknown”. If the threat is ongoing, please add the year of reference in parentheses -->

|-

|-

|1. Residential & commercial development

|1 Residential & commercial development

|

|

|Unknown

|Unknown

|

|

|

|

|-

|-

|2. Agriculture & aquaculture

|2 Agriculture & aquaculture

|2.1 Annual & perennial non-timber crops

|2.1 Annual & perennial non-timber crops

|High

|High

|Habitat destruction as a result of slash and burn is very high (Kouakou & Campbell 2018).

|Habitat destruction as a result of slash and burn is very high (Kouakou & Campbell 2018).

|Ongoing (2018)

|Ongoing (2018)

|-

|-

|3. Energy production & mining

|3 Energy production & mining

|

|

|Unknown

|Unknown

|

|

|

|

|-

|-

|4. Transportation & service corridors

|4 Transportation & service corridors

|

|

|Unknown

|Unknown

|

|

|

|

|-

|-

|5. Biological resource use

|5 Biological resource use

|5.1 Hunting & collecting terrestrial animals

|5.1 Hunting & collecting terrestrial animals

|High

|High

|Poaching (Kouakou & Campbell 2018).

|Poaching (Kouakou & Campbell 2018).

|Ongoing (2018)

|Ongoing (2018)

|-

|-

|6. Human intrusion & disturbance

|6 Human intrusions & disturbance

|

|

|Unknown

|Unknown

|

|

|

|

|-

|-

|7. Natural system modifications

|7 Natural system modifications

|

|

|Unknown

|Unknown

|

|

|

|

|-

|-

|8. Invasive & other problematic species, genes, diseases

|8 Invasive & other problematic species, genes & diseases

|

|

|Unknown

|Unknown

|

|

|

|

|-

|-

|9. Pollution

|9 Pollution

|

|

|Unknown

|Unknown

|

|

|

|

|-

|-

|10. Geological Events

|10 Geological events

|

|

|Absent

|Absent

|

|

|

|

|-

|-

| 11. Climate change & severe weather

|11 Climate change & severe weather

|

|

|Unknown

|Unknown

|

|

|

|

|-

|-

|12. Other options

|12 Other threat

|

|

|Absent

|Absent

|

|

|

|

|

|

|-

|-

|}

|}

= Conservation activities =       <!-- A summary of the conservation activities, followed by a table of key activities -->

[[Conservation activities list (Junker et al. 2017)]]

= Challenges =

'''Table 4. Conservation activities in Gba Community Forest'''

{| border="1" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0" class="conservation-actions-table"

 

!align="left"|Category <!-- PLEASE DO NOT CHANGE THE CATEGORIES -->

'''Table 5. Challenges reported for Gba Community Forest'''

!Specific activity <!-- For specific threats, please use list from the list linked below, OR enter “Not reported” -->

{| border="1" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0" class="Challenges-table"

!Description <!-- Add descriptive information -->

!Challenges

!Year of activity <!-- Add descriptive information -->

!Specific challenges

!Source

!Year(s)

|-

|-

|1. Residential & commercial development

|3 Engaged community

|Not reported

|3.1 General lack of community engagement or support

|Gbelee 2022

|

|

|

|

|

|

|

|

|-

|-

|3. Energy production & mining

|2 Resources and capacity

|Not reported

|

|

|

|

|

|-

|-

|4. Transportation & service corridors

|3 Engaged community

|

|

|

|

|

|

|-

|-

|7. Natural system modifications

|4 Institutional support

|

|

|

|

|

|

|-

|-

|9. Pollution

|5 Ecological context

|

|

|

|

|

|

|-

|-

|11. Habitat Protection

|6 Safety and stability

|

|

|

|

|

|

|}

|}

= Challenges = <!-- Overview of challenges in ape conservation -->

= Research activities =

Inadequate logistics to support law enforcement personnel ( forest rangers, community forest guards and frontline conservationists/eco-assistants); inadequate financial resources to support conservation activities. Most of the community people are yet to accept forest conservation as a priority that will improve their livelihood. Judicial support to law enforcement is limited in Liberia; specially to prosecute people found in illegal activities in the forests. Unavailability of environmental courts to prosecute violators of environmental and conservation laws.

As part of the last ESIA, chimpanzee baseline surveys were conducted in 2011-2012 in West Nimba (including Gba Community Forest) by the Wild Chimpanzee Foundation (WCF) and Action pour la Conservation de la Biodiversité en Côte d’Ivoire (ACB-CI), in partnership with Conservation International (CI) (ArcelorMittal Liberia & Conservation International 2011). An additional study was conducted by Dr. Celestin Kouakou, Independent Consultant and Dr. Genevieve Campbell, The Biodiversity Consultancy in 2018.

= Documented behaviours =

{| border="1" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0" class="challenges-table"

'''Table 6. Ape behaviors reported for Gba Community Forest'''

'''Table 7. Behaviours documented for Gba Community Forest'''

{| border="1" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0" class="behaviors-table"

{| border="1" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0" class="behaviours-table"

!align="left"|Behavior

!Behavior

!Source

!Source

|-

|-

|Not reported

|Not reported

|

|

|}

|}

=External links=

 

 

 

= External links =

 

 

 

 

= References =

= References =

'''Page completed by: '''Forkpayea W. Gbelee''' Date:''' 19/12/2022 <!-- If you don't want to add your name, you can add "A.P.E.S. Wiki team" -->

 

 

 

'''Page created by: '''Forkpayea W. Gbelee''' Date:''' NA