Difference between revisions of "Volcanoes National Park"

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[[East Africa]] > [[Rwanda]] > [[Volcanoes National Park]]
 
[[East Africa]] > [[Rwanda]] > [[Volcanoes National Park]]
 +
 +
'''[https://wiki-iucnapesportal-org.translate.goog/index.php/The_A.P.E.S._Wiki?_x_tr_sl=auto&_x_tr_tl=fr&_x_tr_hl=en&_x_tr_pto=wapp Français]''' |
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= Summary = <!-- An overview of the site, with one sentence for each section. May include a site map -->
 
= Summary = <!-- An overview of the site, with one sentence for each section. May include a site map -->
* Mountain Gorillas (''Gorilla beringei beringei'') are present in Volcanoes National Park.
+
<div style="float: right">
 +
{{#display_map: height=200px | width=300px | scrollzoom=off | zoom=5 | layers= OpenStreetMap, OpenTopoMap
 +
| -1.452661, 29.521122~[[Mountain gorillas]]~
 +
}}
 +
</div>
 +
 
 +
* Mountain gorillas (''Gorilla beringei beringei'') are present in Volcanoes National Park.
 
* The gorilla population in the Virunga Massif, which includes Volcanoes National Park, has been estimated at 669 (CI: 623–759).
 
* The gorilla population in the Virunga Massif, which includes Volcanoes National Park, has been estimated at 669 (CI: 623–759).
 
* The gorilla population trend is increasing.
 
* The gorilla population trend is increasing.
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'''Table 1. Basic site information for Volcanoes National Park'''
 
'''Table 1. Basic site information for Volcanoes National Park'''
 
{| border="1" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0" class="basic-information"
 
{| border="1" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0" class="basic-information"
| Area <!-- Please include units: km2/ha e.g 200ha -->
+
| Species
 +
|''Gorilla beringei beringei''
 +
|-
 +
| Area
 
|160 km²
 
|160 km²
 
|-
 
|-
 
|Coordinates
 
|Coordinates
| -1.452661 S, 29.521122 E
+
| -1.452661, 29.521122
 +
|-
 +
|Type of site
 +
|Protected area (National Park)
 
|-
 
|-
|Designation
+
|Governance type
|National Park
+
|
 
|-
 
|-
|Habitat types <!-- List IUCN Habitat Classification 3.0 categories present (without number), see link below -->
+
|Habitat type
|Subtropical/tropical moist montane forest,subtropical/tropical high altitude grassland, Bogs, marshes, swamps, fens, peatlands, rocky areas (e.g., inland cliffs, mountain peaks)
+
|Subtropical/tropical moist montane forest, grassland, wetlands, rocky areas
 
|}
 
|}
[https://www.iucnredlist.org/resources/habitat-classification-scheme IUCN habitat categories] [[Site designations]]
+
[[Types of sites]] ⋅ [[Governance types]] [[Habitat types]]
  
 
= Ape status = <!--An overview of ape population status (population sizes, trends, etc.), followed by a table of specific surveys and results -->
 
= Ape status = <!--An overview of ape population status (population sizes, trends, etc.), followed by a table of specific surveys and results -->
Line 47: Line 57:
 
! Species
 
! Species
 
! Year
 
! Year
 +
! Occurrence
 +
! Encounter or visitation rate (nests/km; ind/day)
 +
! Density estimate [ind/ km²] (95% CI)
 
! Abundance estimate (95% CI)
 
! Abundance estimate (95% CI)
! Density estimate [ind./ km²] (95% CI)
+
! Survey area
! Encounter rate (nests/km)
+
! Sampling method
! Area
+
! Analytical framework
! Method
 
 
! Source
 
! Source
 
! Comments
 
! Comments
Line 58: Line 70:
 
|''Gorilla beringei beringei''
 
|''Gorilla beringei beringei''
 
|2016
 
|2016
|669 (CI: 623–759)
+
|Present
 
|
 
|
 
|
 
|
 +
|669 (623-759)
 
|Virunga Massif
 
|Virunga Massif
|Genetic analysis of non-invasively collected samples and two capture–mark–recapture estimates
+
|Genetic (dung/hair)
 +
|
 
|Granjon et al. 2020
 
|Granjon et al. 2020
 
|
 
|
 
|
 
|
 
|}
 
|}
 +
[[Sampling methods]] ⋅ [[Analytical frameworks]]
  
 
= Threats =    <!-- a text overview of threats, followed by a table of key threats -->
 
= Threats =    <!-- a text overview of threats, followed by a table of key threats -->
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{| 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 -->
 
!align="left"|Category <!-- PLEASE DO NOT CHANGE THE THREAT CATEGORIES -->
!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
!Quantified severity <!-- Enter any available quantification of the threat, e.g., the proportion of the area affected by the threat, hunting sign encounter rates-->
+
!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
|
 
 
|
 
|
 
|
 
|
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|2. Agriculture & aquaculture
 
|2. Agriculture & aquaculture
 
|2.1 Annual & perennial non-timber crops
 
|2.1 Annual & perennial non-timber crops
|Present, but threat severity unknown
+
|Present (unknown severity)
|
 
 
|Demand for agricultural land (BirdLife International 2021).
 
|Demand for agricultural land (BirdLife International 2021).
 
|Ongoing (2021)
 
|Ongoing (2021)
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|
 
|
 
|Unknown
 
|Unknown
|
 
 
|
 
|
 
|
 
|
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|
 
|
 
|Unknown
 
|Unknown
|
 
 
|
 
|
 
|
 
|
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|5. Biological resource use
 
|5. Biological resource use
 
|5.1 Hunting & collecting terrestrial animals
 
|5.1 Hunting & collecting terrestrial animals
|Present, but threat severity unknown
+
|Present (unknown severity)
|
 
 
|Gorilla poaching (BirdLife International 2021).
 
|Gorilla poaching (BirdLife International 2021).
 
|Ongoing (2021)
 
|Ongoing (2021)
 
|-
 
|-
|
+
|5. Biological resource use
 
|5.3 Logging & wood harvesting
 
|5.3 Logging & wood harvesting
|Present, but threat severity unknown
+
|Present (unknown severity)
|
 
 
|Illegal wood and bamboo harvesting (BirdLife International 2021).
 
|Illegal wood and bamboo harvesting (BirdLife International 2021).
 
|Ongoing (2021)
 
|Ongoing (2021)
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|
 
|
 
|Unknown
 
|Unknown
|
 
 
|
 
|
 
|
 
|
Line 133: Line 140:
 
|
 
|
 
|Unknown
 
|Unknown
|
 
 
|
 
|
 
|
 
|
Line 140: Line 146:
 
|
 
|
 
|Unknown
 
|Unknown
|
 
 
|
 
|
 
|
 
|
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|
 
|
 
|Unknown
 
|Unknown
|
 
 
|
 
|
 
|
 
|
Line 154: Line 158:
 
|
 
|
 
|Absent
 
|Absent
|
 
 
|
 
|
 
|
 
|
Line 161: Line 164:
 
|
 
|
 
|Unknown
 
|Unknown
|
 
 
|
 
|
 
|
 
|
Line 168: Line 170:
 
|
 
|
 
|Absent
 
|Absent
|
 
 
|
 
|
 
|
 
|
 
|-
 
|-
 
|}
 
|}
[https://www.iucnredlist.org/resources/threat-classification-scheme IUCN Threats list]
+
[[Threats]]
  
 
= Conservation activities =      <!-- A summary of the conservation activities, followed by a table of key activities -->
 
= Conservation activities =      <!-- A summary of the conservation activities, followed by a table of key activities -->
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{| border="1" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0" class="conservation-actions-table"
 
{| border="1" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0" class="conservation-actions-table"
 
!align="left"|Category <!-- PLEASE DO NOT CHANGE THE CATEGORIES -->
 
!align="left"|Category <!-- PLEASE DO NOT CHANGE THE CATEGORIES -->
!Specific activity <!-- For specific threats, please use list from the list linked below, OR enter “Not reported” -->
+
!Specific activity
!Description <!-- Add descriptive information -->
+
!Description
!Year of activity <!-- Add descriptive information -->
+
!Implementing organization
 +
!Year of activity
 +
|-
 +
|1. Development impact mitigation
 +
|Not reported
 +
|
 +
|
 +
|
 +
|-
 +
|2. Counter-wildlife crime
 +
|Not reported
 +
|
 +
|
 +
|
 +
|-
 +
|3. Species health
 +
|3.13 Implement a health programme for local communities
 +
|One Health Program  by the Gorilla Doctors provides annual physicals, immunizations, referrals, eyeglasses, and health education programs to park employees and their families ([https://www.gorilladoctors.org/gorilla-doctors-brings-one-health-to-gorillas-and-people-in-rwanda/ Gorilla Doctors]).
 +
|
 +
|Ongoing (2020)
 
|-
 
|-
|1. Residential & commercial development
+
|4. Education & awareness
 
|Not reported
 
|Not reported
 
|
 
|
 
|
 
|
 +
|
 +
|-
 +
|5. Protection & restoration
 +
|5.2 Legally protect ape habitat
 +
|
 +
|The site has been a national park since 1925 (AWF n.d.)
 +
|1925-Ongoing (2024)
 
|-
 
|-
|2. Agriculture & aquaculture
+
|6. Species management
 
|Not reported
 
|Not reported
 +
|
 
|
 
|
 
|
 
|
 
|-
 
|-
|3. Energy production & mining
+
|7. Economic & other incentives
 +
|7.1 Provide monetary benefits to local communities for sustainably managing their forest and its wildlife (e.g., REDD, alternative income, employment)
 +
|Ecotourism at the park has brought economic opportunities for local people (AWF n.d.)
 +
|
 +
|Ongoing (2021)
 +
|-
 +
|8. Permanent presence
 
|Not reported
 
|Not reported
 
|
 
|
 
|
 
|
 +
|
 +
|-
 +
|}
 +
[[Conservation activities]]
 +
 +
= Conservation implementation challenges and enablers = <!-- Overview of challenges in ape conservation -->
 +
 +
'''Table 5. Challenges reported for Volcanoes National Park'''
 +
{| border="1" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0" class="challenges-table"
 +
!align="left"|Category <!-- PLEASE DO NOT CHANGE THE CATEGORIES -->
 +
!Challenge
 +
!Source
 +
!Year(s)
 
|-
 
|-
|4. Transportation & service corridors
+
|1. Site management
 
|Not reported
 
|Not reported
 
|
 
|
 
|
 
|
 
|-
 
|-
|5. Biological resource use
+
|2. Resources & capacity
 
|Not reported
 
|Not reported
 
|
 
|
 
|
 
|
 
|-
 
|-
|6. Human intrusion & disturbance
+
|3. Engaged community
 
|Not reported
 
|Not reported
 
|
 
|
 
|
 
|
 
|-
 
|-
|7. Natural system modifications
+
|4. Institutional support
 
|Not reported
 
|Not reported
 
|
 
|
 
|
 
|
 
|-
 
|-
|8. Invasive & other problematic species, genes, diseases
+
|5. Ecological context
|8.23. Implement a health programme for local communities
+
|Not reported
|One Health Program  by the Gorilla Doctors provides annual physicals, immunizations, referrals, eyeglasses, and health education programs to park employees and their families ([https://www.gorilladoctors.org/gorilla-doctors-brings-one-health-to-gorillas-and-people-in-rwanda/ Gorilla Doctors]).
+
|
|Ongoing (2020)
+
|
 
|-
 
|-
|9. Pollution
+
|6. Safety & stability
 
|Not reported
 
|Not reported
 
|
 
|
 
|
 
|
 
|-
 
|-
|10. Education & Awareness
+
|}
 +
[[Challenges]]
 +
 
 +
'''Table 6. Enablers reported for Volcanoes National Park'''
 +
{| border="1" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0" class="enablers-table"
 +
!align="left"|Category <!-- PLEASE DO NOT CHANGE THE CATEGORIES -->
 +
!Enabler
 +
!Source
 +
!Year(s)
 +
|-
 +
|1. Site management
 
|Not reported
 
|Not reported
 
|
 
|
 
|
 
|
 
|-
 
|-
|11. Habitat Protection
+
|2. Resources & capacity
|11.2. Legally protect primate habitat
+
|Not reported
|The site has been a national park since 1925 (AWF n.d.)
+
|
|Ongoing (2021)
+
|
 
|-
 
|-
|12. Species Management
+
|3. Engaged community
 
|Not reported
 
|Not reported
 
|
 
|
 
|
 
|
 
|-
 
|-
|13. Livelihood; Economic & Other Incentives
+
|4. Institutional support
|13.4. Run tourist projects and ensure permanent human presence at site
+
|Not reported
|Ecotourism at the park has brought economic opportunities for local people (AWF n.d.)
+
|
|Ongoing (2021)
+
|
 
|-
 
|-
|}
+
|5. Ecological context
[[Conservation activities list (Junker et al. 2017)]]
+
|Not reported
 
+
|
= Challenges = <!-- Overview of challenges in ape conservation -->
+
|
 
 
'''Table 5. Challenges reported for Volcanoes National Park'''
 
{| border="1" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0" class="challenges-table"
 
!align="left"|Challenge <!-- Do not change categories -->
 
!Source <!-- Source for challenge mentioned -->
 
 
|-
 
|-
 +
|6. Safety & stability
 
|Not reported
 
|Not reported
 +
|
 
|
 
|
 
|-
 
|-
 
|}
 
|}
 +
[[Enablers]]
  
 
= Research activities = <!-- Overview of research activities -->
 
= Research activities = <!-- Overview of research activities -->
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===Documented behaviours===  <!-- List of any behaviours observed at the site, including citations -->
 
===Documented behaviours===  <!-- List of any behaviours observed at the site, including citations -->
  
'''Table 6. Ape behaviors reported for Volcanoes National Park'''
+
'''Table 7. Ape behaviors reported for Volcanoes National Park'''
 
{| border="1" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0" class="behaviors-table"
 
{| border="1" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0" class="behaviors-table"
 
!align="left"|Behavior
 
!align="left"|Behavior
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|-
 
|-
 
|}
 
|}
 +
 +
= Exposure to climate change impacts =
 +
 +
As part of a study on the exposure of African great ape sites to climate change impacts, Kiribou et al. (2024) extracted climate data and data on projected extreme climate impact events for the site. Climatological characteristics were derived from observation-based climate data provided by the Inter-Sectoral Impact Model Intercomparison Project ([ISIMIP www.isimip.org]). Parameters were calculated as the average across each 30-year period.
 +
For future projections, two Representative Concentration Pathways (RCP) were used. RCP 2.6 is a scenario with strong mitigation measures in which global temperatures would likely rise below 2°C. RCP 6.0 is a scenario with medium emissions in which global temperatures would likely rise up to 3°C by 2100. For the number of days with heavy precipitation events, the 98th percentile of all precipitation days (>1mm/d) was calculated for the 1979-2013 reference period as a threshold for a heavy precipitation event. Then, for each year, the number of days above that threshold was derived. The figures on temperature and precipitation anomaly show the deviation from the mean temperature and mean precipitation for the 1979-2013 reference period. The estimated exposure to future extreme climate impact events (crop failure, drought, river flood, wildfire, tropical cyclone, and heatwave) is based on a published dataset by Lange et al. 2020 derived from ISIMIP2b data. The same global climate models and RCPs as described above were used. Within each 30-year period, the number of years with an extreme event and the average proportion of the site affected were calculated (Kiribou et al. 2024).
 +
 +
'''Table 8. Estimated past and projected climatological characteristics in Volcanoes National Park'''
 +
{| border='1' cellpadding='5' cellspacing='0' class='EE-table'
 +
|
 +
|'''1981-2010'''
 +
|'''2021-2050, RCP 2.6'''
 +
|'''2021-2050, RCP 6.0'''
 +
|'''2071-2099, RCP 2.6'''
 +
|'''2071-2099, RCP 6.0'''
 +
|-
 +
|Mean temperature [°C]
 +
|16.6
 +
|17.8
 +
|17.5
 +
|17.9
 +
|19.1
 +
|-
 +
|Annual precipitation [mm]
 +
|1272
 +
|1288
 +
|1422
 +
|1293
 +
|1411
 +
|-
 +
|Max no. consecutive dry days (per year)
 +
|19.4
 +
|28.4
 +
|28.9
 +
|31.6
 +
|25.8
 +
|-
 +
|No. days with heavy precipitation (per year)
 +
|5.6
 +
|6.9
 +
|8.1
 +
|7.5
 +
|9.5
 +
|-
 +
|}
 +
 +
'''Table 9. Projected exposure of apes to extreme climate impact events in Volcanoes National Park'''
 +
{| border='1' cellpadding='5' cellspacing='0' class='EE-table'
 +
|
 +
|'''No. of years with event (2021-2050, RCP 2.6)'''
 +
|'''% of site exposed (2021-2050, RCP 2.6)'''
 +
|'''No. of years with event (2021-2050, RCP 6.0)'''
 +
|'''% of site exposed (2021-2050, RCP 6.0)'''
 +
|'''No. of years with event (2070-2099, RCP 2.6)'''
 +
|'''% of site exposed (2070-2099, RCP 2.6)'''
 +
|'''No. of years with event (2070-2099, RCP 6.0)'''
 +
|'''% of site exposed (2070-2099, RCP 6.0)'''
 +
|-
 +
|Crop failure
 +
|5
 +
|0.28
 +
|4
 +
|0.72
 +
|5.5
 +
|0.38
 +
|6
 +
|0.18
 +
|-
 +
|Drought
 +
|0
 +
|0
 +
|0
 +
|0
 +
|0
 +
|0
 +
|0
 +
|0
 +
|-
 +
|Heatwave
 +
|0
 +
|0
 +
|0
 +
|0
 +
|0
 +
|0
 +
|0
 +
|0
 +
|-
 +
|River flood
 +
|1
 +
|1.98
 +
|3
 +
|2.77
 +
|1.5
 +
|1.74
 +
|3.5
 +
|2.88
 +
|-
 +
|Tropical cyclone
 +
|0
 +
|0
 +
|0
 +
|0
 +
|0
 +
|0
 +
|0
 +
|0
 +
|-
 +
|Wildfire
 +
|30
 +
|1.11
 +
|30
 +
|0.88
 +
|29
 +
|1.13
 +
|29
 +
|0.75
 +
|-
 +
|}
 +
 +
<div><ul>
 +
<li style="display: inline-block; vertical-align: top;"> [[File: PrecipAnomaly_Volcanoes NP.png | 450px | thumb| right | Precipitation anomaly in Volcanoes National Park]] </li>
 +
<li style="display: inline-block; vertical-align: top;"> [[File: TempAnomaly_Volcanoes NP.png | 450px | thumb| right | Temperature anomaly in Volcanoes National Park]] </li>
 +
</ul></div>
  
 
=External links=
 
=External links=
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/09669582.2016.1145228<br>
 
 
[https://africanccf.org/our-projects/ African community and conservation foundation]<br>
 
[https://africanccf.org/our-projects/ African community and conservation foundation]<br>
 
[https://www.awf.org/blog/volcanoes-national-park-success-story-rwandas-communities-and-conservation African Wildlife Foundation - Volcanoes NP]<br>
 
[https://www.awf.org/blog/volcanoes-national-park-success-story-rwandas-communities-and-conservation African Wildlife Foundation - Volcanoes NP]<br>
 
===Relevant datasets===
 
[http://apesportal.eva.mpg.de/database/archiveMap A.P.E.S Portal]
 
  
 
= References =
 
= References =
Line 295: Line 469:
 
AWF (n.d.). Volcanoes National Park: a success story for Rwanda's communities and conservation.https://www.awf.org/blog/volcanoes-national-park-success-story-rwandas-communities-and-conservation<br>
 
AWF (n.d.). Volcanoes National Park: a success story for Rwanda's communities and conservation.https://www.awf.org/blog/volcanoes-national-park-success-story-rwandas-communities-and-conservation<br>
 
Granjon, A.-C., Robbins, M.M., Arinaitwe, J., Cranfield, M.R., Eckardt, W., Mburanumwe, I., Musana, A., Robbins, A.M., Roy, J., Sollmann, R., Vigilant, L. and Hickey, J.R. (2020), Estimating abundance and growth rates in a wild mountain gorilla population. Anim Conserv, 23: 455-465. https://doi.org/10.1111/acv.12559<br>
 
Granjon, A.-C., Robbins, M.M., Arinaitwe, J., Cranfield, M.R., Eckardt, W., Mburanumwe, I., Musana, A., Robbins, A.M., Roy, J., Sollmann, R., Vigilant, L. and Hickey, J.R. (2020), Estimating abundance and growth rates in a wild mountain gorilla population. Anim Conserv, 23: 455-465. https://doi.org/10.1111/acv.12559<br>
 
+
Kiribou, R., Tehoda, P., Chukwu, O., Bempah, G., Kühl, H. S., Ferreira, J., ... & Heinicke, S. (2024). Exposure of African ape sites to climate change impacts. PLOS Climate, 3(2), e0000345.<br>
 +
Lange, S., Volkholz, J., Geiger, T., Zhao, F., Vega, I., Veldkamp, T., ... & Frieler, K. (2020). Projecting exposure to extreme climate impact events across six event categories and three spatial scales. Earth's Future, 8(12), e2020EF001616.<br>
 
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Revision as of 06:21, 2 July 2024

East Africa > Rwanda > Volcanoes National Park

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Summary

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  • Mountain gorillas (Gorilla beringei beringei) are present in Volcanoes National Park.
  • The gorilla population in the Virunga Massif, which includes Volcanoes National Park, has been estimated at 669 (CI: 623–759).
  • The gorilla population trend is increasing.
  • The site has a total size of 160 km².
  • Key threats to gorillas are habitat encroachment, illegal hunting and logging.
  • Conservation activities have focused on ecotourism and research activities.
  • The Karisoke Research Center was established in the park by American primatologist Dian Fossey.

Site characteristics

Volcanoes National Park is located in northwestern Rwanda, bordering Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo, where it is contiguous with Mgahinga Gorilla National Park in Uganda and Virunga National Park in DRC (BirdLife International 2021). The park is famous for containing five of the eight of the Virunga Massif: Karisimbi, Bisoke, Muhabura, Gahinga, and Sabyinyo (AWF). The vegetation in the park is diverse, as it varies considerably with altitude, from montane forest, bamboo zones, montane bogs, subalpine vegetation, and Afro-alpine vegetation past 4,000 m consisting of heath and thicket grassland (BirdLife International 2021). The site holds a rich avifauna which includes many of the Albertine Rift endemics (BirdLife International 2021). In 1929, the site was created, initially named Albert national park, and it was run by the Belgian Colonial Authorities (Volcanoes National Park). In the early 1960s, the park was divided as Rwanda and Congo became independent, and by the end of the 1960s, the park was almost half of its original size. In 1967, primatologist Dian Fossey, who had been doing research on mountain gorillas in Congo, fled from insecurity and established her research base between Visoke and Karisimbi volcanoes; later on it would be known as the Karisoke research center. She led conservation campaigns and fought against poaching in the area until her murder in 1985 (Volcanoes National Park).

Table 1. Basic site information for Volcanoes National Park

Species Gorilla beringei beringei
Area 160 km²
Coordinates -1.452661, 29.521122
Type of site Protected area (National Park)
Governance type
Habitat type Subtropical/tropical moist montane forest, grassland, wetlands, rocky areas

Types of sitesGovernance typesHabitat types

Ape status

The estimated population of mountain gorillas at the Virunga Massif, which includes Volcanoes National Park, was 669 (CI: 623–759) in 2016 (Granjon et al. 2020). The mountain gorilla population moves freely between protected areas in Uganda, Rwanda and DRC.

Table 2. Ape population estimates in Volcanoes National Park

Species Year Occurrence Encounter or visitation rate (nests/km; ind/day) Density estimate [ind/ km²] (95% CI) Abundance estimate (95% CI) Survey area Sampling method Analytical framework Source Comments A.P.E.S. database ID
Gorilla beringei beringei 2016 Present 669 (623-759) Virunga Massif Genetic (dung/hair) Granjon et al. 2020

Sampling methodsAnalytical frameworks

Threats

Although human pressure is very high around the park, it is the best-protected park in Rwanda. Threats include demand for agricultural land, gorilla poaching, encroachment, illegal wood- and bamboo cutting, and feral dogs (BirdLife International 2021).

Table 3. Threats to apes in Volcanoes National Park

Category Specific threats Threat level Description Year of threat
1. Residential & commercial development Unknown
2. Agriculture & aquaculture 2.1 Annual & perennial non-timber crops Present (unknown severity) Demand for agricultural land (BirdLife International 2021). Ongoing (2021)
3. Energy production & mining Unknown
4. Transportation & service corridors Unknown
5. Biological resource use 5.1 Hunting & collecting terrestrial animals Present (unknown severity) Gorilla poaching (BirdLife International 2021). Ongoing (2021)
5. Biological resource use 5.3 Logging & wood harvesting Present (unknown severity) Illegal wood and bamboo harvesting (BirdLife International 2021). Ongoing (2021)
6. Human intrusion & disturbance Unknown
7. Natural system modifications Unknown
8. Invasive & other problematic species, genes, diseases Unknown
9. Pollution Unknown
10. Geological Events Absent
11. Climate change & severe weather Unknown
12. Other options Absent

Threats

Conservation activities

Conservation awareness campaigns have been conducted around the periphery of the park, aimed at promoting understanding of the park and creating support within the local population (BirdLife International 2021). In 2016, the park generated $16.4 million USD from park entry fees, supporting employment, community-based projects, livelihood development, social services, and infrastructure development (AWF).

Table 4. Conservation activities in Volcanoes National Park

Category Specific activity Description Implementing organization Year of activity
1. Development impact mitigation Not reported
2. Counter-wildlife crime Not reported
3. Species health 3.13 Implement a health programme for local communities One Health Program by the Gorilla Doctors provides annual physicals, immunizations, referrals, eyeglasses, and health education programs to park employees and their families (Gorilla Doctors). Ongoing (2020)
4. Education & awareness Not reported
5. Protection & restoration 5.2 Legally protect ape habitat The site has been a national park since 1925 (AWF n.d.) 1925-Ongoing (2024)
6. Species management Not reported
7. Economic & other incentives 7.1 Provide monetary benefits to local communities for sustainably managing their forest and its wildlife (e.g., REDD, alternative income, employment) Ecotourism at the park has brought economic opportunities for local people (AWF n.d.) Ongoing (2021)
8. Permanent presence Not reported

Conservation activities

Conservation implementation challenges and enablers

Table 5. Challenges reported for Volcanoes National Park

Category Challenge Source Year(s)
1. Site management Not reported
2. Resources & capacity Not reported
3. Engaged community Not reported
4. Institutional support Not reported
5. Ecological context Not reported
6. Safety & stability Not reported

Challenges

Table 6. Enablers reported for Volcanoes National Park

Category Enabler Source Year(s)
1. Site management Not reported
2. Resources & capacity Not reported
3. Engaged community Not reported
4. Institutional support Not reported
5. Ecological context Not reported
6. Safety & stability Not reported

Enablers

Research activities

Karisoke Research Centre, created by Diane Fossey, is among the oldest primate field research stations in Africa (BirdLife International 2021).

Documented behaviours

Table 7. Ape behaviors reported for Volcanoes National Park

Behavior Source
Not reported

Exposure to climate change impacts

As part of a study on the exposure of African great ape sites to climate change impacts, Kiribou et al. (2024) extracted climate data and data on projected extreme climate impact events for the site. Climatological characteristics were derived from observation-based climate data provided by the Inter-Sectoral Impact Model Intercomparison Project ([ISIMIP www.isimip.org]). Parameters were calculated as the average across each 30-year period. For future projections, two Representative Concentration Pathways (RCP) were used. RCP 2.6 is a scenario with strong mitigation measures in which global temperatures would likely rise below 2°C. RCP 6.0 is a scenario with medium emissions in which global temperatures would likely rise up to 3°C by 2100. For the number of days with heavy precipitation events, the 98th percentile of all precipitation days (>1mm/d) was calculated for the 1979-2013 reference period as a threshold for a heavy precipitation event. Then, for each year, the number of days above that threshold was derived. The figures on temperature and precipitation anomaly show the deviation from the mean temperature and mean precipitation for the 1979-2013 reference period. The estimated exposure to future extreme climate impact events (crop failure, drought, river flood, wildfire, tropical cyclone, and heatwave) is based on a published dataset by Lange et al. 2020 derived from ISIMIP2b data. The same global climate models and RCPs as described above were used. Within each 30-year period, the number of years with an extreme event and the average proportion of the site affected were calculated (Kiribou et al. 2024).

Table 8. Estimated past and projected climatological characteristics in Volcanoes National Park

1981-2010 2021-2050, RCP 2.6 2021-2050, RCP 6.0 2071-2099, RCP 2.6 2071-2099, RCP 6.0
Mean temperature [°C] 16.6 17.8 17.5 17.9 19.1
Annual precipitation [mm] 1272 1288 1422 1293 1411
Max no. consecutive dry days (per year) 19.4 28.4 28.9 31.6 25.8
No. days with heavy precipitation (per year) 5.6 6.9 8.1 7.5 9.5

Table 9. Projected exposure of apes to extreme climate impact events in Volcanoes National Park

No. of years with event (2021-2050, RCP 2.6) % of site exposed (2021-2050, RCP 2.6) No. of years with event (2021-2050, RCP 6.0) % of site exposed (2021-2050, RCP 6.0) No. of years with event (2070-2099, RCP 2.6) % of site exposed (2070-2099, RCP 2.6) No. of years with event (2070-2099, RCP 6.0) % of site exposed (2070-2099, RCP 6.0)
Crop failure 5 0.28 4 0.72 5.5 0.38 6 0.18
Drought 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Heatwave 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
River flood 1 1.98 3 2.77 1.5 1.74 3.5 2.88
Tropical cyclone 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Wildfire 30 1.11 30 0.88 29 1.13 29 0.75
  • Precipitation anomaly in Volcanoes National Park
  • Temperature anomaly in Volcanoes National Park

External links

African community and conservation foundation
African Wildlife Foundation - Volcanoes NP

References

BirdLife International (2021) Important Bird Areas factsheet: Volcans National Park. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 15/10/2021.
Volcanoes National Park (n.d.). https://www.volcanoesnationalparkrwanda.com/
AWF (n.d.). Volcanoes National Park: a success story for Rwanda's communities and conservation.https://www.awf.org/blog/volcanoes-national-park-success-story-rwandas-communities-and-conservation
Granjon, A.-C., Robbins, M.M., Arinaitwe, J., Cranfield, M.R., Eckardt, W., Mburanumwe, I., Musana, A., Robbins, A.M., Roy, J., Sollmann, R., Vigilant, L. and Hickey, J.R. (2020), Estimating abundance and growth rates in a wild mountain gorilla population. Anim Conserv, 23: 455-465. https://doi.org/10.1111/acv.12559
Kiribou, R., Tehoda, P., Chukwu, O., Bempah, G., Kühl, H. S., Ferreira, J., ... & Heinicke, S. (2024). Exposure of African ape sites to climate change impacts. PLOS Climate, 3(2), e0000345.
Lange, S., Volkholz, J., Geiger, T., Zhao, F., Vega, I., Veldkamp, T., ... & Frieler, K. (2020). Projecting exposure to extreme climate impact events across six event categories and three spatial scales. Earth's Future, 8(12), e2020EF001616.

Page completed by: A.P.E.S. Wiki team Date: 15/10/2021