Nkwende Hills Forest Reserve
Summary
- Central chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes troglodytes) & western lowland gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) are present in Nkwende Hills Forest Reserve.
- The population size is unknown.
- The population trend is unknown.
- The site has a total size of 409.82 km².
- Key threats to great apes
- Conservation activities are not reported.
Site characteristics
The site is located in southwestern Cameroon and it is contiguous with Korup National Park. The name Nkwende means "a water source for animals" in Ejagham (Bobo, Aghomo & Ntumwel 2015). The highest peak at the site is about 737 m above sea level. Part of the reserve extends to the Okoroba village, where rock formations, commonly known as "chimpanzee stone" to the locals, are alleged to be a refuge to chimpanzees. The forest around the villages is secondary forest due to logging and agricultural activities, but primary forests still exist in higher altitudes (Bobo, Aghomo & Ntumwel 2015).
Table 1. Basic site information for Nkwende Hills Forest Reserve
| Area | 409.82 km² |
| Coordinates | 5.410812 N, 9.270493 E |
| Designation | Forest Reserve |
| Habitat types | Subtropical/tropical moist lowland forest, marshes, arable land, Subtropical/Tropical Heavily Degraded Former Forest |
Ape status
A 2002-2004 survey recorded the presence of chimpanzees; gorillas were not encountered (Forboseh, Eno-Nku & Sunderland 2007). According to a later study, chimpanzees are locally extinct (Bobo, Ntumwel & Aghomo 2013).
Table 2. Ape population estimates in Nkwende Hills Forest Reserve
| Species | Year | Abundance estimate (95% CI) | Density estimate [ind./ km²] (95% CI) | Encounter rate (nests/km) | Area | Method | Source | Comments | A.P.E.S. database ID |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pan troglodytes troglodytes | 2002-2004 | 0.72, 0.17, 4.3 | Nkwende Hills Forest Reserve | Index survey (reconnaissance walk) | Forboseh, Eno-Nku & Sunderland 2007 | ||||
| Gorilla gorilla gorilla | 2002-2004 | 0 | Nkwende Hills Forest Reserve | Index survey (reconnaissance walk) | Forboseh, Eno-Nku & Sunderland 2007 |
Threats
Table 3. Threats to apes in Nkwende Hills Forest Reserve
| Category | Specific threats | Threat level | Quantified severity | Description | Year of threat |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Residential & commercial development | Unknown | ||||
| 2. Agriculture & aquaculture | Unknown | ||||
| 3. Energy production & mining | Unknown | ||||
| 4. Transportation & service corridors | Unknown | ||||
| 5. Biological resource use | 5.1 Hunting & collecting terrestrial animals | High | Cartridges, snares and hunting trails found during a survey in 2002-2004 (Forboseh, Eno-Nku & Sunderland 2007). | Ongoing (2007) | |
| 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 |
Conservation activities
Table 4. Conservation activities in Nkwende Hills Forest Reserve
| Category | Specific activity | Description | Year of activity |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Residential & commercial development | Not reported | ||
| 2. Agriculture & aquaculture | Not reported | ||
| 3. Energy production & mining | Not reported | ||
| 4. Transportation & service corridors | Not reported | ||
| 5. Biological resource use | Not reported | ||
| 6. Human intrusion & disturbance | Not reported | ||
| 7. Natural system modifications | Not reported | ||
| 8. Invasive & other problematic species, genes, diseases | Not reported | ||
| 9. Pollution | Not reported | ||
| 10. Education & Awareness | Not reported | ||
| 11. Habitat Protection | Not reported | ||
| 12. Species Management | Not reported | ||
| 13. Livelihood; Economic & Other Incentives | Not reported |
Challenges
Table 5. Challenges reported for Nkwende Hills Forest Reserve
| Challenge | Source |
|---|---|
| Not reported |
Research activities
Documented behaviours
Table 6. Ape behaviors reported for Nkwende Hills Forest Reserve
| Behavior | Source |
|---|---|
| Not reported |
External links
Relevant datasets
References
BOBO, K. S., NTUMWEL, C. B., & AGHOMO, M. F. (2013). 1. LOCAL PERCEPTION ON WILDLIFE USES AND RELATED LOSS OF CULTURAL VALUES AROUND THE NKWENDE HILLS FOREST RESERVE_ SOUTH-WEST CAMEROON By K. SERGE BOBO_ C. BONITO NTUMWEL AND MF FLORENCE AGHOMO. Life sciences Leaflets, 39, 1-to.
Bobo, K. S., Aghomo, F. F. M., & Ntumwel, B. C. (2015). Wildlife use and the role of taboos in the conservation of wildlife around the Nkwende Hills Forest Reserve; South-west Cameroon. Journal of ethnobiology and ethnomedicine, 11(1), 1-24.
Forboseh, P. F., Sunderland, T. C. H., & Eno-Nku, M. (2007). Priority setting for conservation in south-west Cameroon based on large mammal surveys. Oryx, 41(2), 255-262.
Page completed by: A.P.E.S. Wiki team Date:05/11/2021