Mone River Forest Reserve
Summary
- Nigeria-Cameroon chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes ellioti) & Cross river gorillas (Gorilla gorilla diehli) are present in Mone River Forest Reserve.
- It has been estimated that 20-30 gorillas occur in the site.
- The great ape population trend is unknown.
- The site has a total size of 538 km².
- Key threats to great apes are poaching and habitat loss due to logging and expansion of cocoa farms into the reserve.
- Conservation activities are not documented.
Site characteristics
Mone River Forest Reserve is located approximately 7 km southeast of Takamanda National Park. The forest reserve was established in the 1950s. The landscape is topographically diverse, with hills rising from 350 m to almost 1,000 m above sea level (Dunn et al. 2014).
Table 1. Basic site information for Mone River Forest Reserve
| Area | 538 km² |
| Coordinates | 5.885802 N, 9.485535 E |
| Designation | National Park |
| Habitat types | Subtropical/tropical moist lowland forest, subtropical/tropical moist montane forest, wetlands (inland) – bogs, marshes, swamps, fens, peatlands, arable land |
Ape status
The presence of gorillas in the reserve was only confirmed in 2000, with the discovery of a population in a mountainous region in the extreme northeast of the reserve, close to the village of Mbu (Dunn et al. 2014). Surveys in the north of the reserve have determined that gorillas use a relatively large area (100 km²), extending from the center of the reserve to the northern border and continuous with the gorilla range in the Mbulu-Mt. Oko region (Dunn et al. 2014). A few gorilla nest sites have been found at two sites outside the boundaries of the reserve (Dunn et al. 2014).
Table 2. Ape population estimates in Mone River 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gorilla gorilla diehli | Unknown | 20-30 | Mone Forest Reserve (northern half) | Unknown | WCS Gorilla Guardian Program, as cited by Dunn et al. 2014 |
Threats
The main threats to the gorillas in this area are poaching and habitat loss (Dunn et al. 2014).
Table 3. Threats to apes in Mone River Forest Reserve
| Category | Specific threats | Threat level | Quantified severity | Description | Year of threat |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Residential & commercial development | 1.1 Housing & urban areas | Absent | No human settlements within the boundaries of the reserve (Dunn et al. 2014). | Ongoing (2014) | |
| 2. Agriculture & aquaculture | 2.1 Annual & perennial non-timber crops | High | The increasing price of cocoa in the international market has prompted many young people in the villages near the reserve to establish cocoa farms in the forest reserve (Dunn et al. 2014). | Ongoing (2014) | |
| 3. Energy production & mining | Unknown | ||||
| 4. Transportation & service corridors | Unknown | ||||
| 5. Biological resource use | 5.1 Hunting & collecting terrestrial animals | High | Uncontrolled hunting (Dunn et al. 2014). | Ongoing (2014) | |
| 5.2 Gathering terrestrial plants | Present, but threat severity unknown | Unsustainable extraction of forest products (Dunn et al. 2014). | Ongoing (2014) | ||
| 5.3 Logging & wood harvesting | Present, but threat severity unknown | Timber exploitation (Dunn et al. 2014). | Ongoing (2014) | ||
| 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 Mone River 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 Mone River Forest Reserve
| Challenge | Source |
|---|---|
| Not reported |
Research activities
Documented behaviours
Table 6. Ape behaviors reported for Mone River Forest Reserve
| Behavior | Source |
|---|---|
| Not reported |
External links
Relevant datasets
References
Dunn, A., Bergl, R., Byler, D., Eben-Ebai, S., Etiendem, D. N., Fotso, R., ... & Williamson, E. A. (2014). Revised regional action plan for the conservation of the Cross River Gorilla (Gorilla gorilla diehli) 2014–2019. IUCN/SSC Primate Specialist Group and Wildlife Conservation Society.
Page completed by: A.P.E.S. Wiki team Date: 18/12/2021