Tingi Hills Non-hunting Forest Reserve
West Africa > Sierra Leone > Tingi Hills Non-hunting Forest Reserve
Summary
- Western chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes verus) are present in Tingi Hills Non-hunting Forest Reserve.
- It has been estimated that 70 (CI: 22-213) individuals occur at the site.
- The chimpanzee population trend is unknown.
- This site has a total size of 118.85 km².
- Key threats to chimpanzees are hunting and slash-and-burn agriculture.
- There is a lack of information on conservation interventions implemented at the site.
- The remote area is renowned for its batholiths.
Site characteristics
The site is located in eastern Sierra Leone, close to the border with Guinea. It is characterized by steep forested hills, which include the second highest peak in Sierra Leone, the Sankan Biriwa, at 1860 m (Brncic et al. 2010, BirdLife International 2019). The site is an Important Bird Area (IBA); more than 200 bird species have been recorded at the site, six of which are of global conservation concern, including the white-necked picarthes (BirdLife International 2019). Other species inhabiting the reserve include forest elephant (Loxodonta cyclotis), pygmy hippopotamus (Choeropsis liberiensis), sooty mangabey (Cercocebus atys, BirdLife International 2019), and the endemic toad species Amietophrynus cristiglans, commonly known as the Tingi Hills toad (EPA 2017).
Table 1. Basic site information for Tingi Hills Non-hunting Forest Reserve
| Area | 118.85 km² |
| Coordinates | 8.92, -10.79 |
| Designation | Non-hunting Forest Reserve |
| Habitat types | Subtropical/Tropical Moist Montane Forest, Subtropical/Tropical High Altitude Shrubland, Subtropical/Tropical High Altitude Grassland, Savanna, Rocky Areas, Arable Land |
Ape status
In 1979-1980, Teleki and Baldwin conducted a nationwide survey and reported high densities in Tingi Hills (Brncic et al. 2010). Decades later, in 2010, a line transect survey was conducted in Tingi Hills Non-hunting Forest Reserve, which estimated approximately 70 individuals in the area; however, a higher survey effort would be needed to reduce uncertainty in this population estimate (Brncic et al. 2010).
Table 2. Ape population estimates in Tingi Hills Non-hunting 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 verus | 2010 | 70 (22-213) | 0.59 (0.19-1.84) | 1.91 | Tingi Hills Non-hunting Forest Reserve | Line transects (Distance) | Brncic et al. 2010 | Total survey effort: 24.55 km |
Threats
Footpaths are present throughout the reserve, and hunting signs were frequently encountered during the chimpanzee survey in 2010 (Brncic et al. 2010). Bush fires are also a main concern, as they cause severe damage to the forest cover (BirdLife International 2019). The steep terrain offers protection to chimpanzees in the interior of the reserve, but the high demand for agricultural land means that farming is slowly reaching the steeper areas (Brncic et al. 2010).
Table 3. Threats to great apes in Tingi Hills Non-hunting Forest Reserve
| Category | Specific threats | Threat level | Quantified severity | Description | Year of threat |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Residential & commercial development | Unknown | ||||
| 2. Agriculture & aquaculture | 2.1 Annual & perennial non-timber crops | High | 22.5% of the vegetation along the 24.55 km of transect consisted of farms, farm bush, plantations, and vine forest (Brncic et al. 2010) | Agricultural practices are a main threat in the reserve, causing forest clearance and erosion of the soil (Brncic et al. 2010) | Ongoing (2010) |
| 3. Energy production & mining | 3.2 Mining & quarrying | Low | Mining is a potential long-term threat and takes places along the river in the south of the reserve (BirdLife International 2019) | Ongoing (2019) | |
| 4. Transportation & service corridors | 4.1 Roads & railroads | High | 1.21 signs/km (Brncic et al. 2010) | Footpaths present (Brncic et al. 2010) | Ongoing (2010) |
| 5. Biological resource use | 5.1 Hunting & trapping terrestrial animals | High | 0.56 signs/km, includes snares, hunting camps, and guns (Brncic et al. 2010) | Hunting signs present in the reserve (Brncic et al. 2010) | Ongoing (2010) |
| 6. Human intrusions & disturbance | Unknown | ||||
| 7. Natural system modifications | 7.1 Fire & fire suppression | High | Bush fires occasionally cause severe damage to forest cover (BirdLife International 2019) | Ongoing (2019) | |
| 8. Invasive & other problematic species, genes, diseases | Unknown | ||||
| 9. Pollution | Absent | ||||
| 10. Geological Events | Absent | ||||
| 11. Climate change & severe weather | Unknown | ||||
| 12. Other options | Absent |
Conservation activities
In 2010, it was reported that seven forest guards were undergoing training for deployment in the site (Brncic et al. 2010). However, further information on conservation activities has been reported; in fact, there may be no management plan for the area or immediate development plans (BirdLife International 2019).
Table 4. Conservation activities in Tingi Hills Non-hunting 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 intrusions & 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 | 11.2. Legally protect primate habitat | The site was designated a Forest Reserve in 1947 and Non-hunting Forest Reserve in 1973 (BirdLife International 2019) | Ongoing (2019) |
| 12. Species Management | Not reported | ||
| 13. Livelihood; Economic & Other Incentives | Not reported |
Challenges
Table 5. Challenges reported for Tingi Hills Non-hunting Forest Reserve
| Challenge | Source |
|---|---|
| Not reported |
Research activities
No information on research activities has been documented.
Documented behaviours
Table 6. Great ape behaviors reported for Tingi Hills Non-hunting Forest Reserve
| Behavior | Source |
|---|---|
| Not reported |
References
BirdLife International. 2019. Important Bird Areas factsheet: Tingi Hills Non-hunting Forest Reserve. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 19/09/2019.
Brncic, T.M., Amarasekaran,B. & McKenna,A. (2010) Final Report of the Sierra Leone National Chimpanzee Census Project. Tacugama Chimpanzee Sanctuary, Freetown, Sierra Leone.
Environment Protection Agency (EPA). 2017. Sierra Leone’s Second National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan 2017-2026.
Page completed by: A.P.E.S. Wiki Team Date: 20/09/2019