Identifying and Monitoring Critical Chimpanzee Habitat

Since 2012, and in partnership with TAWIRI, TANAPA, Tuungane, The Jane Goodall Institute, and local governments, we have coordinated chimpanzee survey efforts across western Tanzania to identify and in some cases monitor important chimpanzee habitat. Some of these areas are only accessible by foot, with porters needed to reach remote forest blocks. Resulting data can be used to build species distribution models, which guide the identification of important areas for chimpanzees, and can be integrated into conservation efforts of these areas. For those areas that fall on village land, village governments manage protection efforts, whilst for others that fall in forest reserves, they are administered by District governments. For perhaps the most important area for chimpanzees outside of National Park boundaries - The Ntakata Forest - Carbon Tanzania has facilitated a revenue stream to local authorities in exchange for protection of important forests that hold valuable carbon stores. The revenues from the carbon project enhance their ability to implement protection efforts and prevent illegal land clearance.

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See our paper here describing the synthesis between the science of chimpanzee species distribution modelling and these protection efforts through protecting carbon.