Ecosystem Monitoring Programme

The Northern Rangelands Trust is developing a rigorous community-led ecosystem monitoring programme throughout the established Community Conservancies. Ecological monitoring is an essential element of good conservation practice and will enable Conservancy Managers, donors and conservation organisations to:

• Evaluate conservation action and assess the impact of Conservancy management activities;
• Provide feedback to guide the future course of Conservancy activities and adapt management strategies to improve the effectiveness of its conservation actions;
• Integrate information relevant to both conservation and development activities.

Characteristics of the monitoring programme are:

• Multidisciplinary – combining quantitative ecological monitoring and qualitative participatory monitoring;
• Community-led – the community decides what species and events are a priority to monitor;
• Community-managed – data collection and initial analysis is undertaken locally;
• Technical support – detailed analysis of data will be conducted by technicians from the Northern Rangelands Trust and results provided to project staff and community managers;
• Landscape level monitoring - satellite remote sensing and aerial survey data at a landscape level will complement monitoring at an individual Conservancy level.

The ecosystem monitoring programme includes:

• Community-led monitoring of key wildlife species and threats
• Community-led monitoring of vegetation and rangeland condition
• Community-led monitoring of game-bird species for sustainable management of game-bird hunting
• Aerial surveys of wildlife populations
• Monitoring of vegetation changes using remote sensing methods