Research

                                                                 

New:   Darwin Initiative                               

Kasanka Trust welcomes research projects both in Kasanka and Bangweulu and a number of groups have already carried out studies

Researchers are currently gathering more information about the Straw-coloured Fruit Bat colony that visits Kasanka yearly.  The project will involve counting the bats, identifying what tree species they are exploiting and also using genetic testing to try and discover where these bats are migrating from.  Biologists are also looking into the feasibility of further in-depth studies of the bats.  Also underway is a project to catalogue all vertebrate and invertebrate species in Kasanka with the aim of compiling a comprehensive species list for both scientific and visitors’ reference. 

A management-based project is using visual game counts combined with statistical methods to monitor the populations of the large mammals in the park   

 

 

Line transect data collected in 2000 has been analysed using the software ‘DISTANCE’ to give best estimates for Kasanka of 511 Bushbuck, 703 Bushpig, 1597 Duiker, 967 Hartebeast, 206 Reedbuck, 173 Roan Antelope, 2160 Warthog and 195 Waterbuck. Other species did not provide appropriate data for analysis.

Kasanka Trust Scouts being taught by 
Charles Phiri of WRMU how to walk 
line transects with a compass

 

The Kasanka Trust is looking to co-operate with interested universities and researchers to develop ongoing research covering different aspects of the park’s flora and fauna.  '

A biology lecturer from Germany has initiated an ongoing program for students from various German universities to carry out research in Kasanka. Several groups have already visited and done work to establish the spatial distribution and feeding habits of Elephants in the Park. Several more groups are planning to continue this work and initiate other work over the next few months. Below is a short report from the first two groups.

 

The Elephant Project

Elephants do have a special position all over the world. No one visiting a National park in Africa wants to leave it without having seen one. You can hardly find another animal which is protected like this. They impress through their height and the gentleness connected with it. They live in social groups and are considered to be wise. But apart from that - how do elephants truly live? Which influence do they have on their environment? To what do they conform when choosing their place to stay?

This and much more are our questions. We are a group of Biology-students and people interested in Biology, who have the possibility to do research on
this at the right places because of Mr Gansloßer (University of Erlangen), who is in contact with Edmund Farmer, the park manager.

The aim of this project, existing since November 2000, is to come to know more about feeding-ecology and habitat-use of elephants. 



How this is to be done?

The park is divided into squares after the GPS - a satellite system, used to indicate one´s position in an appropriate map. In this squares you search in certain stands, f.e. the centres and the corners, for any signs of elephants. How many were there when, and what did they do?  You get a survey about the main food-plants and the preferred kind of wood, and you can tell in which way their habits change from the dry to the rainy season.
When you take a look at the same places some months later, you can get a
picture of the migration habits of the animals.

To give an example of what we work at: There are places where you can find many Wild- Loquat trees which are looked up by the elephants in Nov/Dec in order to get the ripe fruits (that to be sure are also wanted by other animals, like Baboons).
Indeed it does happen nearby that trees are being destroyed or at least damaged, but the seeds of the fruits are spread with the elephant-droppings, so you can see it´s a circle that closes again.

Further and final results are hoped to be evaluated end of this summer.
Natalie   Weber


“A close encounter in the miombo woodland near Lake Wasa!”

 

A group of undergraduate and recently graduated Zoology and Aquatic Bioscience students arrived in Kasanka at the beginning of August for a six week period. The group was led by Dr Kevin Murphy, from the Division of Environmental and Evolutionary Biology at Glasgow. The students were supporting the Darwin Initiative project by undertaking baseline surveys for aquatic invertebrates, aquatic macrophytes (submerged and floating flowering plants), benthic algae, phytoplankton, zooplankton and fish species. Basic water chemistry was also monitored. Surveys were carried out at river, lake and wetland sites where water quality is routinely monitored as part of the Darwin project and have provided new data which will help to characterise these site and to monitor future habitat quality. Three students collected data for their honours project work, while the whole dataset is currently being analysed at Glasgow. Members of the expedition also contributed to school visits which were being carried out by Leigh Chaloner and greatly enjoyed the opportunity to visit local communities.

 

 

VOLUNTEERS

With the help of academic research groups Kasanka Trust is looking to develop some openings for conservation volunteers to work on projects in Kasanka and in the adjoining community.  See the Volunteers Page

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