1 / 12

The Biodiversity of Lake Tanganyika

The Biodiversity of Lake Tanganyika. By Dr. Muderhwa NSHOMBO Director General of the Center for Hydrobiological Research in Uvira DR Congo. Biodiversity.

ewa
Download Presentation

The Biodiversity of Lake Tanganyika

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. The Biodiversity of Lake Tanganyika By Dr. Muderhwa NSHOMBO Director General of the Center for Hydrobiological Research in Uvira DR Congo

  2. Biodiversity... • "Biological diversity" means the variability among living organisms from all sources including, inter alia, terrestrial, marine and other aquatic ecosystems and the ecological complexes of which they are part; this includes diversity within species, between species and of ecosystems’. Article 2, Convention on Biological Diversity 1992)

  3. Lake Tanganyika’s Biodiversity There are more than 2,150 species of plants and animals in the Lake # species % endemic • Molluscs • Gastropoda 64 94% • Bivalvia 15 60% • Arthropod • Decapoda 15 97% • Ostracoda 84 71% • Copepoda 69 47% • Fish • Cichlidae 185 97% • Noncichlidae 145 42%

  4. Objectives of Biodiversity Special Study: • Review the current levels of Biodiversity in Lake Tanganyika • Identify the distribution of major habitat types, with a focus on existing and suggested protected areas • Suggest priority zones for conservation • Develop a sustainable monitoring programme for biodiversity

  5. Results: I. Review of current levels of biodiversity Literature Database

  6. Training of National Teams National teams were trained in underwater research methods (SCUBA) and taxonomy

  7. Distribution of major habitat types Substrate type Dive teams mapped substrates around the lake

  8. Suggestions for priority zones for conservation Rusizi • Burundi: • Rusizi Natural Reserve 65.0% • DRC: • Pemba/Luhanga/Bangwe 76.5% • Tanzania: • Gombe Stream N.P. 73.3% • Mahale Mountains N.P. 56.4% • Zambia: • Nsumbu N.P. 70.8% • Lufubu/Chisala 75.3% Gombe Mahale Nsumbu

  9. Development of monitoring programme Biodiversity team at a monitoring site

  10. Development of monitoring programme Key Activities Supporting the monitoring program: • Identification of key indicator groups for biodiversity • Maintenance of a specimen reference collection • Production of field identification keys for major groups • Collation of relevant literature at all field stations • Maintenance and updating of literature database

  11. Achievements: • Establishment of databases detailing the current levels of Biodiversity in Lake Tanganyika • Establishment of national dive teams ready to collect and analyze and produce reports • Recommendations of priority zones for conservation • Establishment of a sustainable monitoring programme for biodiversity

  12. Recommendations • Continue with biological surveys especially in DR Congo and Tanzania which have long coastlines • Research the possibility of developing tourism around biodiverisity • Create new protected areas for conservation of diversity identified by BIOSS in each country, and assist governments in setting up adequate legislation relating to management of these areas.

More Related