The last best place no more: Massive deforestation destroying prime chimp habitat in Uganda b4in.org/h5mz Ugandas Kafu River, which is about 180 kilometers (110 miles) long, is part of a vast chimpanzee habitat that includes Budongo and Bugoma Forest Reserves, as well as several unofficial protected areas. However, this region is losing a significant portion of valuable chimpanzee habitat, with Global Forest Watch data showing at least 20 percent of the forest cover along the Kafu River in western Uganda has disappeared since 2001. The region as a whole accommodates at least 5,000 endangered eastern chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii), with about 600 inhabiting the River Kafu basin. According to the deputy director for conservation at the Uganda Wildlife Authority, Charles Tumwesigye, the loss of forest cover along its basin is largely due to population pressure on the land. He said a significant amount of forested land in this region has been cleared by migrant communities from southwest Uganda. “A lot of migrants have come from the southwest and they just clear forests for agriculture,” Tumwesigye said. “People easily move there because they say it is free land. That is causing a huge problem.” Additionally, according to Tumwesigye, much of the land along the Kafu River is privately owned. That amount of control allows locals to fell trees whenever population pressures compel them to clear more land for cultivation. More b4in.org/h5mz
Posted on: Mon, 14 Jul 2014 08:26:02 +0000
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