ITFC-UWA/BINP annual technical report on TEAM progress 2011/2012
Report prepared for ITFC UWA and TEAM by Badru Mugerwa, Douglas Sheil and others
01th/07/2012
Vegetation monitoring
Measurement error estimation for the diameter takers was conducted. Refresher training
for all the crew was also conducted before plot re-measurement. All the six vegetation plots
were re-measured. New recruits were identified, tagged and mapped. Unidentified
specimens were identified at the Makerere University herbarium. All plot data for the remeasurement was submitted and accepted on the TEAM portal.
Climate monitoring protocol
All climate data and maintenance logs were uploaded on to the TEAM portal. Bi-weekly
maintenance of the climate station has been carried out in accordance with the protocol.
Power shortages were successfully solved at the climate station. A delegation from the
Uganda Meteorological Department identified the TEAM Network automated climate
station in Bwindi as the best in the country. This station is yet to be registered with the
meteorological department.
Terrestrial vertebrate monitoring protocol
Array one deployment and retrieval was completed. Images from Array one have been
downloaded in to DeskTEAM computer program. Camera trap setting for array 2 is in
progress.
Sampling scheduler
All protocols have been implemented on schedule.
Meetings attended
Badru gave a talk about TEAM activities in Bwindi at the ITFC annual information-sharing
workshop in Mbarara between 14 and 16 March 2012. Badru also took part in an exercise
aimed at documenting the TEAM networks’ activities in Bwindi. This exercise was done by
Benjamin Drummond and Sara Joy Steele. We look forward to the output of this activity.
Publications
A manuscript entitled “A Camera trap assessment of terrestrial vertebrates in Bwindi
Impenetrable National Park” by Mugerwa et al. 2012 was accepted for publishing in the
African Journal of Ecology.
A manuscript entitled “First pictures of a wild African golden cat Caracal aurata catching
prey and an appeal for open systems for archiving images” by Douglas Sheil and Badru
Mugerwa is yet to be submitted for review and publication.
A thesis entitled “Spatial patterns of tree growth in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
(Bwindi), South Western Uganda ” by Badru Mugerwa, is yet to be submitted to Mbarara
University of Science and Technology, in partial fulfillment for the award of Msc Biology.