The course examined the conservation issues associated with the conservation of One-Horned Rhinos, Asian Tigers, Asian Elephants, Gharial and Mugger Crocodiles within lowland forest and grassland habitats of Chitwan National Park in southern Nepal. Students were immersed in the ecological and social problems associated with protecting these iconic megafauna since the park is in close proximity to a number of rural farming communities. Primary threats included poaching, harvesting, human-wildlife conflicts and invasive exotic plants dominating the grassland and riparian ecosystems (a naturally disturbed system that is ravaged by flood and fire annually). The combination of these factors may encourage the megafauna to leave the park where they are not protected, resulting in escalating human-wildlife conflicts.
In addition to a series of seminars and field trips examining these conservation issues the group discussed research and monitoring strategies required to resolve them. The group initiated the establishment of a 5 x 5 km grid (that includes 30 long-term ecological research plots) to facilitate research and monitoring in the future. Students and Nepali officials were involved in a Training Workshop to establish the long-term monitoring plots as part of an international Program for Planned Biodiversity Studies. The introduction of the PPBio Program into Nepal has forged new collaborative efforts between Griffith University and Nepali Organisations resulting in the establishment of PPBio Nepal.
The Program for Planned Biodiversity Studies is an international research and monitoring program designed to allow natural resource managers to measure biodiversity condition in response to applied management actions and climate change. The PPBio program was first introduced to Australia by Dr William Magnusson (from Brasil) in January 2007 and has now grown to include PPBio grids at Karawatha Forest Park in Brisbane and Lake Broadwater near Dalby.PPBio Australasia is led by Associate Professor Jean-Marc Hero and Dr Guy Castley from Griffith Universitys Centre for Innovative Conservation Strategies. The Australian program is funded by SEQ Catchments and Brisbane City Council.
In Chitwan National Park preliminary biodiversity surveys focussed on the newly established PPBio plots. Four-wheel drive vehicles were replaced by domesticated elephants that were used to transport equipment, deliver lunches and as protection against One-Horned Rhinos when working in the open grassland habitats. In addition to observing the charismatic megafauna, monkeys, hornbills and sloth bears, the most exciting find was, surprisingly, the worlds smallest terrestrial mammal, the Pygmy Shrew. Weighing less than 2 grams these defiant little ground dwelling insectivores had not previously been recorded in Chitwan National Park.
The long-term implementation of PPBio Nepal lies in the hands of the Nepali conservation organisations and following the completion of the training program the team led by Associate Professor Jean-Marc Hero also met with senior government, non-governmental conservation organisations and research institutions officials to forge a long-term partnership to facilitate the ongoing monitoring of biodiversity in protected areas of Nepal.
The Chitwan National Park PPBio grid can be seen below:
