Kibale NP Fieldwork Dashboard

Study Overview

Comprehensive ecosystem science fieldwork at Kibale National Park, Uganda

📖 Study Background

Kibale National Park (0°13'–0°41'N, 30°19'–30°32'E) in Kabarole District, western Uganda, is one of Africa's premier biodiversity hotspots. Covering 795 km² at 1,110–1,590 m elevation, the park harbours over 1,400 chimpanzees and extraordinary tropical forest diversity. This field study, led by Welborn Kibwota, focused on five ecosystem science themes across a 5-day data collection period.

GEO1204 BGS Year 1 Kabarole District Group Leader

🎯 Study Objectives

● Plant diversity inventory and biodiversity pattern analysis

● Bird species diversity and habitat association documentation

● Mammal diversity and spatial distribution characterisation

● Ecosystem services assessment and community interactions

● Species interaction characterisation within forest ecosystem

● GIS spatial mapping of biodiversity and ecosystem data

3.21

Shannon Diversity Index (Primary Forest)

H' Value

312.4

Mean AGB Mg/ha (Primary Forest)

Carbon Stock

96%

Households valuing water provisioning

ES Survey

0.83

Pearson's r: Canopy cover vs. Species richness

p < 0.001

🌿 Diversity Comparison Across Habitat Zones

Primary Forest Interior H' = 3.21 | S = 28.4 spp/plot

Forest Edge Ecotone H' = 2.47 | S = 18.6 spp/plot

Anthropogenic Buffer Zone H' = 1.68 | S = 9.3 spp/plot

Riparian Corridor H' = 2.88 | S = 22.1 spp/plot

Field Programme Schedule

30 March – 4 April 2026 · Kibale National Park, Kabarole District

📅 Day 1 — Monday, 30 March 2026

07:00

Departure from Kampala

Coach departure from Makerere University to Kibale NP (~6 hr journey)

19:00

Introduction & Orientation at MUBFS

Park authorities briefing, safety protocols, and programme orientation

📅 Day 2 — Tuesday, 31 March 2026

08:00 – 11:00

Group Presentations on Planned Fieldwork

Each group presents methodology, objectives, and expected outcomes

12:00 – 18:00

Reconnaissance & Site Selection

GPS waypointing, habitat assessment, transect scouting, tool testing

20:00 – 22:00

Evening Reflections

Debrief on reconnaissance findings, finalise day-2–4 data collection plans

📅 Day 3 — Wednesday, 1 April 2026

06:00 – 10:00

Early Morning Bird Surveys

Point counts and transect walks during peak bird activity window

10:00 – 13:00

Plant Quadrat Surveys (Set 1)

Primary forest interior quadrats – 5 plots, DBH, height, canopy cover

14:00 – 18:00

Ecosystem Services Community Interviews

Nyabubale village – 9 household interviews + 1 focus group discussion

📅 Day 4 — Thursday, 2 April 2026

06:00 – 10:00

Mammal Transect Surveys

Sign surveys, direct obs., chimpanzee nest counting, track identification

10:00 – 14:00

Plant Quadrat Surveys (Set 2 & 3)

Forest edge and buffer zone quadrats – species composition, cover

14:00 – 18:00

Species Interaction Documentation

Fig-wasp observation, root sampling, faecal sample collection (chimpanzee)

📅 Day 5 — Friday, 3 April 2026

06:00 – 10:00

Camera Trap Retrieval

Collect 6 camera traps deployed Day 3, download images, GPS log

10:00 – 14:00

Bigodi Wetland & Final Community FGD

Second focus group discussion + wetland ecosystem service assessment

15:00 – 18:00

Data Compilation & GIS Processing

Initial data entry, GPS download, QGIS layer compilation at MUBFS

📅 Day 6 — Saturday, 4 April 2026

07:00

Departure – Kibale NP to Kampala

Return journey to Makerere University, ~6 hours, equipment return

Field Sites & GIS Mapping

Spatial distribution of study sites and GIS analysis framework

🗺️

Kibale National Park, Uganda

0°13'–0°41'N · 30°19'–30°32'E · Kabarole District · ~795 km²

GIS data processed in QGIS 3.28 (Firenze) · GPS: Garmin eTrex 30 · LANDSAT 8 satellite imagery

Elevation: 1,110–1,590 m Rainfall: 1,200–1,700 mm/yr ~360 km from Kampala

🌳

Kanyanchu Research Station

Main field base & tourist info centre

0°28'N, 30°22'E · Forest edge

🔬

Kanyawara Research Site

Long-term ecological research area

0°34'N, 30°21'E · Primary forest

🌊

Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary

Community-managed wetland (KAFRED)

0°25'N, 30°25'E · Wetland/Swamp

🏞️

Dura River Valley

Riverine forest corridor surveys

0°32'N, 30°20'E · Riparian forest

🌾

Kibale Buffer Zone

Agricultural-forest interface ecotone

0°27'N, 30°24'E · Ecotone/Buffer

🏠

MUBFS Research Station

Accommodation & evening data processing

0°33'N, 30°22'E · Secondary forest

🗂️ GIS Map Products Produced

Map Product	Data Sources	Software	Purpose
Kibale NP Overview Map	Protected Areas GIS + GPS waypoints	QGIS 3.28	Study area context
Field Sites Distribution	GPS waypoints + OSM base layer	QGIS 3.28	Site reference
Plant Diversity Hotspot Map	Quadrat GPS + species richness data	QGIS 3.28 + R	High-diversity zone ID
Bird Species Distribution	Point count GPS + sighting records	QGIS 3.28	Avian habitat mapping
Mammal Sign Density Map	Track survey GPS + camera trap pts	QGIS 3.28	Mammal habitat use
Ecosystem Services Value Map	Interview data + community GPS	QGIS 3.28 + Excel	ES spatial distribution
Land Use/Cover Change Map	LANDSAT 8 (2016, 2021, 2026)	QGIS + ML classifier	Forest cover change

Plant Diversity Inventory

15 quadrats (20×20 m) across 3 habitat zones · 47 species from 31 families recorded

📊 Key Diversity Metrics

47

Total Species

31

Plant Families

3.21

Max H' (Primary)

0.52

Sorensen Ss

🌲 Dominant Species

01

Celtis africanaUlmaceae · Primary forest canopy dominant

02

Chrysophyllum albidumSapotaceae · Primate food source

03

Ficus natalensisMoraceae · Keystone, fig-wasp host

04

Syzygium guineenseMyrtaceae · Riparian indicator

05

Maesopsis eminiiRhamnaceae · Pioneer species

Bird Diversity Inventory

38 species from 22 families · Point counts + transect walks · 06:00–10:00 peak surveys

38

Bird Species Recorded

22 Families

26

Species in Primary Forest

Highest Zone

6.3

Mean spp. per station (morning)

vs 3.8 afternoon

🦅 Selected Bird Species Recorded

Species	Common Name	Family	Habitat	Status
Pogoniulus subsulphureus	Yellow-throated Tinkerbird	Lybiidae	Forest interior	Common
Terpsiphone rufiventer	Red-bellied Paradise-flycatcher	Monarchidae	Forest interior	Uncommon
Ceyx lecontei	African Dwarf Kingfisher	Alcedinidae	Riparian	Rare
Andropadus latirostris	Yellow-whiskered Greenbul	Pycnonotidae	Forest interior	Common
Nectarinia olivacea	Olive Sunbird	Nectariniidae	Forest edge	Common
Halcyon chelicuti	Striped Kingfisher	Alcedinidae	Buffer/cultivated	Common

Notable Finding: African Dwarf Kingfisher (Ceyx lecontei) recorded along riparian corridors — a range-restricted Albertine Rift endemic, signalling high forest and hydrological quality.

Mammal Diversity Inventory

14 species recorded · Direct obs. + camera traps + indirect sign surveys

14

Mammal Species

7 Primates

0.47

Chimp nests per hectare

≈1.8 ind/km²

6

Camera Traps Deployed

72 hours

🐒 Mammal Species Recorded

Species	Common Name	Method	Habitat	Abundance
Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii	Eastern Chimpanzee	Direct + nests	Forest interior	High
Cercopithecus ascanius	Red-tailed Monkey	Direct obs.	All forest zones	Very High
Lophocebus albigena	Grey-cheeked Mangabey	Direct obs.	Forest interior	Moderate
Colobus guereza	Black-and-white Colobus	Direct obs.	Forest interior/edge	Moderate
Potamochoerus larvatus	Bushpig	Camera + tracks	Forest edge	Moderate
Civettictis civetta	African Civet	Camera trap	Forest interior	Low
Elephas maximus africanus	African Forest Elephant	Tracks + dung	Forest interior	Very Low

Ecosystem Services Assessment

25 household interviews · 3 villages · MA Framework classification

🌿 Provisioning Services

Medicinal plants87%

Wild fruits (NTFPs)76%

Construction timber62%

Fuelwood54%

Water provisioning96%

🌊 Regulating Services

Above-Ground Biomass (Primary Forest)

312.4 Mg/ha

Carbon Stock Estimate

146.8 MgC/ha

Soil Organic Matter (Forest vs. Buffer)

Forest: 6.4% | Buffer Zone: 2.1%

🎭 Cultural Services – Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary

🦁

Ecotourism

~30,000 tourists/yr · Chimp tracking, birdwatching

🏫

Education & Research

Makerere MUBFS · International research stations

🌿

Cultural Heritage

Sacred groves · Batooro cultural practices

💰

Community Revenue

KAFRED distributes to health, education & livelihoods

Species Interactions

Three key ecological interactions characterised during fieldwork

Mutualism

🌸 Fig-Wasp Pollination

🌳Ficus natalensis

⇄

🐝Ceratosolen arabicus

12 syconia dissected · Obligate pollination mutualism · Figs provide breeding site + food; wasps provide exclusive pollination service. Critical for frugivore community sustenance.

Mutualism

🍄 Mycorrhizal Associations

🌲Forest Trees (7 spp.)

⇄

🍄AMF (Glomus spp.)

Root samples from Strombosia, Celtis, Maesopsis. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi enhance phosphorus and water uptake. Critical for nutrient cycling in nutrient-poor tropical soils.

Seed Dispersal Mutualism

🐒 Chimpanzee Seed Dispersal

🐒Pan troglodytes

→

🌱8 Plant Species

6 faecal samples collected · 8 plant species recovered · 63% seed viability confirmed. Chimpanzees are critical dispersers of large-seeded species like Chrysophyllum albidum.

Materials & Methods

Field survey protocols, sampling frameworks, and analytical approaches

🔬 Sampling Methods Summary

Theme	Method	Effort
Plant Diversity	Stratified random quadrats (20×20 m)	15 plots, 3 zones
Bird Diversity	Point counts (10 min, 25 m radius)	20 stations, 3 transects
Mammals (direct)	Timed transect walks	2 km trails, 2 observers
Mammals (indirect)	Track/sign stations + camera traps	6 cameras, 72 hrs
Ecosystem Services	Household interviews + FGDs	25 HHs, 3 villages, 2 FGDs
Species Interactions	Observation + sampling + dissection	12 figs, 7 root samples, 6 faecal

📐 Diversity Indices Used

Shannon-Wiener Diversity Index

H' = -Σ(pi × ln pi)

Simpson's Index of Diversity

D = 1 – Σ(n(n-1)/N(N-1))

Sorensen Similarity Index

Ss = 2C / (A+B)

AGB Allometric Equation (Chave 2014)

AGB = 0.0673 × (ρ×DBH²×H)^0.976

🛠️ Key Equipment Used in Field

Garmin eTrex 30 GPS 10×42 Binoculars Bushnell Core Camera Traps (×6) Zoom H1 Voice Recorder Spherical Densiometer Diameter Tape + Clinometer Munsell Soil Colour Chart QGIS 3.28 (Firenze) PAST v4.0 Statistics IBM SPSS v26 USGS Earth Explorer (LANDSAT 8)

Ecosystem ScienceField Study Dashboard

Kanyanchu Research Station

Kanyawara Research Site

Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary

Dura River Valley

Kibale Buffer Zone

MUBFS Research Station

Welborn Kibwota