Sustainable forest management and the conservation of fauna

Tropical forests are some of the biologically richest ecosystems on earth and yet they belong to one of the most threatened biomes. This project investigates whether forestry certification systems such as the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) have positive impacts on animal conservation. 

In this study the conservation value of certified forestry in Central African rainforests is assessed by comparing the animal community of FSC certified concessions with that of conventional (non-FSC-certified) concessions and protected areas to investigate whether sustainable forest management results in improved wildlife conservation.

The research combines camera trap, audio device and transect data to give a more complete picture of the wildlife community. 

This project is carried out by Joeri Zwerts MSc in collaboration with WWF offices in the Congo Basin and the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS).