20 years of conservation and research in the forests of East Africa

Professor Niel Burgess, Center for Macroecology, Evolution and Climate, KU

The Coastal Forests of Eastern Africa are a global center of endemism for plants and animals. Poorly known until the 1990s, and still providing the chance for biologists to discover new species, including mammals, these forests are a priority for conservation organisations from around the world.

This talk presents a 20 year perspective on the forests, their biodiversity, and the threats that they face. Details of past and present work in Tanzania shows how important forests have been lost to timber logging and charcoal burning in the past decades, and illustrates how that process is continuing and extending south into remote areas of southern Tanzania and even into northern Mozambique. Current conservation work is outlined and opportunities for involvement by Danish students is presented.

The talk will be illustrated using pictures taken over the past decades, and using a wealth of GIS and remote sensing images.

Kontakt: Niel Burgess