THE 12 TH TAWIRI SCIENTIFIC CONFERENCE, 04 TH - 06 TH DECEMBER, 2019

Transcription

1 THE 12 TH TAWIRI SCIENTIFIC CONFERENCE, 04 TH - 06 TH DECEMBER, 2019 CONFERENCE THEME: A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE FOR TANZANIA S BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION: THE SCIENCE BEHIND PRIORITY, STRATEGY AND BENEFIT"

2 SPONSORS FOR THE 12 TH TAWIRI SCIENTIFIC CONFERENCE

3 MESSAGE FROM THE ORGANIZING COMMITTEE The Tanzania Wildlife Research Institute (TAWIRI) scientific conferences are biennial events. This year's gathering marks the 12 th scientific conference under the Theme: A sustainable future for Tanzania s biodiversity conservation: The science behind priority, strategy and benefit". The theme primarily aims at contributing to global efforts towards sustainable biodiversity conservation under the global challenges that includes among many others the current technology invovasions and development priority stratergies. Based on significant contribution from wildlife resources in the growing tourism sector, a balance between sustainable conservation and community development need to be emphasized. The platform brings together a wide range of scientists, policy markers, conservationists, development partners, NGOs representatives and Civil Society representatives from all over the world to present their research findings so that management of natural resources can be based on sound scientific information in Tanzania and Africa at large. During the conference, there will be oral and poster scientific presentations as well as a organized symposia, workshops and round table discussion that aim at addressing the main conference theme and sub-themes. The conference presentations will address current wildlife management challenges and propose solutions and mitigations especially issues of population growth that is coupled with increased demand of land for cultivation, settlement, mining, infrastructure development and illegal off takes of wildlife resources in protected areas as well as the impacts of climate change to biodiversity. Moreover, recommendations generated from this conference are expected to not only improve and safeguard biidoiversity resources but also devise a way on how better communities can rationally and sustainably utilize ecosystems services at large On behalf of the TAWIRI Management and staff, the Organizing Committee of the 12 th TAWIRI Scientific Conference of 2019, is honoured and pleased to invite all participants to this important conference, KARIBUNI SANA. ORGANIZING COMMITTEE MEMBERS 1. Alex Lobora Chairperson 2. Angela Mwakatobe Vice Chairperson 3. Janemary Ntalwila Secretary 4. Angela Hezekiah Deputy Secretary 5. Mwita Machoke Member 6. Edward Kohi Member 7. Daniel Wanna Member 8. Noel Alfred Member 9. Chediel Mrisha Member 10. Jerome Kimaro Member 11. Flora Kipuyo Member

4 GENERAL INFORMATION Venue and Dates The 12 th TAWIRI Scientific Conference takes place at Arusha International Conference Center (AICC), Tanzania along the East African Road, from 4 th - 6 th December Contact Address Tanzania Wildlife Research Institute Njiro, Arusha. Phone: / Fax: +255 (27) info@tawiri.or.tz Website: Mobile Phone Policy Delegates are advised to put their mobile phones either on silent mode or switched off during all Conference sessions. Language The official language of the Conference is English. Conference registration hours: Tuesday, 03 rd Dec. 2019: 15:00-18:30 Wednesday 04 th Dec.2019: 07:30-18:30 Thursday 05 th Dec.2019: 07:30-18:30 Friday 06 th Dec 2019: 07:30-13:00 Cloakroom A cloakroom will be open throughout the conference. It will be possible to store luggage in this room. Lost and Found For lost and found personal belongings, please contact the Information Desk at the registration area. Name badge Your personal name badge is your entrance ticket to all sessions. Please, always remember to wear your badge during conference programmes. Participants without name badge will be denied access to conference rooms/sessions. If you lose your badge, a new one will be given against proof of your original registration. WiFi/Internet connections Special sites for conference delegates to access interment services will be set. Participants will be informed on WiFi access points during the conference. First Aid In case of emergency, contact the information/registration desk for assistance. Lunch and Coffee Breaks Lunch and coffee/tea is included in the registration fee and will be served daily in the conference area. Climate and Dress The weather in Arusha during this time of the year is usually sunny with temperatures around o C. An umbrella might be useful as showers can occur. The dressing code will be informal/casual throughout the conference. Time Zone The timezone in Arusha is GMT +3 Hours. Banks and Post Office Most banks open at 08:30 am and close around 16:00 Hrs Monday through Friday while on Saturdays they are open till mid-noon. A number of ATM machines are available in Arusha. Bureau de Changes are in all Banks located near the conference venue-aicc as well as at the Post offices which are generally open between 08:00 and 16:00 Hrs. Electricity The voltage in Tanzania is 220/240V.

5 GENERAL PROGRAMME 04 th - 06 th DECEMBER 2019 PRE-CONFERENCE EVENTS DATE TIME ACTIVITY VENUE 3/12/2019 9:00-16:00 Symposium Twiga Hall 15:00-18:30 Delegates/participants arrival and registration At reception DAY ONE 4/12/2019 SIMBA TAUSI OLDONYOLENGAI 8: OPENING CELEMONY Minister-MNRT 10:00 10:30 HEALTH BREAK 10:30 11:10 Plenary session: Paper 1 Prof. Han Olff 11:15 13:00 Parallel session 1 (WEEI) 13:00 14:00 Parallel session 2 (WEEI) LUNCH BREAK 14:00 16:00 Parallel session 1 (WEEI) Parallel session 2 (WEEI) 16:00 16:30 16:31 17:30 Round Table Discussion 1 Round Table Discussion 2 18:30-21:00 HEALTH BREAK Parallel session 3 (WEEI) Parallel session 3 (WEEI) EVENING SCIENTIFIC GATHERING : AICC-NYASA HALL DAY TWO 5/12/2019 8:30 9:10 Plenary session: Paper 2 Prof. Jafari Kideghesho 9:15 10:30 Parallel session 4 (HWI & LU) 10:40 11:00 11:00 13:00 Parallel session 4 (HWI & LU) 13:00 14:00 14:00 16:00 Parallel session 4 (HWI & LU) Parallel session 5 (WDEH) HEALTH BREAK Parallel session 5 (WDEH) LUNCH BREAK Parallel session 5 (WDEH) Parallel session 6 (BBAT) Parallel session 6 (NRG & ID) Parallel session 6 (HWRC) 5

6 16:01-16:30 POSTER PRESENTATIONS 16:30-17:00 HEALTH BREAK 17:00-18:00 Paper Presentations Round Table Discussion 3 DAY THREE 6/12/2019 8:30 09:10 Plenary session: Paper 3 Dr. Shadrack Kamenya 09:15 10:30 Parallel session 7 (CC & WC) 10:30 11:00 11:00 13:00 Parallel session 7 (WHRL & ISP) 13:00 14:00 LUNCH BREAK 14: Parallel session 7 (WHRL & ISP) 15:01 15:40 15:41-16:10 16: Parallel session 8 (VEET) HEALTH BREAK Parallel session 8 (Mixed Papers) Parallel session 8 (Mixed papers) Round Table Discussion 4 Updates from Directorate of research -TAWIRI HEALTH BREAK CLOSING REMARKS Permanent Secretary MNRT Parallel session 9 (Workshop-CH) Parallel session 9 (Workshop-CH) Parallel session 9 Round table Discussion 5 NOTE: Initials indicated are for sub-themes: HWI & LU=Human Wildlife Interactions & Land Uses; NRG & ID=Natural Resources Governance and Infrastructure Development; WEEI= Wildlife Ecology and Ecological Interactions, WDEH= Wildlife Diseases and Ecosystem Health; CC & WC= Climate Change & Wildlife Conservation; WHRL & ISP=Wildlife Habitat, Rangelands and Invasive Species; VEET=Vegetation Ecology and Ethnobotany; BBAT=Beekeeping, Bee ecology and Api-Tourism, HWRC= Hydrology and Wetland Resources Conservation; CH=Chimpanzee Health; MNRT=Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism. 6

7 DAILY PROGRAMME PRE-CONFERENCE EVENTS TUESDAY 03 rd DECEMBER 2019 Time Activity /Symposium Location/Venue Responsible 9:00-16:00 Biodiversity survey: Birds and traditional medicinal plants of Tanzania Twiga Conference Hall- AICC Julius Keyyu and Organizing Committee 15:00 18:30 Delegates/participants arrival and registration AICC Reception registration desk Organizing Committee (OC) DAY ONE, WEDNESDAY 04 th DECEMBER 2019 EVENTS/PRESENTATIONS: SIMBA CONFERENCE HALL S/N Time Event/Paper Responsible Remarks i) 07:30 08:30 Registration & Logistics Organizing Committee ii) 08:30 08:40 House keeping Moderator Moderator iii) 08:40-9:00 Welcome remarks and Introductory speech Director General- TAWIRI Moderator iv) 09:00-09:30 Opening Speech Guest of Honor-Minister - Moderator MNRT v) 09:30-09:40 Launching ceremony Moderator Introductory remark-launching Director of Research A Word from USAID Delegate Deputy Mission Director- Moderator USAID A Word from NIBR Delegate NIBR President Moderator Launching of important TAWIRI Guest of Honor-Minister - Moderator documents MNRT viii) 09:50-10:00 Group Photo Organizing Committee (OC) Moderator 10:01 10:30 TEA/COFFEE BREAK All Moderator DAY ONE: MORNING PLENARY SESSION- PLENARY SESSION: PAPER 1 S/N Time Event/Paper Presenter Chairperson 1 10:30-11:15 Natural resource management in East Africa needs urgent rethinking Han Olff Dr. Maurus Msuha DAY ONE: MORNING PARALLEL SESSION 1: SIMBA CONFERENCE HALL SUB-THEME: WILDLIFE ECOLOGY AND ECOLOGICAL INTERACTIONS S/N Time Paper Presenter Chairperson 2 11:20-11:40 Indicators of an ecosystem under pressure: Grant Hopcraft Julius Kibebe how long-term animal movement data can inform Serengeti management 3 11:40-12:00 Conservation translocation of African lions Panthera leo; Implication for conflict Dennis Ikanda management, translocants welfare and animal communities. 4 12:01-12:20 Characterizing elephant (Loxodonta africana) movement outside of protected areas in the western Serengeti Kristen D. Snyder 7

8 5 12:21-12:40 Re-wilding the Protected areas in Tanzania: Success and challenges for the current wild animal re-introduction practices 6 12:41-13:00 Estimating population density of African leopard (Panthera pardus) and evaluating a WMA on its capacity to successfully protect wildlife through camera trap surveys in Tanzania s greater Ruaha ecosystem Emmanuel Masenga Charlotte Searle 13:00-14:00 LUNCH OC/MC 7 14:00-14:20 Comparison of direct and indirect methods Alex L. Lobora Anna Estes for estimating elephant abundance in the miombo woodlands in south-western Tanzania 8 14:21-14:40 Large carnivore status & distribution in the Paolo Strampelli Ruaha-Rungwa landscape: implications for conservation in human-impacted areas and for trophy hunting 9 14:40-15:00 The effect of migratory wildebeest on Freja Larsen tourism demand in the Serengeti 10 15: Chimpanzee (P. t. schweinfurthii) food species in a human-impacted area, the Masito-Ugalla Ecosystem, Tanzania Simula Maijo 11 15:41-16:00 Using the Mitochondrial DNA (mtdna) control region to infer genetic diversity of the Eastern Black rhinoceros (Diceros bicornis michaeli) in Tanzania. Ronald V. K. Mellya 16:00-16:30 HEALTH BREAK 12 16:31-17:30 Round Table Discussion 1: Wildlife Collaring and Database Management strategy in Tanzania END OF DAY ONE Emmanuel Masenga Michael Veldhuis 19:00-21:00 EVENING SCIENTIFIC GATHERING FOR TAWIRI AWARDS: AICC NYASA HALL 8

9 DAY ONE: MORNING PARALLEL SESSION 2: TAUSI CONFERENCE HALL SUB-THEME: WILDLIFE ECOLOGY AND ECOLOGICAL INTERACTIONS S/N Time Paper Presenter Chairperson 13 11:20-11:40 Foraging ecology of White-backed vultures in southern Tanzania Corinne Kendall Devolent Mtui 15 11:40-12:00 Spatial-temporal movement and home Emmanuel Masenga range variations of African elephants in South-western Serengeti Ecosystem 16 12:01-12:20 Increasing tolerance leads to safer lion Jannson Ingela landscapes 17 12:21-12:40 Efficacy of spotlights and thermal cameras Stanslaus B. Mwampeta to detect lions Panthera leo and spotted hyenas Crocuta crocuta 18 12:41-13:00 Abundance and distribution of amphibians and reptiles in Mkomazi National Park, Tanzania Glory Summay 13:00 14:00 LUNCH OC/MC 19 14:00-14:20 Unhabituated chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) in the Village Forest Reserves Deus C. Mjungu Jafari Kideghesho north of Gombe National Park, Tanzania 20 14:21-14:40 Preliminary assessment of cow calf Deusdedith Bwenge Fidelis structure of elephant population in Mikumi National Park, Tanzania 21 14:40-15:00 Standardized mammal monitoring in Emanuel H. Martin African protected areas: case studies from Bwindi and Udzungwa Mountains National Park 22 15: Effects of prescribed burning on the A.M. Manyonyi abundance and diversity of rodents in Serengeti National Park :40 Addressing Poisoning in Southern Claire Bracebridge Tanzania 24 15:41-16:00 Patterns of bird bushmeat hunting and trade and the effect on source population in the Swagaswaga-Mkungunero ecosystem Shadia Kilwanila 16:00-16:30 HEALTH BREAK 25 16:31-17:30 Round table discussions- Simba and Oldonyo Lengai Halls END OF DAY ONE 18:30-21:00 EVENING SCIENTIFIC GATHERING FOR TAWIRI AWARDS : AICC NYASA HALL 9

10 DAY ONE: MORNING PARALLEL SESSION 3: OLDONYOLENGAI CONFERENCE HALL SUB-THEME: WILDLIFE ECOLOGY AND ECOLOGICAL INTERACTIONS S/N Time Paper Presenter Chairperson 26 11:20-11:40 Wildlife population trends as indicators of Christian Kiffner Flora Magige protected area effectiveness in northern Tanzania 27 11:40-12:00 Status and vulnerability of wildlife road Richard D. Lyamuya accidents in the Serengeti Ecosystem, Tanzania 28 12:01-12:20 Ecology of Lesser Flamingos (Phoenicopterus minor) in the Momella Lakes, Arusha National Deogratias Lihepanyama Park Tanzania 29 12:21-12:40 Rodents feeding preference and plant nutrient Philipo Jacob Mtweve dynamics in the Livingstone mountains ecosystem 30 12:41-13:00 Tree biomass, carbon stock characteristic on diversity of ground beetles in the Udzungwa Scarp Nature Reserve, a Tanzanian Afromontane tropical forest Anna Mwambala 13:00 14:00 LUNCH OC/MC 31 14:00-14:20 Assessment of morphology of bats in Eastern, Tanzania Mathayo Cralency Emmanuel Masenga 32 14:21-14:40 Nutrient re-distribution from termite mounds in a Gabriel Mayengo Miombo woodland, Tanzania 33 14:40-15:00 A Chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes) census in Adrienne Chitayat Mahale Mountains National Park 34 15: Leaf traits mediate changes in invertebrate Henry Njovu herbivory along broad environmental gradients on Mt. Kilimanjaro, Tanzania :40 Baboon reproductive-differences in a habitat Anthony Collins mosaic at Gombe 36 15:41-16:00 Population distribution, threats and conservation awareness of African clawless otter in Mtera Dam ecosystem, Tanzania Bayo J Martin 16:00-16:30 HEALTH BREAK 37 16:31-17:30 Round table discussions 2: An integrated landscape management in Tanzania An Approach for sustainability of land-based resource END OF DAY ONE Stephen Nindi Sara Cleaveland 19:00-21:00 EVENING SCIENTIFIC GATHERING FOR TAWIRI AWARDS : AICC NYASA HALL 10

11 DAY TWO: THURSDAY 05 th DECEMBER 2019 DAY TWO: MORNING PLENARY SESSION- KEY NOTE PAPER PRESENTATION No. 2 SIMBA CONFERENCE HALL S/N Time Paper Presenter Chairperson 38 8:30-9:15 The future of conservation: lessons from the past and the need for rewinding of ecosystems Prof. Kideghesho Kristen Denninger Snyder DAY TWO: MORNING PARALLEL SESSION 4: SIMBA CONFERENCE HALL SUB-THEME: HUMAN WILDLIFE INTERACTIONS AND LAND USES 39 9:20-9:40 Household economic conditions and bushmeat consumption: A longitudinal analysis of communities in Western Serengeti, Tanzania 40 9:41-10:00 Agricultural expansion around the Serengeti- Mara ecosystem from 1984 to :01-10:20 How reliable are population estimates for setting annual harvesting quota? 42 10:21-10:40 Wire livestock enclosures help reduce humancarnivore conflict Dennis Rentsch Anna B. Estes Emmanuel H. Martin A. Graua Joseph Ogutu 10:40 11:00 HEALTH BREAK 43 11:00-11:20 Tracking animal movements using biomarkers in tail hairs: establishing relocations of cattle in the serengeti ecosystem from a sulphur isoscape 44 11:21-11:40 Assessment of illegal bushmeat activities using high resolution melting analysis in Tarime District, Tanzania 45 11:41-12:00 Molecular wildlife forensics in Tanzania: potential of high resolution melting analysis (HRMA) in bushmeat surveillance and identification 46 11:45-12:00 The human demography and ecology of snakebites in Tanzania: the first detailed assessment of this terrible and neglected challenge 47 12:01-12:20 The Importance of Bushmeat in Household Income as a Function of Distance from Protected Areas in the Western Serengeti Ecosystem, Tanzania 48 12:21-12:40 The Role of Community Involvement for Improved Human-Elephant Coexistence in Tanzania 49 12:41-13:00 Influence of human activities and forest strata on the abundance of Iringa Red Colobus Monkey in the Magombera Forest Reserve Zabibu Kabalika Kilwanila, Ibrahim Shadia Mutayoba B.M Tito J. Lanoy Flora Felix Manyama Alex Chang a Kelvin Ngongolo Fortunata Msoffe 13:00-14:00 LUNCH 11

12 50 14:00-14:20 Testing low cost solutions to mitigate human wildlife conflict: a success story from west Kilimanjaro, Tanzania 51 14:21-14:40 Assessment of human disturbances on flight distance in birds at Morogoro municipal and surrounding areas, Tanzania 52 14:41-15:00 Land Cover and Landscape Changes in the Kwakuchinja Wildlife Corridor Adjacent to the main road 53 15:01 15:20 Threats to the southwestern Serengeti Habitats: Woody Encroachment and Land Use Changes 54 15:21-15:40 Research on the impact of ecological weed (invasive) A. zanzibarica on indigenous plants species richness, diversity, composition and its possible effective control measures in Saadani National Park 55 15:41-16:00 Use of Current Remote Sensing Methods for Biodiversity Monitoring and Conservation of Mount Kilimanjaro NP Ecosystems Davide Valli Chulla Jastin Gaitan Emanuel H. Martin Ayoub M. Asenga Wilson Maanga Fortunata Msoffe 16:01-16:30 Poster Presentation-Display area 16:30-17:00 HEALTH BREAK 56 17:01-17:20 Movement patterns, and habitat use of eland (Taurotragus oryx) in a changing landscape 57 17:21-17:40 Wildlife assessment in Mikumi Wamimbiki wildlife corridor END OF DAY TWO Majaliwa M. Masolele Zawadi Mahinda Ezekiel Dembe Robert Fyumangwa DAY TWO: MORNING PARALLEL SESSION 5: TAUSI CONFERENCE HALL SUB-THEME: WILDLIFE DISEASES AND ECOSYSTEM HEALTH 58 9:20-9:40 Systematic Domestic Dog Vaccination Results in Significant Declines in Rabies Exposures and Human Rabies Deaths 59 9:41-10:00 Impact of genital ulcerations caused by Treponema pallidum on the mating behaviour of female olive baboons (Papio anubis) at Lake Manyara National Park :01-10:20 Assessment of Nature, extent and trend of giraffe skin disease in Tarangire-Manyara Ecosystems 61 10:21-10:40 Anthrax Outbreak in Wildlife within Burunge Wildlife Management Area and Tarangire National Park, Northern Tanzania: Participatory Control and Prevention Anna Czupryna Filipa M.D. Paciência Kiula Faraja Chuma, I. S Julius Keyyu 12

13 10:40 11:00 HEALTH BREAK 62 11:00-11:20 Carnivore parvovirus ecology in the Serengeti ecosystem: vaccine strains circulating and new host species identified 63 11:21-11:40 Tick species diversity and spatio-temporal distribution in Mkomazi Black rhinoceros sanctuary, Mkomazi National Park 64 11:41-12:00 Conservation challenges of controlling parasites in small protected areas: a case of Rubondo island and Saanane island National Parks, Lake Victoria, Tanzania 65 11:45-12:00 Livestock mobility in northern Tanzania: implications to domestic and wildlife disease spread 67 12:21-12:40 Modified netting technique for capturing gazelles in Serengeti, Ngorongoro and Loliondo, Tanzania 68 12:41-13:00 Understanding the population demographics and threats, including Giraffe Skin Disease, facing giraffe in Southern Tanzania 13:00-14:00 LUNCH 70 14:21-14:40 Wild Tanzanian Non-human Primates Have Antibodies Reactive With a Wide Range of Virus Antigens 71 14:41-15:00 Using low coverage whole genome sequencing to inform conservation management decisions 72 15:01 15:20 Tsetse and trypanosomiasis in the grazing lands at villages-wildlife management area interface in Meatu District 73 15:21-15:40 Canine Distemper Virus Outbreak in one of the reintroduced African Wild Dogs (Lycaon pictus) pack in the Serengeti National Park: Results from Serological and Molecular Diagnostic Analyses 16:01-16:30 16:30-17:00 HEALTH BREAK Sara Cleaveland Emmanuel Macha Robert Fyumagwa Divine Ekwem Mdetele. D Jessica Manzak Idrissa S. Chuma Barbara K. Mable Deusdedit Malulu Eblate Mjingo Poster Presentation-Display area Benezeth Mutayoba Teresa Sylvina 74 17:00-18:00 Round table Discussion 3: Wildlife Census Edward Kohi David Moyer END OF DAY TWO 13

14 DAY TWO: MORNING PARALLEL SESSION 6: OLDONYOLENGAI CONFERENCE HALL SUB-THEME: BEEKEEPING, BEE ECOLOGY AND API-TOURISM 75 9:20-9:40 Antibacterial activity of Kibaha honey bees propolis against bacteria eschericha coli Octavian Francis Mlenga Shedrack Kamenya 76 9:41-10:00 Collecting bees on Mt Meru in Tanzania and the Alain Pauly discovery of a new cleptoparasitic species of lasioglossum (hymenoptera: apoidea: halictidae) 77 10:01-10:20 Greater Honeyguides (Indicator indicator) Guide Humans to animals other than bees David J. Lloyd- Jones 78 10:21-10:40 Bee-Pollinator Monitoring Project, Tanzania Julius V. Lasway 10:40 11:00 HEALTH BREAK DAY TWO: MORNING PARALLEL SESSION 6: OLDONYOLENGAI CONFERENCE HALL SUB-THEME: NATURAL RESOURCES GOVERNANCE AND INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT 79 11:00-11:20 In Search of New Modes of Governance: The Potential of Conservation Incentive Payment Policies to Promote Human-Wildlife Coexistence 80 11:21-11:40 The paradox of biodiversity monitoring and land use change: challenges and opportunities to inform management using open biodiversity data from GBIF in Tanzania 81 11:41-12:00 Contribution Of Community Forest Conservation Efforts At Loliondo Forests, Arusha Region, Tanzania 82 11:45-12:00 Policy Process, Institutional Framework and Outcomes of Wildlife Management Areas in Serengeti and Meatu Districts, Tanzania 83 12:01-12:20 Communicating science for effective biodiversity conservation With examples from NGO-GOT collaborations 84 12:21-12:40 Spatio-temporal changes in wildlife habitat quality in the Greater Serengeti Ecosystem, based on InVEST Model 85 12:41-13:00 Compliance of mining companies on regulatory framework in Tanzania: evidence from community perspectives in Kahama 86 13:00-13:20 Kihansi spray toad population in captive breeding facility Adam Pekor W. Edwin Harris Benson Petro Mhagama Babili, I.H Sarah J. Markes Hamza Kija Willy Maliganya Person Kalenga Iddi Mfunda 14

15 13:00-14:00 LUNCH DAY TWO: AFTERNOON PARALLEL SESSION 6: OLDONYOLENGAI CONFERENCE HALL SUB-THEME: HYDROLOGY AND WETLAND RESOURCE CONSERVATION 87 14:00-14:20 The effect of climate and land-use change on river discharge within the Greater Serengeti- Mara Ecosystem 88 14:21-14:40 Limnology and fisheries resources in lake Babati and Lake Burunge - Tanzania 89 14:41-15:00 Assessment of diversity of aquatic macroinvertebrates in Morogoro River 90 15:01 15:20 Assessment of macro invertebrates distribution and diversity in Kizinga River, Dar es Salaam Tanzania :21-15:40 Impact of land use changes on the health of lake Babati and lake Burunge, northern Tanzania 92 15:41-16:00 Consumer Country Enforcement Illegal Trade in Forestry and the US Lacey Ac 16:01-16:30 Poster Presentation-Display area 16:30-17:00 HEALTH BREAK 93 17:00-18:00 Round table discussion:4 Impacts of parthernium weed and its conservation implication in Tanzania END OF DAY TWO E.S. Kihwele Jackson H. Katonge Theodory Venance Shirima Rehema Ulimboka Jackson H. Katonge Amar Shanghavi Bukombe John Halima Kiwango Charlotte Searle DAY TWO: POSTER PRESENTATIONS: 05 TH DECEMBER 2019 TIME: 15:40-16:30: Chairperson: Jerome Kimaro S/N Title Presenter (s) Sub Theme 94 Influence of rainfall and diet on rodent natural population increase: a case study of Rombo District in northern Tanzania 95 Protecting dry forests and woodlands for wildlife conservation in Tanzania 96 Nexus Between Maasai s Indigenous Architecture and Sustainable Tourism Development in Ngorongoro Conservation Area 97 Invasive Prosopis juliflora reduces density and species composition of co-occurring woody plants in the Northern Tanzania rangelands 98 Ecosystem Services: Social, Cultural and Economic Values of Elephants for Community s Livelihoods in the Serengeti Musa Ashraf John. R. Mbwambo Godfrey Ayubu Mecklina Michael Janemary Ntalwila wildlife ecology and ecological interactions vegetation ecology and ethnobotany Human Wildlife interactions and Land-uses Wildlife habitat, rangelands and invasive species Human Wildlife interactions and Land-uses 15

16 Ecosystem 99 Perception of local communities towards elephant conservation in Serengeti ecosystem 100 Seasonal Variation of Group sizes of wild and domestic herbivores in relation to environmental and anthropogenic factors 101 Local perceptions, management and desirability of invasive plants species in rangelands ecosystems: Experiences from the Ngorongoro Conservation Area 102 Valuation of Natural Resources: Can Choice experimental Method be Sustained in Tanzania? 103 Patterns of Resource Use Among the Mixed Subsistence-Wage Economies in Villages near Udzungwa Mountains NP: Implications for Community Design and Conservation Angela Mwakatobe Cecilia Leweri Jerome Kimaro Odass Bilame Kambi Mohamed Human Wildlife interactions and Land-uses Human Wildlife interactions and Land uses Wildlife habitat, rangelands and invasive species Natural Resource Governance and Infrastructure development Natural Resource Governance and Infrastructure development 104 Temperature and resource diversity predict the diversity of Phytophagous beetles along elevation and land use gradient on Mt. Kilimanjaro. 105 Influence of habitat characteristics on seed predation by animals in SUA fields, Morogoro 106 Efficacy of land use designation in protecting habitat in the miombo woodlands: insights from Tanzania Henry K. Njovu Kanael, Joseph M. Alex L. Lobora Climate change and wildlife conservation vegetation ecology and ethnobotany Wildlife habitat, rangelands and invasive species 107 Crows: friend or foe for the environment? Orit Baruch wildlife ecology and ecological interactions 108 Synergies of natural and cultural capital in the ngorongoro Fildecastor Kimario wildlife ecology and ecological interactions 109 Potential distribution of the invasive plant Parthenium hysterophorus inside and outside the Arusha National Park in Tanzania Fredrick Ojija Wildlife habitat, rangelands and invasive species END OF DAY TWO DAY THREE: FRIDAY 06 th DECEMBER 2019 DAY THREE: MORNING PLENARY SESSION- KEY NOTE PAPER PRESENTATION No. 3 SIMBA CONFERENCE HALL S/N Time Paper Presenter Chairperson 110 8:30-9:10 A call for Integrative collaboration and governance of natural resources: An answer for sustainable biodiversity conservation in western Tanzania Shadrack M. Kamenya Han Olff 16

17 DAY THREE: MORNING PARALLEL SESSION 7: SIMBA CONFERENCE HALL SUB-THEME: CLIMATE CHANGE AND WILDLIFE CONSERVATION S/N Time Event/Paper Presenter Chairperson 111 9:20-9:40 Modelling trends and variation in weather Joseph O. Ogutu Stephen Nindi variables using Univariate and Multivariate State Space Models 112 9:41-10:00 Quantifying water requirements of E.S. Kihwele African ungulates through a combination of functional traits :01-10:20 Large herbivore assemblages in a M.P.Veldhuis changing climate: incorporating water dependence and thermoregulation :21-10:40 Modelling spatio-temporal variation in rainfall using a hierarchical Bayesian regression model Sabyasachi Mukhopadhyay 10:40 11:00 HEALTH BREAK SUB-THEME:- WILDLIFE HABITAT, RANGELANDS AND INVASIVE SPECIES :00-11:20 IAS management can facilitate secondary invasions: applying lessons learnt to the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, Tanzania :21-11:40 Using MODIS Yearly Land Cover Data to Study Vegetation Changes in Mkomazi National Park 2001 to :41-12:00 Estimating the invasion success of Siam weed (Chromolaena odorata) in the Western Serengeti, Tanzania :45-12:00 Assessing management and threats of invasive plant Parthenium hysterophorus on biodiversity conservation in Tanzania :01-12:20 Effects of the abundance of Parthenium hysterophorus on the composition and diversity of other herbaceous plant species in Simanjiro rangeland, Tanzania :21-12:40 Invasion of Lantana camara in the Eastern Usambara Mountains, Tanzania: Local communities perceptions on spread, Socio-economic impacts and management responses :41-13:00 Community monitoring of grazing lands using distance sampling and vegetation plots by Maasai communities around Mt. Meru 13:00-14:00 LUNCH E.F. Strange Emanuel H. Martin Rudolf F. Mremi Fredrick Ojija Leticia J. Musese Gasto Vicent Mush Kone Supuk Grant Hopcraft 17

18 122 14:00-14:20 Effect of agro-pastoralism on herbaceous Kavana, P. Silvia Ceppi plants conservation in western Serengeti :21-14:40 Potential of Wazo Hill Quarry in Stocking Mtoka, S. Carbon for Mitigating Global Climate Change :41-15:00 Challenges and Opportunities for REDD+ Monique B.Mulder in Pemba 15:01-15:40 Updates from Directorate of research Director of Dr. Keyyu Research 15:41-16:00 Conference resolutions All Participants Moderator 15:41-16:10 HEALTH BREAK 16:11-17:00 CLOSING REMARKS- SIMBA CONFERENCE HALL END OF DAY THREE END OF THE 12 TH TAWIRI SCIENTIFIC CONFERENCE THANK YOU ALL FOR MAKING THIS EVENT ONE OF THE SUCCESS CONFERENCES DAY THREE: MORNING PARALLEL SESSION 8: TAUSI CONFERENCE HALL SUB-THEME: VEGETATION ECOLOGY AND ETHNOBOTANY S/N Time Event/Paper Presenter Chairperson 125 9:21-9:40 Opuntia spp reduces the effective habitat Loishooki A G Evaline Munisi for herbivores in Serengeti national park 126 9:41-10:00 Ethnoveterinary uses of medicinal plants by selected ethnic groups in Northern Tanzania :01-10:20 Woody encroachment extent and its associated impacts on plant and herbivore species occurrence in Maswa Game Reserve, Tanzania :21-10:40 Conservation of Urban Forest in Tanzania: Community Attitudes towards Njiro Forest, Arusha Thobias O. Tomeka Houssein S. Kimaro G. P. Massawe 10:40 11: :00-11:20 Savannah restoration: improving ecosystem resilience following cessation of human activities :21-11:40 Assessment of economic viability and conservation contribution of trophy hunting in Tanzania :41-12:00 Ethnobotanical knowledge and the threat HEALTH BREAK SUB-THEME: MIXED SUB THEMES Yustina A. Kiwango factors for Aloe species in Tanzania :45-12:00 Invasive Prosopis juliflora reduces density and species composition of cooccurring woody plants in the Northern Tanzania rangelands Abraham Mulokozi Siri Abihudi Mecklina Michael :01-12:20 Efficacy of motorcycle in illegal Julius Nyahongo G. Meng ataki 18

19 bushmeat transportation to black market in western Serengeti Tanzania :21-12:40 Attitude and perception of tourists towards wildlife-based tourism in the Northern tourist circuit of Tanzania :41-13:00 Understanding patterns of crop damage by the African elephant :00-13:20 Business model structure for beekeeping commercialization in Tanzania 13:00-14:00 LUNCH :01-14:20 Coconut crabs in Tanzania: Threats and conservation solutions :21 14:40 Rainfall, Fire and Large-Mammals Induced Drivers of Woody Plant Encroachment in Maswa, Tanzania :41-15:00 Patterns of Resource Use Among the Mixed Subsistence-Wage Economies in Villages near Udzungwa Mountains National Park: Implications for Community Design and Conservation 15:01-15:40 Updates from Directorate of research- Simba Hall Prisca N. Kahangwa Kwaslema Malle Hariohay Nicholaus B.Tutuba Tim Caro Houssein S. Kimaro L.J. Gorenflo Sascha Knauf Dr. Keyyu- Director of Research 15:41-16:00 Conference resolutions All Participants Moderator 16:00-16:20 HEALTH BREAK 16:21-17:00 CLOSING REMARKS- SIMBA CONFERENCE HALL END OF DAY THREE END OF THE 12 TH TAWIRI SCIENTIFIC CONFERENCE THANK YOU ALL FOR MAKING THIS EVENT ONE OF THE SUCCESS CONFERENCES DAY THREE: MORNING PARALLEL SESSION 9: OLDONYOLENGAI CONFERENCEHALL WORKSHOP : EXECUTION OF THE CHIMPANZEE HEALTH INITIATIVE AT MAHALE MOUNTAINS NATIONAL PARK (CHIMMP) S/N Time Event/Paper Presenter Chairperson 140 9:21-10:40 Execution of the Chimpanzee Health Initiative at Mahale Mountains National Park (CHIMMP): a grass roots strategy to impact chimpanzee conservation at Mahale Bush-To-Base Solutions, Inc. in collaboration with the PMO One Health Coordination Desk Teresa J. Sylvina 19

20 10:40 11:00 HEALTH BREAK Continuation of the Workshop 11:00-13:00 Execution of the Chimpanzee Health Initiative at Mahale Mountains National Park (CHIMMP): a grass roots strategy to impact chimpanzee conservation at Mahale 13:00-14:00 LUNCH :00-15:00 Round Table Discussion 5 Bush-To-Base Solutions, Inc. in collaboration with the PMO One Health Coordination Desk Teresa J. Sylvina 15:01-15:40 Updates from Directorate of research Director of Dr. Keyyu Research 15:41-16:00 Conference resolutions All Participants Moderator 16:00-16:20 HEALTH BREAK :21-17:00 CLOSING REMARKS- SIMBA CONFERENCE HALL-SIMBA HALL END OF DAY THREE END OF THE 12 TH TAWIRI SCIENTIFIC CONFERENCE THANK YOU ALL FOR MAKING THIS EVENT ONE OF THE SUCCESS CONFERENCES 20

21 ABSTRACTS DAY ONE: WEDNESDAY 4 th DECEMBER 2019 PRENARY PAPER ONE NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT IN EAST AFRICA NEEDS URGENT RETHINKING Han Olff Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES) University of Groningen, PO Box 11103, 9700 CC Groningen, The Netherlands ph: (or 6133 for my office manager Ingeborg Jansen) h.olff@rug.nl Protected areas in East Africa can provide major benefits in the form of natural capital and ecosystem services, but landscape degradation by increasing human activities at their edges is now compromising both their ecological integrity and benefits to humans. Drivers of these changes are a complex interplay of growing economic and social inequality, globalization, human population growth, increasing human footprints, and governance and corruption challenges. Using multiple lines of evidence from 40 years of research in the Serengeti-Mara ecosystem, I will discuss how such edge degradation has effectively squeezed wildlife into the core protected area and has altered the ecosystem s dynamics even within this 40,000-squarekilometer ecosystem. This spatial cascade reduced ecological resilience in the core of the protected area and was mainly mediated by changed movement of the large grazers. This reduced grass fuel and fires, weakened the capacity of soils to sequester nutrients and carbon, and decreased the responsiveness of primary production to rainfall. I will scale up these observations to other protected areas in Kenya and Tanzania, and discuss how human activities are now isolating previously continuous ecosystems through impairing the landscape-scale movement of wildlife, causing strong wildlife declines and loss of benefits of nature to humans from local to national to international scales. Preserving the unique natural heritage of wildlife and ecosystems dominated by natural processes in East Africa now requires an urgent rethinking of natural resource management especially outside protected areas. Keywords: Management, Natural Resources, East Africa 21

22 SUB-THEME: WILDLIFE ECOLOGY AND ECOLOGICAL INTERACTIONS INDICATORS OF AN ECOSYSTEM UNDER PRESSURE: HOW LONG-TERM ANIMAL MOVEMENT DATA CAN INFORM SERENGETI MANAGEMENT *Grant Hopcraft, Callum Buchanan, Thomas Morrison University of Glasgow, UK, Approximately 12% of the earth s land surface is under some form of protection, however globally we continue to lose ecosystems at an unprecedented rate. Evidence suggests that this loss occurs primarily at the edges of ecosystems where wildlife and humans interact, suggesting that current management strategies are unable to protect ecosystems. Using long-term animal movement data on wildebeest from the Serengeti, we investigated how animals move in response to human activity both at the edges of ecosystems (where migratory wildebeest interact with village lands) and in the core protected areas (where migratory wildebeest interact with tourism infrastructure). The analysis of behavioural and physiological indicators from GPS collared wildebeest and zebra suggest that animals are balancing their ability to access key resources against the risks incurred in acquiring them. The results suggest that when the risks outweigh the resources, particularly at the edges of the ecosystem, this mediates a spatial cascade of ecological disruption than fundamentally undermines the resilience of the ecosystem and makes it more vulnerable. We use these results to formulate an alternative management paradigm in which buffer areas where both wildlife and humans co-occur should be managed in terms of gradients of reciprocal risks, rather than access to key resources Keywords: ecosystem, pressure, animal movement Serengeti management CONSERVATION TRANSLOCATION OF AFRICAN LIONS (PANTHERA LEO): IMPLICATION FOR CONFLICT MANAGEMENT, TRANSLOCANTS WELFARE AND ANIMAL COMMUNITIES *Dennis K. Ikanda 1, Bernard Kissui 2, Godlove Mpembeni 3, Geoffrey Kimathi 4, 1 Tanzania Wildlife Research Institute, Arusha Tanzania, 2 School for Field Studies, Karatu, Tanzania, 3 Serengeti Lion Project, Tanzania, 4 Tanzania Wildlife Management Authority, Selous Game Reserve, Tanzania. dennis.ikanda@tawiri.or.tz Wildlife management in unfenced protected areas is constantly faced with the challenge of human-wildlife conflicts that require invasive resolution. Managers with large carnivore populations have turned to the capture and translocation of problem-animals to counter impending threats of retaliatory killings; including mass poisoning. However, moving problemanimals alone may not necessarily save them and locations of release and techniques bring about ecological implications on translocants and new community that warrant scientific consideration. Tarangire ecosystem is a lion stronghold in Tanzania, with prides exhibiting human attacking 22

23 behavior. Over 20 people have been attacked and killed and several generations of the lions eradicated by poisoning in the last 20 yrs. Recently, an outbreak of 7 attacks occurred to a pride of Burunge lions and 8 individuals were chemically captured, held in temporary holding boma for 36hrs and then transported (48hrs) over 1000 km to the Selous GR. The pride was hard released at a permanent water source and openly reared with provisioned, supplementary wild meat for 3 months. The Burunge conflict hotspot has been recolonized by group of other lions, and no acts of human attacks have been recorded in 24 months after the translocation. Alternatively, 2 adult female lions died from the effects of tranquilizer drugs and safari trauma, consequently also compromising the ability of the third translocant to compete against conspecific females. Although 4 individuals survive (adult male, subadult female and two cubs), further monitoring is being done to ascertain other social and ecological integrations that will be necessary to mark the success of the translocation. Furthermore, the release site was at a key dry season waterhole that is utilized as refugia, and the introduction of lions altered top order predator dynamics (more hyenas, active aversion by leopards) and water resource use by large ungulate community. With our experience, we recommend conservation translocation of lions as a specific management tool against threat of poisoning, but emphasize consideration for welfare of translocants at all stages and under budgetary constraints, including ecological perimeters at release locations, in order to effectively save them. Keywords: translocation, African lions, conflict management, animal welfare CHARACTERIZING ELEPHANT (LOXODONTA AFRICANA) MOVEMENT OUTSIDE OF PROTECTED AREAS IN THE WESTERN SERENGETI Kristen Denninger Snyder 1, Noel Mbise 2, Eblate Ernest Mjingo 3, George Wittemyer 1 1 Department of Fish, Wildlife & Conservation Biology, Colorado State University, Grumet fund; 3 Tanzania Wildlife Research Institute. kdsnyder@rams.colostate.edu The severe and widespread nature of negative human-elephant interactions in the western Serengeti has adverse impacts on people s livelihoods, which translates to reduced support for conservation efforts, the retaliatory killing of wildlife, and encourages potentially harmful illegal resource extraction within protected areas. In order to further develop our understanding of human-elephant interactions and elephant movement behavior in the western Serengeti, 30 elephants (15 bulls, 15 cows) were collared within the Ikorongo-Grumeti Game Reserve Complex and Ikona WMA between February and September of We summarized movement statistics and characterized activity outside protected areas by sex, time of day, time of year, and speed. We assessed the movements of four bulls between Serengeti National Park and Lake Victoria and explored implications for habitat connectivity. Collared elephants predominantly spent time inside protected areas, with lower proportions of time spent within villages and semi-protected areas like grazing and game controlled areas. While bulls were found to have significantly larger home range areas on average than cows, the proportion of time spent outside protected areas was not found to differ significantly between bulls and cows. The timing 23

24 and characteristics of movement outside the protected area varied between individuals; while many individuals spent increased proportions of time outside the reserve between 7pm and 3am, others spent high proportions of time outside the reserve regardless the time of day. Similarly, the annual timing of activity outside the protected area varies between individuals, but overall, peaked between June and August and again between October and November. We found that there is a need to consider how land use planning can be utilized in this area to maintain movement corridors between protected areas and important unprotected habitat features while simultaneously reducing negative interactions between elephants and people. Keywords: Elephant, Movement, Western Serengeti RE-WILDING THE PROTECTED AREAS IN TANZANIA: SUCCESS AND CHALLENGES FOR THE CURRENT WILD ANIMAL RE-INTRODUCTION PRACTICES *Emmanuel Masenga 1, Donatus Gadiye 2, Deogratius Maige 2, Julius Kibebe 2, Justin Shamanche 1, John Sanare 1, Nana Grosse-Woodley 3, Russel Hasting 3, Lusato Masinde 4, Revocatus Meney 5, Ernest Mjingo 1, and Robert Fyumagwa 1 1 Tanzania Wildlife Research Institute (TAWIRI), P.O. Box 661, Arusha, Tanzania, 2 Ngorongoro Conservation Area Authority (NCAA), P.O. Box 1, Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania, 3 Friedkin Conservation Fund, P.O. Box 2782, Arusha, Tanzania, 4 Tanzania Wildlife Management Authority, P.O. Box 2658, Morogoro, Tanzania, 5 Meatu District Council, P.O. Box 44, Shinyanga, Tanzania. emmanuel.masenga@tawiri.or.tz Human-Wildlife Interactions have been reported in many areas of different ecosystems, resulting to escalated Human-Elephant Conflict (HEC). Understanding elephant movement behaviour with the aid of telemetry studies in different landscape level is important for planning HEC mitigations and suggesting the future conservation of the species. We report preliminary results on elephant movements and home range using telemetry technology. GPS satellite collars (n=21) were deployed in 9 bulls and 12 females in Ngorongoro Conservation Area (NCA), Maswa Game Reserve (MGR) and Makao between February and May Data were remotely accessed and analysis was done using QGIS version and Ranges software for mapping spatial-temporal movement and home range size estimation using 100% minimum convex polygon (MCP). Preliminary findings revealed that no differences in daily distance movement between male and female elephants within the study sites. Majority of collared herds utilized boundary areas adjacent to protected areas and sometimes further into the village lands. Collared bulls had an average large home range sizes in MGR and Makao OA (MCP = 2, km 2 ) but small home range in NCA 19.07km 2 while females had MCP of = km 2 and NCA 26.85km 2 in MGR and Makao respectively. In summary, the study demonstrate that elephant herds are using areas close to the protected area boundaries, which reflect the current situation of increased HEC within the villages bordering MGR, Makao OA and NCA. Therefore, this study recommends combined efforts from different authorities to manage elephants and 24

25 educating local communities on different mitigation approach to minimize the damage caused by elephant. Keywords: African elephants, HEC, Movement behaviour, home range size, protected areas ESTIMATING POPULATION DENSITY OF AFRICAN LEOPARD (PANTHERA PARDUS) AND EVALUATING A WMA ON ITS CAPACITY TO SUCCESSFULLY PROTECT WILDLIFE THROUGH CAMERA TRAP SURVEYS IN TANZANIA S GREATER RUAHA ECOSYSTEM * Charlotte Searle 1, Josephine Smit 2, Paolo Strampelli 3, Lameck Mkuburo 4, Amy Dickman 5 1 Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Tubney House, Abindgon Road, Oxfordshire, OX13 5QL, United Kingdom (UK), 2 Southern Tanzania Elephant Program (STEP) & University of Stirling, 3 Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, University of Oxford, 4 Department of Zoology and Wildlife Conservation, University of Dar es Salaam, Ruaha Carnivore Project & Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, University of Oxford charlotte.searle@zoo.ox.ac.uk The leopard (Panthera pardus) is the most wide-ranging and adaptable of the world s large felids. Despite this, the species is threatened by habitat loss, prey depletion and direct persecution by humans, and has lost large portions of its range as a result. In Tanzania, information on the status of most leopard populations is limited (TAWIRI, 2009). In a country where the species value comes both indirectly, through its ecological importance as an apex predator, and directly, through the revenue generated by photographic and hunting tourism, efforts must be made to better understand these populations. We used camera trap data to estimate population density for leopard at three sites in the greater Ruaha ecosystem. Surveys were conducted in comparable habitats in the core tourist area of Ruaha National Park (RNP) and the adjoining MBOMIPA Wildlife Management Area (WMA), and in the more remote miombo woodland portion of RNP, between June and November Population densities were estimated using spatially-explicit capture-recapture (SECR) methods. This assessment was combined with information on the wider mammal community to explore how effectively the community-managed WMA is fulfilling its conservation goals. Our results indicate that, while leopard exist at lower density in MBOMIPA WMA (4.24 ± 1.02 /100km 2 ) than the core tourist area of RNP (6.89 ± 1.25 /100km 2 ), the WMA supports an important mammal community (41 spp. recorded versus 42 spp. in comparable habitat in RNP), and has a higher leopard density than the park s miombo woodland (3.28 ± 1.25 /100km 2 ). These results suggest that MBOMIPA WMA is an important habitat for wildlife in the greater Ruaha landscape, acting as a buffer between the highly national park and the surrounding village lands. However, results also identified threats to this area, and suggest that the WMA requires ongoing support to successfully align conservation objectives with revenue generation for local communities. Keywords: Camera traps, Carnivore, Ecology, Leopard, WMA 25

26 COMPARISON OF DIRECT AND INDIRECT METHODS FOR ESTIMATING ELEPHANT ABUNDANCE IN THE MIOMBO WOODLANDS IN SOUTH-WESTERN TANZANIA * Alex L. Lobora 1, Cuthbert L. Nahonyo 2, Charles Foley 3, Linus Munishi 4, Colin M. Beale 5 1 Tanzania Wildlife Research Institute (TAWIRI), Tanzania, P.O Box 661, Arusha 2 University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM), Tanzania, P.O Box 35064, Dar es salaam, 3 Wildlife Conservation Society Tanzania Program, Arusha, Tanzania P.O Box 2703, 4 Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology 5 Department of Biology, University of York, United Kingdom Heslington, York YO10 5DD. alexander.lobora@tawiri.or.tz The use of direct methods to estimate large mammal numbers is common practice in major protected areas (PAs), while the use of indirect methods involving tracks and signs is also widespread. Unfortunately, whilst conservation actions are dependent on population estimates obtained from these surveys, they are rarely cross-checked, partly due to the high cost involved in undertaking them concurrently. Here, we compare density estimates obtained from aerial surveys and dung counts collected concurrently in Katavi National Park in western Tanzania to enable comparisons between the two methods and to correct estimates based on the use of an indirect method in low-density areas where direct counts are economically unfeasible. We also compare estimates of relative abundance for African elephant obtained from dung counts collected in various PAs with varying degrees of protection across the landscape to assess the correlations between different land-use designations and elephant abundance. We found evidence of a strong correlation between density estimates obtained from aerial and ground counts suggesting indirect methods could be used to supplement direct methods. As expected, we found density estimates to be higher in fully protected areas and lower in Lesser Protected Areas. Based on 2014 countrywide aerial surveys that indicated a significant drop of African elephant population, we estimate a minimum of c.430 individuals (about 4% of elephants counted) to have been missed in Piti East and Rungwa South Open Areas and call for futures surveys to be extended to all lesser protected areas using indirect methods validated here. Keywords: elephant count, direct count, indirect count, census techniques 26