2011 Research Highlights
Application of Ecosystem Service Tools in Eastern Africa
Tools help international conservation agencies make sound decisions
This project quantifies the potential impacts of land use practices on water quality and quantity in Nyungwe National Park, Rwanda; Ruaha River Watershed, Tanzania; and Luangwa Valley, Zambia, and in doing so provides quantitative information for conservation agencies to make sound decisions. Researchers with EFETAC developed the Water Supply Stress Index-Carbon and Biodiversity (WaSSI-CB) model and the Natural Capital Project developed the Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and tradeoffs (InVEST) model.
Center scientists coordinated and delivered training workshops for professionals from the three African countries, and in September 2011, research results, implications, management recommendations, and technical training on using the WaSSI-CB and InVEST models will be presented to key stakeholders at a workshop in Raleigh, NC. This research is important because the African ecosystems where these models are being applied are ecosystems that could potentially develop in the United States in the future due to the impacts of climate change. As the WaSSI-CB model is a research model and is continuously evolving its application in ecosystems outside of the US, this is essential to its validation and improved application within the US, and ultimately its use by land managers within the Forest Service.
Contact: Erika (Cohen) Mack, resource information specialist, (919) 549-4065, erika.mack@usda.gov
