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Namibian National Biodiversity
Programme
Southern Namib
Restoration Ecology: Popular publications |
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Details within the
programme:
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This
project
has
completed
its
first
three
years
and
is
regarded
as a
great
success
in
terms
of
motivating
public
interest
and
involvement.
It
follows
the
highly
successful
Namibian
bird
atlas
project
(linked
to
the
Southern
African
Bird
Atlas
Project,
SABAP,
Africa's
largest
biodiversity
database).
Aims
To
consolidate,
map
and
publish
data
on
the
distribution
and
abundance
of
Namibian
woody
plant
species;
to
involve
the
Namibian
public
in
data
collection
as
an
awareness-building
exercise.
Rationale
Detailed
information
on
vegetation
diversity
and
distribution
is a
prerequisite
in
any
country
for
informed
land
use
planning
and
biological
diversity
conservation
strategies.
Together
with
the
National
Forest
Inventory
(with
which
it
cooperates
closely),
the
Tree
Atlas
will
consolidate,
map,
and
publish
this
important
baseline
information
on
woody
plant
species
in
Namibia.
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Progress
The
project
began
in
May
1997
and
its
steering
committee
has
held
numerous
planning
meetings.
An
atlas
database
(of
tree
species
distribution
and
abundance)
is
well
underway.
The
project
was
publicly
launched
on
National
Arbor
Day
1997
with
high-level
support
from
the
Ministry
of
Agriculture,
which
houses
the
project
through
the
National
Botanical
Research
Institute.
The
team
has
held
numerous
immensely
successful
public
workshops
on
the
atlassing
process
and
tree
identification
skills.
This
project
makes
excellent
use
of
amateur
botanical
expertise
and
manpower,
with
over
300
registered
atlassers.
Database
issues
are
now
the
focus
of
attention
by
the
team.
Outputs
A
large,
geo-referenced
Access-platform
database
(planned),
a
published
atlas
book
(planned),
a
27-page
illustrated
manual
for
specimen
collection
and
identification
(in
English,
German
and
Afrikaans),
public
workshops,
newspaper
articles
and
radio
talks
in
English
and
German,
newsletters
to
project
participants,
and
free
identification
keys.
Project
staff
Barbara
Curtis
(manager),
Coleen
Mannheimer
(liaison),
Gudrun
Thiele
(Project
assistant),
Gillian
Maggs-Kölling
(technical
support
to
liaison).
Contacts
Tel.
+264-61-202-2021/202-2012;
Fax
+264-61-25-8153
To
get
a
copy
of
the
Tree
Atlas
Form,
click
here
(673KB;
PDF).
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