ESTIMATING AMOUNT OF BIOMASS LOSS AND CARBON RELEASED TO THE ATMOSPHERE AS A RESULT OF HABITAT CONVERSION OF EASTERN SELOUS – NIASSA TFCA.

Abstract

Countries’ authorities that managing unfenced protected areas (PAs) as an effort to maintain biodiversity and ecosystem services, airs challenges of climate change and variability which disturb habitat and force wildlife to move to other unprotected areas for adaptation purposes. This scenario necessited the inclusion of those adapted areas into PAs network and recategorise the abandoned areas in the PAs. The unprotected areas include wildlife corridors which connects two or more PAs within the country or transboundary areas famously known as transfrontier conservation areas (TFCAs). However, corridor dwellers especially in developing countries unsustainably utilizing corridor fauna and flora for their livelihoods. This paper explains the less known amount of biomass loss and carbon released to the atmosphere as result of habitat conversion of eastern Selous – Niassa wildlife corridor which connecting the two PAs of Tanzania and Mozambique. Specifically, the study estimates amount of biomass loss, amount of carbon released to the atmosphere and amount of conservation profit disposed as a result of habitat conversion from 1986 to 2016. Existing data on spatial and temporal changes in land use and land cover of eastern Selous – Niassa TFCA from 1986 – 2016 was analysed to get intended results. The results reveled that, an average amount of 163732.8 tons of biomass (above ground + below ground + deadwood) loss annually from 1986 to 2016. Consequently, average amount of 240176.9 tons of carbon (above ground + below ground + deadwood) released to the atmosphere annually from 1986 to 2016 equivalent to US$ 960707.5 per annum if REDD+ was implemented. The amount of conservation profit of the area seems to offset amount of benefit received by corridor dwellers from their destructive activities if adopted REDD+ strategies. The foreseeable future necessitates inclusion of the area into core PAs, however, there is a cost which the government must incur in order to safeguard the adaptation scenarios of wildlife suffered from climate change and variability in core PAs