Using biodiversity data to review coverage of Uganda's protected areas

Abstract

This paper seeks to demonstrate the usefulness of the data held at the National Biodiversity Data Bank (NBDB) situated at Makerere University Institute of Environment and Natural Resources (MUIENR). We assess its value as a potential planning tool, based on the growing evidence that Uganda aspires to a robust Protected Area system that encompasses protection of biodiversity at the genetic, species and ecosystem levels. Analyses are presented of the coverage of 21 major vegetation types, and of species of birds and mammals. Several important vegetation types are inadequately conserved, whilst coverage of some categories of birds is also incomplete. The situation seems to be worse for mammals, although this is harder to assess because the distributions of many species are poorly known. .Journal of East African Natural History Vol. 88 (1&2) 1999: pp. 41-5