**2. Case study: Construction of the catchment forest ecosystem mediating indicator**

The CFEMI is pilot scheme developed on site as a specific ecological mediating indicator. CFEMI is based on experience from an ecological investigation of the plant life in a tropical moist forest at Mt. Kilimanjaro (Hermansen et al*.*, 2008). CFEMI is a composed indicator showing how far a certain site in a specific forest deviates from norms or targets, in this case sites at different altitudes in the forest belt between 1600 and 2700 m asl on the southern slopes of Mt. Kilimanjaro (Fig. 1). The targets represent a specific defined and assumed, optimal ecological state. It is essential to point out that the purpose of CFEMI is not to be universal, but instead to be a measure for strengthening the local actors's role in defining their forest resources and sustainable forest management in the context of the catchment forest. This means that CFEMI may be regarded as a quasi-indicator (Andersen & Fagerhaug, 2002) more concerned with local and situational reality and thereby of limited value for general utilization and comparability for benchmarking with other areas.

Fig. 1. Kilimanjaro Forest Reserve and the three transects Mweka, Kilema and Marangu. The upper forest border mainly follows the Kilimanjaro National Park border. The Half Mile Forestry Strip is shaded. (Modified from Newmark, 1991)

The procedure applied for constructing the indicator includes definition of system, goals, objectives, identifying relevant ecological factors and variables, outlining methods for measurement and data collection, negotiating the construction of the index and calculation

Methodology for Forest Ecosystem Mediating Indicator – Case Mt. Kilimanjaro, Tanzania 9

2001, 2002; Soini, 2005;). The arguments for understanding and supporting the conservation of plant biodiversity of the forest at Kilimanjaro are presented in many of the reference above, as well as many other articles, not referred. Burgess et al. (2007) analyse the biological

Studies from Kilimanjaro and neighbouring mountain forests (eastern arc) have included inventories suitable for supporting monitoring of the forests ecosystem services and contain data which are suitable to some degree for performance indicators, but they are mainly dealing with distribution of tree species, density of trees and timber volume including regeneration (Hall, 1991; Huang et al., 2003; Jakko Pöyry, 1978; Madoffe et al., 2005, 2006; Malimbwi et al., 2001;). Water management of the Pangani river basin, which is a very important regional and national concern, is tightly connected to the management of the catchment forest at Mt. Kilimanjaro (Ngana, 2001, 2002; Røhr, 2003; Turpie et al., 2003). The river is feed from several tributaries from Kilimanjaro and other hills and

CFEMI offers a composite indicator of relevant ecological features that can be recognised as essential for catchment forest management; namely the conservation and protection of a specified forested area that serves local people with ecosystem services in a global perspective. Management means to keep and even enhance the forest quality within the area in order to improve water conservation and generation, to protect biodiversity and to serve

The overall goal of CFEMI is to contribute to a broad stakeholder-oriented approach (Elkington, 1998; Grimble, 1998; Grimble & Wellard, 1997) to the knowledge and understanding of the forest and to promote an ecologically and socially wise use of the goods and

reasonable common understanding of status and changes of the ecological conditions in

motivating, learning and increasing a management oriented behaviour towards the

 meet the requirement for local participation; application of the indicator could vary (e.g. full employment of the concept and indicator system or limited employment mainly

The act of creating the indicator encourages mediation of the ecological aspects into a logical structure from goals to corresponding objectives, practical variables, measurement

This section will explore the variety of ecosystem assessment alternatives from the very general to the specific. Ecosystem assessment alternatives are provided from many sources.

importance of Eastern Arc Mountains.

**2.2 Purpose and objectives of CFEMI** 

services of the forest, including contributions to:

the forest between globals and locals,

showing the large structures in the forest).

secure ecosystem services from the forest for the local people

provide opportunities for interactive learning loops.

procedure and collection of relevant data.

**2.3 Ecological and environmental aspects** 

 materiality for mediation and negotiation between locals and globals increasing local influence, control and competence regarding local resources

local people with forest goods.

forest resources,

Classes of objectives encompass: protection of forest ecology quality

mountains in the area.

of indicators, deciding on norms and target values, and finally the presentation of the proximity-to-target performance indicator.

### **2.1 Management of the catchment forest**

Forest reserves in Tanzania have for more than 100 years been under different forest and forestry administration and management regimes from the German colonial time to the prevailing Catchment Forestry Project (CFP) launched in 1977 and organizationally situated under the Forestry and Beekeeping Division of the Tanzanian Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism (MNRT).

In 1941, under British colonial time, a buffer zone, *The Half Mile Forestry Strip* (HMFS), was established as a social forest zone under local management of the Chagga Council at Mt. Kilimajaro (Kivumbi & Newmark, 1991). The management worked very well the first 20 years, but after independence in 1961 the management became more centralised and the zone itself came under heavy pressure, overexploitation and encroachment from local people partly due to population growth and partly due to ineffective management. Most of the approximately 800 meter broad buffer zone along the eastern and southern part of Mt. Kilimanjaro appears even today as a seriously damaged forest far from its natural state.

Initially, the CFP did not manage the forest reserve well, and encroachment, deforestation and fragmentation of the catchment forests increased (Akitanda, 1994, 2002; Hermansen, 2008; Hermansen et al., 1985; Kashenge, 1995; Katigula, 1992; Lovett & Pocs, 1992; Mariki, 2000; Newmark, 1991; Sjaastad et al., 2003; William, 2003;). Lambrechts et al. (2002) has verified the status and the extent of encroachment of the forest by aerial survey.

New national forest polices over the last 15 years have as a goal to improve the effectiveness and promote local responsibility towards a sustainable forest management practise (MNRT, 1998, 2001, 2006) with the development of criteria and indicators for sustainable forest management in Tanzania (MNRT, 1999). Local participatory forestry (Blomley, 2006), forest management and democracy are all important issues and it not easy to find ways to transfer enough power and security to local communities and devise sustainable and effective local forest management (Wily, 2001). Global initiatives connected to fair trade strongly support the strengthening of local forest management (Macqueen, 2006).

The objectives of the CFP can be summarized to promote the utilization of the forest resources in a sustainable manner, and secure that the three key functions - production of forest goods, water generation and conservation of biodiversity of the forest - are maintained. The following interpretation of objectives forms the relationship between management purposes and ecological contents (Hermansen et al., 1985):

*Water generation: Regulation and conservation of water resources and supply in the catchment area; reduction of run off and soil erosion, which is especially important in moist mountain areas.* 

*Gene-pool conservation: Preventing extinction of rare and endemic plant and animal species in the diverse moist forest; it is essential to maintain biodiversity and keep the genetic potential for ecological and evolutionary purposes and for present and future utilisation of biological forest resources.* 

*Production: Logging of indigenous tree species and supply of other forest products for local consumption and sale.* 

A number of recent studies describe, explain and discuss the forest ecosystem at Mt. Kilimanjaro, and the threats to and use of forest resources (Bart et al., 2006; Bjørndalen, 1992; Hemp, 1999, 2006a, 2006b, 2006c; Howell, 1994; Katigula, 1992; Lovett & Pocs, 1992; Lyaruu, 2002, Madoffe et al., 2005, 2006; Mariki, 2000; Misana, 1991, 2006; Misana et al*.*, 2003*;* Ngana, 2001, 2002; Soini, 2005;). The arguments for understanding and supporting the conservation of plant biodiversity of the forest at Kilimanjaro are presented in many of the reference above, as well as many other articles, not referred. Burgess et al. (2007) analyse the biological importance of Eastern Arc Mountains.

Studies from Kilimanjaro and neighbouring mountain forests (eastern arc) have included inventories suitable for supporting monitoring of the forests ecosystem services and contain data which are suitable to some degree for performance indicators, but they are mainly dealing with distribution of tree species, density of trees and timber volume including regeneration (Hall, 1991; Huang et al., 2003; Jakko Pöyry, 1978; Madoffe et al., 2005, 2006; Malimbwi et al., 2001;). Water management of the Pangani river basin, which is a very important regional and national concern, is tightly connected to the management of the catchment forest at Mt. Kilimanjaro (Ngana, 2001, 2002; Røhr, 2003; Turpie et al., 2003). The river is feed from several tributaries from Kilimanjaro and other hills and mountains in the area.
