Wildlife census of the Okavango Ramsar Site
The aerial survey includes the Mahangu and Buffalo Floodplain area in Bwabwata National Park, Namibia. This area is a Ramsar site and supports one of the highest diversity of species in the Zambezian Flooded Savannas ecoregion. The site covers the lower Okavango River, part of the Okavango Delta Panhandle and permanently or temporarily flooded marshes and floodplains bordered by riparian forests and open woodland. The area is surveyed during north-east wetland counts by fixed-wing aerial surveys and helicopter surveys. Helicopter surveys use two observers, one data recorder and a pilot. Transects 400m apart are flown at 90km/h, with back doors open for optimal visibility. The helicopter is circled especially for groups of buffalo, lechwe and hippo, to obtain a better count. Some bigger groups are photographed for verification of group size. Fixed-wing aeroplane surveys use standard aerial survey methodology. All counts fol low the same flight path and give a 100% sampling coverage of the area. Census numbers available from: 2004, 2007, 2009, 2013, 2017.
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Wildlife census of the Okavango Ramsar Site.pdf | 366.15 KB |