Gishwati Forest is a forest in the north-western part of

Rwanda Rwanda (; rw, u Rwanda ), officially the Republic of Rwanda, is a landlocked country in the Great Rift Valley of Central Africa, where the African Great Lakes region and Southeast Africa converge. Located a few degrees south of the Equator ...

, not far from

Lake Kivu Lake Kivu is one of the African Great Lakes. It lies on the border between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda, and is in the Albertine Rift, the western branch of the East African Rift. Lake Kivu empties into the Ruzizi River, which ...

. It is part of Gishwati–Mukura National Park. The area's forests were largely intact in 1978, and substantial

forest cover Forest cover is the amount of forest that covers a particular area of land. It may be measured as relative (in percent) or absolute (in square kilometres/square miles). Around a third of the world's surface is covered with forest, with closed-canop ...

still remained in 1986. During the

Rwandan genocide The Rwandan genocide occurred between 7 April and 15 July 1994 during the Rwandan Civil War. During this period of around 100 days, members of the Tutsi minority ethnic group, as well as some moderate Hutu and Twa, were killed by armed Hutu ...

, wave after wave of refugees arrived in Gishwati Forest and began clearing it, often for subsistence farming. By 2001, only a small circular patch of native forest remained, of the forest’s original 250,000. In addition to tremendous loss of

biodiversity Biodiversity or biological diversity is the variety and variability of life on Earth. Biodiversity is a measure of variation at the genetic (''genetic variability''), species (''species diversity''), and ecosystem (''ecosystem diversity'') l ...

, the region experiences

soil erosion Soil erosion is the denudation or wearing away of the upper layer of soil. It is a form of soil degradation. This natural process is caused by the dynamic activity of erosive agents, that is, water, ice (glaciers), snow, air (wind), plants, and ...

and

degradation Degradation may refer to: Science * Degradation (geology), lowering of a fluvial surface by erosion * Degradation (telecommunications), of an electronic signal * Biodegradation of organic substances by living organisms * Environmental degradatio ...

and

landslides Landslides, also known as landslips, are several forms of mass wasting that may include a wide range of ground movements, such as rockfalls, deep-seated slope failures, mudflows, and debris flows. Landslides occur in a variety of environments, ...

Reforestation Reforestation (occasionally, reafforestation) is the natural or intentional restocking of existing forests and woodlands (forestation) that have been depleted, usually through deforestation, but also after clearcutting. Management A debate ...

efforts in the past few years have increased the remnant native forest to about . Large tea estates occupy the central and northern parts of the reserve.

History

The Gishwati Forest used to be one piece in a complex system of rainforests through the middle of Africa. It used to extend west beyond

connecting with the rainforests of the Congo, and south connecting with

Nyungwe Forest The Nyungwe Forest () is located in southwestern Rwanda, on the border with Burundi, where it is contiguous with the Kibira National Park to the south, and Lake Kivu and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west. The Nyungwe rainforest ...

. These forest systems have become fragmented due to population increase and deforestation. The

put strain on the site as refugees fled and the population increased as people were displaced from their homes; however the area had faced years of degradation prior to the

. The area was degraded for cattle ranching and agriculture until it became unproductive. Erosion, landslides, reduced water quality, and soil infertility had resulted from this degradation of the land. The Gishwati Area Conservation Program (GACP) began in 2007 with the collaboration of Rwandan president,

Paul Kagame Paul Kagame (; born 23 October 1957) is a Rwandan politician and former military officer who is the 4th and current president of Rwanda since 2000. He previously served as a commander of the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF), a Uganda-based rebel ...

, and

Great Ape Trust Great may refer to: Descriptions or measurements * Great, a relative measurement in physical space, see Size * Greatness, being divine, majestic, superior, majestic, or transcendent People * List of people known as "the Great" *Artel Great (born ...

, founded by philanthropist Ted Townsend. The initiative began with the idea of creating a national conservation park in

to protect the biodiversity of the Gishwati Forest area and stop some of the rapid degradation. In 1930 the Gishwati Forest covered 70,000 acres but lost about 90 percent of its cover, this initiative aimed to restore the dramatic loss the area has seen over the last decade and therefore named the site the Forest of Hope. In 2011, the GACP was succeeded by a Rwandan non-governmental organization known as the Forest of Hope Association, which is currently managing the Gishwati Forest Reserve (GFR). Since the Forest of Hope has been in place there has been a 67 percent increase in size of the Gishwati Forest. The local chimpanzee population has grown and many research and conservation initiatives have been employed within the reserve. The Gishwati Area Conservation Program began with the hopes that down the road the Rwandan government would take over the area make it a national park. The forest was designated part of Gishwati-Mukura National Park in 2015.

Biodiversity

The deforestation of the Gishwati Forest has resulted in serious loss of biodiversity. Fauna alone has declined by 99.7%. Flora that play an important role in the lives of the native people have also seen significant decline. Wild fruits have declined by 93.3%, wild vegetables have declined by 99.6%, and wild medicines used by the native people have declined by 79.9%. The forest reserve has recorded 58 species of trees and shrubs, including numerous indigenous hardwoods and bamboo. A recent study of

carbon sequestration Carbon sequestration is the process of storing carbon in a carbon pool. Carbon dioxide () is naturally captured from the atmosphere through biological, chemical, and physical processes. These changes can be accelerated through changes in land ...

of the forest indicated ''

Macaranga kilimandscharica ''Macaranga'' is a large genus of Old World tropical trees of the family Euphorbiaceae and the only genus in the subtribe Macaranginae (tribe Acalypheae). Native to Africa, Australasia, Asia and various islands of the Indian and Pacific Oceans, t ...

'' to be the most common species of tree in areas of the forest that have not been disturbed. Previously disturbed regions of the forest experiencing regeneration show colonization of '' Carapa grandiflora, Entandrophagrama excelsum'', and ''

Symphonia globulifera ''Symphonia globulifera'', commonly known as boarwood, is a timber tree abundant in Central America, the Caribbean, South America and Africa. This plant is also used as a medicinal plant and ornamental plant. Common names Common trade names of t ...

''. Other flora of the reserve include giant tree ferns and blue lichen. A wide range of fauna can be found within the reserve. Four species of primates are found, the

Eastern Chimpanzee The eastern chimpanzee (''Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii'') is a subspecies of the common chimpanzee. It is native to the Central African Republic, South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, and Tanzania. Taxono ...

(''Pan troglodytes schweinfurtii''), the

golden monkey The golden monkey (''Cercopithecus kandti'') is a species of Old World monkey found in the Virunga volcanic mountains of Central Africa, including four national parks: Mgahinga, in south-west Uganda; Volcanoes, in north-west Rwanda; and Vi ...

, the

blue monkey The blue monkey or diademed monkey (''Cercopithecus mitis'') is a species of Old World monkey native to Central and East Africa, ranging from the upper Congo River basin east to the East African Rift and south to northern Angola and Zambia. It ...

, and the

L'Hoest's monkey L'Hoest's monkey (''Allochrocebus lhoesti'') or mountain monkey, is a guenon found in the upper eastern Congo basin. They mostly live in mountainous forest areas in small, female-dominated groups. They have a dark coat and can be distinguishe ...

(also known as mountain monkey). Though not since 2002, a fifth species of primate, the black and white colobus. has been reported having been seen. There are currently estimated to be 20 East African chimpanzees in the forest. This is a 54% increase in population size from the 13 chimps in 2008, when the GACP first started. This includes five infants. The average density of chimpanzee nests was found to be 1.473 per km2 by Dr. Plumptree. Other mammals include the

red river hog The red river hog (''Potamochoerus porcus'') or bushpig (a named also used for the '' Potamochoerus larvatus''), is a wild member of the pig family living in Africa, with most of its distribution in the Guinean and Congolian forests. It is rarel ...

(''Potamochoerus porcus''),

black-fronted duiker The black-fronted duiker (''Cephalophus nigrifrons'') is a small antelope found in central and west-central Africa. Description The black-fronted duiker is a compact, short-necked, and active antelope that gets its name from the broad black stre ...

(''Cephalophus nigrifrons''),

southern tree hyrax The southern tree hyrax (''Dendrohyrax arboreus''), also known as the southern tree dassie, is a species of mammal in the family Procaviidae. The southern tree hyrax is mainly found in the south central eastern side of Africa. Description The so ...

(''Dendrohyrax arboreus''),

serval The serval (''Leptailurus serval'') is a wild cat native to Africa. It is widespread in sub-Saharan countries, except rainforest regions. Across its range, it occurs in protected areas, and hunting it is either prohibited or regulated in ran ...

(''Leptailurus serval''), and

African golden cat The African golden cat (''Caracal aurata'') is a wild cat endemic to the rainforests of West and Central Africa. It is threatened due to deforestation and bushmeat hunting and listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List. It is a close relative o ...

(''Caracal aurata''). Other fauna found are the 84 species of birds, including the

white-headed wood hoopoe The white-headed wood hoopoe (''Phoeniculus bollei'') is a species of bird in the family Phoeniculidae. Etymology The bird's scientific species name ''bollei'' honors Carl August Bolle (1821-1909), a German naturalist and collector. Subspecies ...

(''Phoeniculus bollei'') and mountain yellow warbler (''Iduna similis''). The brown forest frog along with multiple species of toads are some of the amphibian life found in the forest. With respect to reptiles, the great lakes bush viper and multiple species of chameleons are also found live in the Gishwati Forest.

Tourism

In 2019, Gishwati Forest formally became part of the Gishwati-Mukura Forest National Park. The national park has two concessions. Gishwati Forest and Mukura Forest. Gishwati Forest Concession is managed by three parts, Rwanda Development Board, Wilderness Safaris and Forest of Hope. Rwanda Development Board oversees all national parks in Rwanda. Wilderness Safaris will manage tourism activities in Gishwati Forest and Forest of hope are managing the reforestation and conservation of Gishwati Forest. Mukura Forest remains closed for visitors, while Gishwati Forest opened the doors to visitors on the 1st of December 2020. The main tourist activity in Gishwati Forest is chimpanzee tracking, but there are also a number of near endemic bird species to see as well as Golden Monkeys, serval cats and other animals. The Forest of Hope Guest House opened its doors to the public in 2020 It is a requirement that you stay in the guest house in order to visit Gishwati Forest National Park. The guest house has 2 twin en-suite rooms and a camp site. The restaurant offers breakfast, lunch and dinner to guests. The guest house is located on top of a hill with views over the forest. Since Gishwati Forest is a national park since 2019 all visitors need to be accompanied by a guide during all activities. Guides are supplied by Rwanda Development Board, while local animal trackers come from nearby villages. Official permits need to be bought to visit the park. As of 2021, a chimpanzee tracking permit is USD100. All permits and guides can be organized through the park office or the Forest of Hope Guest House. If you are travelling with a tour operator, this will be organized for you and included in the price. Chimpanzee tracking can be done in Gishwati Forest. This activity starts early in the morning and requires that you stay at the Forest of Hope Guest House. There are now around 30 chimpanzees in Gishwati Forest. These chimpanzees are not habituated to humans making chimpanzee tracking a bit more difficult that in Nyungwe or Cyamudongo Forest. There are three hiking trails in Gishwati Forest. Umushwati Trail passes right through the forest and is 8 kms long. Waterfall trail starts close to the Forest of Hope Guest House and is 7 kms long. Matyazo hill trail is 3 kms long up to the highest point in the park at 2469 m and can be combined with Umushwati Trail.

Conservation

A small isolated group of east African

chimpanzees The chimpanzee (''Pan troglodytes''), also known as simply the chimp, is a species of great ape native to the forest and savannah of tropical Africa. It has four confirmed subspecies and a fifth proposed subspecies. When its close relative the ...

inhabits the Gishwati Forest, a place that may serve as a test bed for new conservation approaches and ideas. By 2008 the population had been reduced to thirteen members and was on the brink of extinction. Between 2008 and 2011 the population increased by forty-six percent to nineteen members through the efforts of Rwandan government and the Gishwati Area Conservation Program. Efforts like those established to help Gishwati’s great apes may be instrumental in helping great apes around the world. Gishwati forest is the livelihood of hundreds of thousands of Rwandans who live around Gishwati. The forest helps maintain the topsoil’s fertility and keeps it from eroding away. In the future it may provide the Rwandan economy with profits from

ecotourism Ecotourism is a form of tourism involving responsible travel (using sustainable transport) to natural areas, conserving the environment, and improving the well-being of the local people. Its purpose may be to educate the traveler, to provide funds ...

through the

found in the area.

Plant-It 2020

In 2011, Plant-It 2020 provided funding for the Gishwati Area Conservation Program of the

to plant 1,000 native trees in and around Gishwati-Mukura National Park. Plant-It 2020 is a nonprofit international reforestation foundation that was founded by the late singer

John Denver Henry John Deutschendorf Jr. (December 31, 1943 – October 12, 1997), known professionally as John Denver, was an American singer-songwriter, guitarist, actor, activist, and humanitarian whose greatest commercial success was as a solo singe ...

Gishwati Forest and Nyungwe National Park corridor

A 10,000 acre corridor of newly planted trees may one day connect Gishwati Forest and

Nyungwe National Park The Nyungwe Forest () is located in southwestern Rwanda, on the border with Burundi, where it is contiguous with the Kibira National Park to the south, and Lake Kivu and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west. The Nyungwe rainfores ...

, about thirty miles to the south. This connection will allow animals to migrate between the protected areas and insure the

gene flow In population genetics, gene flow (also known as gene migration or geneflow and allele flow) is the transfer of genetic material from one population to another. If the rate of gene flow is high enough, then two populations will have equivalent a ...

alleles An allele (, ; ; modern formation from Greek ἄλλος ''állos'', "other") is a variation of the same sequence of nucleotides at the same place on a long DNA molecule, as described in leading textbooks on genetics and evolution. ::"The chro ...

between both populations of chimpanzees. The project has received government support from Rwandan Ministry of Lands and Environment because the new forest cover will improve

water catchment A drainage basin is an area of land where all flowing surface water converges to a single point, such as a river mouth, or flows into another body of water, such as a lake or ocean. A basin is separated from adjacent basins by a perimeter, the ...

and

water purification Water purification is the process of removing undesirable chemicals, biological contaminants, suspended solids, and gases from water. The goal is to produce water that is fit for specific purposes. Most water is purified and disinfected for hu ...

, prevent

, replenish soil fertility, and support

Reforestation

In December 2020, Gishwati sector in partnership with

Wilderness Safaris Wilderness Safaris is an ecotourism operator, headquartered in Gaborone, Botswana. It operates camps and mobile safaris across six countries: Botswana, Kenya, Namibia, Rwanda, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Known for its ongoing conservation work, the com ...

Rwanda (WSR) and Forest of Hope Association had developed a nursery of 10,0000 indigenous trees near the park which planted on 10 hectares of Gishwati-Mukura National Park by the end of 2020. Gishwati has reduced in size by 98% since 1970s this resulted in

environmental degradation Environmental degradation is the deterioration of the environment (biophysical), environment through depletion of resources such as quality of air, water and soil; the destruction of ecosystems; habitat destruction; the extinction of wildlife; an ...

loss of biodiversity Biodiversity loss includes the worldwide extinction of different species, as well as the local reduction or loss of species in a certain habitat, resulting in a loss of biological diversity. The latter phenomenon can be temporary or permanent, de ...

, erosion and land slide. Rob Baas (WSR managing Director) said that to be able to give back the forest they had to plant native plants and assist protection of its animals.

References

External links

Information on apes of Gishwati

Gishwati Mukura National Park WebsiteInformation on Gishwati Forest National Park by Kivu Belt Destination Management Unit
{{Authority control Geography of Rwanda Protected areas of Rwanda Forests of Rwanda Albertine Rift montane forests Western Province, Rwanda