| Abstract |
Rwanda’s National Park “Forêt de Nyungwe” is the largest montane cloud forest in eastern Africa and hosts many unique species. However, in this densely populated country these areas are under considerable pressure for use. Therefore, a sustainable intensification of agricultural and forestry production in the adjacent zones to the cloud forest is indispensible if the pressure on the forest resources is to be reduced. The goal of this project is to conserve biodiversity and the functionality of the forest, which is both a CO2 sink and of vital importance for the region's water balance, by ensuring a smooth transformation to sustainable agriculture and forestry in the adjacent zones of the protected area. The establishment of agroforestry systems which simulate the forests' natural canopy levels, protect the soil from erosion and guarantee a high biomass yield per area unit, will render logging superfluous. This project is an important contribution to enhancing food security of small-scale farmers. |
