Managing the wildlife resources of Senegal's forests and wildands

Abstract

This thesis describes the wildlife resources of Senegal and a systems approach to how those resources can be managed. Based upon my 20 years experience in the Forest Service and the National Park Service, I made investigations through the literature, courses, seminars, conferences and interview in the United States and Senegal. The aim of the investigations was to gather wildlife resource-based data from Senegal, Africa, the United States, and other countries. This thesis is an effort to synthesize what is known about the forests and wildlife of Senegal and to describe a wildlife resource management system. The system is hypothesized to be a basis for organization, operations, and planning for the long-range management of the wildlife resources in the forests and shrublands of Senegal. The project described the country area. It described 4 key subsystems of the greater system to show what resources exist, and what is a system, and how a single pattern of analysis and design can result in efficiencies and increase productivity. The key subsystems are: (1) an Elephant Subsystem, (2) the National Park Subsystem, (3) a Hunting Areas Subsystem, (4) a Nature-Based Tourist Subsystem. The emphasis in each is on wildlife resources management. It is believed that most ideas developed in this study could be applied in the 8 Sahelian nations of West Africa and other African countries.