The Rimba Raya Biodiversity Reserve REDD Project

13). One area of special consideration for developing technicalskills (perhaps best achieved through partnership with experts) iscapacity to survey orchids and other rare epiphytic plants, whichare likely to be present in diverse numbers in peat swamp andpossible kerangas forest types of the Project Zone.Orangutan population survey through nest counts and/or directobservation will be required to refine habitat-­‐specific populationestimates of this threatened iconic species within each of themajor ecosystem types. This will provide a baseline for long termpopulation monitoring, and enable development of targetedpriority conservation interventions where orangutan populationnumbers are highest and threats to their-­‐long term conservationsignificant. Development of this technical skill by the managementteam should be an especially high priority given contributions ofestimated orangutan population numbers in the Project Zone tooverall landscape population viability (see section G 1.7). Technicalskills required for this task will include field methods in nest surveyand analytical techniques for inferred population numbers basedon nest counts.Mammal surveys will be required to confirm the presence ofspecies of conservation concern that are considered potentiallypresent in the Project Zone, and where possible to estimatepopulation numbers for long-­‐term population monitoring.Particular emphasis should be placed on the documentation andwhere possible population estimation of HCV 1.2 and 1.3 species,especially primates (see Table 10). This task will require thedevelopment of technical skills to identify mammals based ondirect sighting, call recognition, prints, signs of recent feeding, andscat recognition.Bird surveys will be required to confirm the presence of species ofconservation concern that are considered potentially present inthe Project Zone, and where possible to estimate populationnumbers for long term population monitoring. Particular emphasisshould be placed on the documentation and where possiblepopulation estimation of HCV 1.2 and 1.3 species (see Table 9). Asurvey of special interest should be that of migratory and rareaquatic birds that use nearby Lake Sembuluh on the eastern edgeof the Project Zone. The task of surveying birds will require thedevelopment of technical skills to identify birds based on directsighting and call recognition.Camera trapping would also be a useful technical skill for membersof the project management team to acquire, given its long termusefulness in estimating population numbers for some large bodyterrestrial mammals and, especially, for survey and documentationof rare or shy species infrequently encountered through directobservation in the field.Expertise and prior experience. OFI has a deep store of technicalexpertise and experience in monitoring, assessing, and rehabilitatingorangutans and other species of animals and plants important to thesurvival of orangutans. Project proponents will draw upon this set ofskills and expertise in implementing biodiversity-­‐related projectactivities.Gaps. Daemeter Consulting was engaged during project developmentto conduct a desktop biodiversity assessment and to develop theRimba Raya biodiversity monitoring plan. Project proponents have anongoing relationship with Daemeter, and will continue to engage thisorganization on a regular basis to produce monitoring reports and asneeded to fill any gaps in technical expertise.190