Biodiversity Monitoring at the Tonle Sap Lake of Cambodia: A Comparative Assessment of Local Methods

This paper assesses local biodiversity monitoring
methods practiced in the Tonle Sap Lake of Cambodia.
For the assessment we used the following criteria:
methodological rigor, perceived cost, ease of use (user
friendliness), compatibility with existing activities, and
effectiveness of intervention. Constraints and opportunities
for execution of the methods were also considered. Information
was collected by use of: (1) key informant interview,
(2) focus group discussion, and (3) researcher’s
observation. The monitoring methods for fish, birds, reptiles,
mammals and vegetation practiced in the research
area have their unique characteristics of generating data on
biodiversity and biological resources. Most of the methods,
however, serve the purpose of monitoring biological
resources rather than biodiversity. There is potential that
the information gained through local monitoring methods
can provide input for long-term management and strategic
planning. In order to realize this potential, the local monitoring
methods should be better integrated with each other, adjusted to existing norms and regulations, and institutionalized
within community-based organization structures.