Location :
Yerevan and project target regions, ARMENIA
Application Deadline :
01-Sep-16 (Midnight New York, USA)
Time left :
1d 21h 16m
Additional Category :
Resilience and Climate Change
Type of Contract :
Individual Contract
Post Level :
National Consultant
Languages Required :
English
Starting Date :
(date when the selected candidate is expected to start)
20-Sep-2016
Duration of Initial Contract :
Tentatively 120 working days (for the period 2016-2019)

Project description:
The long-term solution sought is to facilitate shift from unsustainable to sustainable forest management in North-Eastern (NE) Armenia. The target area contains 65% of Armenia’s forest resources and provides essential ecosystem services including water provision (for urban use and food production), land slide control and carbon storage and sequestration. The project will promote an integrated approach towards fostering sustainable forest management – seeking to balance environmental management with development and community needs.
The project major objective is sustainable land and forest management in the North-eastern Armenia to secure continued flow of multiple ecosystem services (such as water provision, land slide control and carbon storage /sequestration) and to ensure conservation of critical wildlife habitats through the removal of the aforementioned barriers will ensure sustainable land and forest management to secure continued flow of multiple ecosystem services. This would be achieved during the four years of implementation through two main components, namely: (i) Integration of sustainable forest and land management objectives into planning and management of forest ecosystems to reduce degradation and enhance ecosystem services in two marzes covering 0.65 million hectares; and (ii) Sustainable Forest Management practices effectively demonstrating reduced pressure on high conservation forests and maintaining flow of ecosystem services.
It will attempt to reduce conflicting forest land-uses and improve the sustainability of forest management so as to maintain the flow of vital ecosystem services and sustain the livelihoods of local forest-dependent communities (and downstream users). This platform will be underpinned by a robust forest management planning support system and monitoring framework that will inform plans for the forest estate.
The context of the required contractual service is establishment of regular monitoring system on bird and butterfly species in north-eastern Armenian mountain forest ecosystems with the aim to trace dynamics in protected and managed forest ecosystems.? Such a regular monitoring system would serve as an indicator to ensure the measures taken for sustainable forest management practices.

Scope of work:
National Expert on Zoology will be recruited to support the project component 2 output 2.1 dedicated to annual and bi-annual monitoring of bird and butterfly species respectively that would help to assess impact of conservation measures in the existing protected areas and set-asides. Particularly expert will be responsible for identification of bird and butterfly monitoring sample sites and transects, provision of trainings on annual and bi-annual monitoring of bird and butterfly species for forest enterprises staff and local community members, institutionalization of selected bird and butterfly inventory and monitoring systems, recommendations on biodiversity aspects of sustainable land and forest management. The expected major activities are listed below:
· Identification of 22-28 selection sites in target regions to monitor indicator bird species (Coal tit, Eurasian nuthatch, Semi-collared flycatcher, Green warbler, Song Thrush, etc.) to assess impact of conservation measures in the existing protected and managed forest areas and trace forest ecosystem dynamics;
· Identification of 22-28 selected linear transects in target regions to monitor the change in average number of butterfly species(Argynnis paphia, Brintesia circe, Coenonympha arcania and Leptidea sinapis, etc.) population change to trace forest ecosystem dynamics;
· To recommend new fauna indicator species/group of species/populations for the project target areas, define the baseline data and set targets;
· Recommend actions and forms on proposed indicators that would be put into the updated forest management plans for biodiversity conservation, including recommendations for monitoring protocols.
· To recommend institutionalization of inventory and monitoring systems for the selected bird and butterfly species in the target regions;
Training programme, materials and training for Tavush and Lori regions’ forest enterprises staff to increase knowledge and get practical skills/ tools for monitoring of indicator bird and butterfly species/populations in target areas.