Papin Aurélio Mucaleque
- Project name: Protecting Vepris macedoi: an endangered endemic species of Northern Mozambique’s inselbergs
- Project site: Ribáuè and Chinga (Nállume) inselbergs, Nampula Province, Mozambique
- EDGE species: Vepris macedoi
- Active: 2026 - ongoing
Biography
Papin Aurélio Mucaleque is a Mozambican forest researcher and botanist at the Agricultural Research Institute of Mozambique (IIAM). He holds a BSc in Forest Engineering and an MSc in Plant and Fungal Taxonomy, Diversity and Conservation from Queen Mary University of London and the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. His work includes surveys of Mozambique’s Important Plant Areas, seed collection, permanent forest plots, species discovery and Red List assessments.
Papin’s MSc research introduced him to the predominantly African genus Vepris, while fieldwork on the Ribáuè and Chinga inselbergs showed him firsthand the decline of Vepris macedoi habitat. The Fellowship supports his transition from taxonomic research to applied plant conservation, community engagement and practical habitat management.
EDGE Project
Vepris macedoi is an Endangered shrub or small tree known only from the Ribáuè and Chinga inselbergs. Its moist forest-margin habitat is shrinking under pressure from slash-and-burn agriculture and hunting fires. At Ribáuè, dense thickets of the invasive shrub Vernonanthura polyanthes also compete with native plants. The species’ population size, distribution and trends remain poorly understood.
Papin will combine fixed plots with timed meander surveys to map the species and assess its population and habitat. Work will cover both known inselbergs and explore Meluli as a potential additional site. Field records, voucher specimens and distribution models will strengthen conservation planning.
At priority sites, Papin and local participants will remove invasive plants and monitor regrowth. Leaders, farmers, hunters and schools will help shape awareness activities in Portuguese and Emacua. The project will leave better survey evidence, healthier forest margins and stronger local support for protecting Vepris macedoi.
