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Batsi, Germain, Denis Jean Sonwa, Lisette Mangaza, Jérôme Ebuy, and Jean-Marie Kahindo. "Biodiversity of the Cocoa Agroforests of the Bengamisa-Yangambi Forest Landscape in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)." Forests 11, no. 10 (October 15, 2020): 1096. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/f11101096.
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Cocoa agroforestry has evolved into an accepted natural resource conservation strategy in the tropics. It is regularly proposed as one of the main uses for REDD+ projects (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation and the role of conservation, sustainable management of forests, and enhancement of forest carbon stocks in developing countries) in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. However, few studies have characterized the cocoa agroforestry systems in this country. Hence, this research proposes to determine the impact of distance from Kisangani (the unique city in the landscape) and land-use intensity on the floristic composition of cocoa agroforests in Bengamisa-Yangambi forest landscape in the Congo Basin. The results revealed that species diversity and density of plants associated with cocoa are influenced by the distance from Kisangani (the main city in the landscape and province). Farmers maintain/introduce trees that play one or more of several roles. They may host caterpillars, provide food, medicine, or timber, or deliver other functions such as providing shade to the cocoa tree. Farmers maintain plants with edible products (mainly oil palms) in their agroforests more than other plants. Thus, these agroforests play key roles in conserving the floristic diversity of degraded areas. As cocoa agroforestry has greater potential for production, biodiversity conservation, and environmental protection, it should be used to slow down or even stop deforestation and forest degradation.
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Sonwa, Denis Jean, Mfochivé Oumarou Farikou, Gapia Martial, and Fiyo Losembe Félix. "Living under a Fluctuating Climate and a Drying Congo Basin." Sustainability 12, no. 7 (April 7, 2020): 2936. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/su12072936.
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Humid conditions and equatorial forest in the Congo Basin have allowed for the maintenance of significant biodiversity and carbon stock. The ecological services and products of this forest are of high importance, particularly for smallholders living in forest landscapes and watersheds. Unfortunately, in addition to deforestation and forest degradation, climate change/variability are impacting this region, including both forests and populations. We developed three case studies based on field observations in Cameroon, the Central African Republic, and the Democratic Republic of Congo, as well as information from the literature. Our key findings are: (1) the forest-related water cycle of the Congo Basin is not stable, and is gradually changing; (2) climate change is impacting the water cycle of the basin; and, (3) the slow modification of the water cycle is affecting livelihoods in the Congo Basin. Developmental and environmental actions in the Congo Basin need to properly consider the slight modification of this water cycle in watersheds that affect products and services from the forest.
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Cuni-Sanchez, Aida, Gerard Imani, Franklin Bulonvu, Rodrigue Batumike, Grace Baruka, Neil D. Burgess, Julia A. Klein, and Rob Marchant. "Social Perceptions of Forest Ecosystem Services in the Democratic Republic of Congo." Human Ecology 47, no. 6 (December 2019): 839–53. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10745-019-00115-6.
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AbstractThe forests of the Albertine Rift are known for their high biodiversity and the important ecosystem services they provide to millions of inhabitants. However, their conservation and the maintenance of ecosystem service delivery is a challenge, particularly in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Our research investigates how livelihood strategy and ethnicity affects local perceptions of forest ecosystem services. We collected data through 25 focus-group discussions in villages from distinct ethnic groups, including farmers (Tembo, Shi, and Nyindu) and hunter-gatherers (Twa). Twa identify more food-provisioning services and rank bush meat and honey as the most important. They also show stronger place attachment to the forest than the farmers, who value other ecosystem services, but all rank microclimate regulation as the most important. Our findings help assess ecosystem services trade-offs, highlight the important impacts of restricted access to forests resources for Twa, and point to the need for developing alternative livelihood strategies for these communities.
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Draulans, Dirk, and Ellen Van Krunkelsven. "The impact of war on forest areas in the Democratic Republic of Congo." Oryx 36, no. 1 (January 2002): 35–40. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0030605302000066.
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This paper provides a review of data on the effects of the civil war on forest areas in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Only a few of these effects were beneficial, the most important being the collapse of the wood industry. However, the war has increased the number of people that rely on wood for fuel and bushmeat for protein. The presence of soldiers and refugees aggravates this pressure. When people hide they do not necessarily refrain from hunting, because goods, including ivory, can be stocked to be traded when the situation improves. War seems beneficial to the environment only if it keeps people out of large areas. It could be useful to extend the concept of peace parks to war zones. The idea of an international ‘green force’ to protect biodiversity hotspots should be given serious consideration. Awareness is growing that political instability should not preclude conservation efforts from being continued.
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van Vliet, Nathalie, Casimir Nebesse, and Robert Nasi. "Bushmeat consumption among rural and urban children from Province Orientale, Democratic Republic of Congo." Oryx 49, no. 1 (May 16, 2014): 165–74. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0030605313000549.
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AbstractUnderstanding the importance of bushmeat consumption for household nutrition, both in rural and urban settings, is critical to developing politically acceptable ways to reduce unsustainable exploitation. This study provides insights into bushmeat consumption patterns relative to the consumption of other meat (from the wild, such as fish and caterpillars, or from domestic sources, such as beef, chicken, pork, goat and mutton) among children from Province Orientale, Democratic Republic of Congo. Our results show that urban and rural households consume more meat from the wild than from domestic sources. Of the various types of wild meat, bushmeat and fish are the most frequently consumed by children from Kisangani and fish is the most frequently consumed in villages. Poorer urban households eat meat less frequently but consume bushmeat more frequently than wealthier households. In urban areas poorer households consume common bushmeat species more frequently and wealthier households eat meat from larger, threatened species more frequently. Urban children eat more bushmeat from larger species (duiker Cephalophus spp. and red river hog Potamochoerus porcus) than rural children (rodents, small monkeys), probably because rural households tend to consume the less marketable species or the smaller animals. We show that despite the tendency towards more urbanized population profiles and increased livelihood opportunities away from forest and farms, wildlife harvest remains a critical component of nutritional security and diversity in both rural and urban areas of the Democratic Republic of Congo.
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Kennis, Jan, Crespin Laurent, Nicaise Drazo Amundala, Akaibe Migimiru Dudu, and Herwig Leirs. "Survival and Movement of the Congo Forest Mouse (Deomys ferrugineus): A Comparison of Primary Rainforest and Fallow Land in Kisangani, Democratic Republic of Congo†." African Zoology 47, no. 1 (April 2012): 147–59. http://dx.doi.org/10.3377/004.047.0113.
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Kennis, Jan, Crespin Laurent, Nicaise Drazo Amundala, Akaibe Migimiru Dudu, and Herwig Leirs. "Survival and movement of the Congo forest mouse (Deomys ferrugineus): a comparison of primary rainforest and fallow land in Kisangani, Democratic Republic of Congo." African Zoology 47, no. 1 (April 2012): 147–59. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/15627020.2012.11407533.
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Molinario, Giuseppe, Matthew Hansen, Peter Potapov, Alexandra Tyukavina, and Stephen Stehman. "Contextualizing Landscape-Scale Forest Cover Loss in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) between 2000 and 2015." Land 9, no. 1 (January 16, 2020): 23. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/land9010023.
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Shifting cultivation has been shown to be the primary cause of land use change in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Traditionally, forested and fallow land are rotated in a slash and burn cycle that has created an agricultural mosaic, including secondary forest, known as the rural complex. This study investigates the land use context of new forest clearing (during 2000–2015) in primary forest areas outside of the established rural complex. These new forest clearings occur as either rural complex expansion (RCE) or isolated forest perforations (IFP), with consequent implications on the forest ecosystem and biodiversity habitat. During 2000–2015, subsistence agriculture was the dominant driver of forest clearing for both extension of settled areas and pioneer clearings removed from settled areas. Less than 1% of clearing was directly attributable to land uses such as mining, plantations, and logging, showing that the impact of commercial operations in the DRC is currently dwarfed by a reliance on small-holder shifting cultivation. However, analyzing the landscape context showed that large-scale agroindustry and resource extraction activities lead to increased forest loss and degradation beyond their previously-understood footprints. The worker populations drawn to these areas create communities that rely on shifting cultivation and non-timber forest products (NTFP) for food, energy, and building materials. An estimated 12% of forest loss within the RCE and 9% of the area of IFP was found to be within 5 km of mines, logging, or plantations. Given increasing demographic and commercial pressures on DRC’s forests, it will be crucial to factor in this landscape-level land use change dynamic in land use planning and sustainability-focused governance.
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Ngbolua, Koto-te-Nyiwa, Armand Endowa Doikasiye, Modeste Ndaba Modeawi, Ruphin Djolu Djoza, Amédée Gbatea Kundana, Colette Masengo Ashande, Clarisse Falanga Mawi, et al. "Survey on the Industrial Logging Activities in the Businga Territory (Nord-Ubangi Province) in Democratic Republic of the Congo)." Britain International of Exact Sciences (BIoEx) Journal 3, no. 1 (February 11, 2021): 53–64. http://dx.doi.org/10.33258/bioex.v3i1.382.
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The aim of this study was to investigate industrial logging in Businga Territory. The survey was carried out by means of a questionnaire addressed to 235 people including 150 men (64%) and 85 women (36%) between 31 and 100 years of age, on the basis of free and informed consent. It emerged from this study that 110 subjects out of the 235 (46.8%) were from SICOTRA company and its surroundings and 125 respondents (53.2%) belonged to from KKF company and its surroundings. Of the 235 people surveyed, only 104 (or 44.3%) were workers from two companies, the rest were heads of groups, capitas, local notables and those who had not worked in either company. 44.6% of the respondents had a primary level followed by 31.9% (or 75 people) with a secondary level. There are 55 illiterate people (23.4%). No university executives were met in the area during the survey. The logging by these two companies (KKF: from 1949 to 1998 (49 years of exploitation) and SICOTRA: from 1980 to 1998 (18 years)) has caused enormous destruction of the ecosystem and the population is today confronted with multiple difficulties and problems of supply of Non Timber Forest Products (caterpillars, snails, mushrooms, Cola acuminata, etc.) and the erosion of biodiversity. Of the 17 forest species exploited in this Sector, 03 have totally disappeared: Diospyros crassiflora Hiern, Nauclea diderrichii (De Wild.) Merr. and Prioria balsaminfera (Vermoesen) Breteler. The majority contacted had no notion of protecting the forest (67.2% vs. 32.8%); the population had no notion of drawing up specifications (95 vs. 5%). The results revealed that the indigenous population did not benefit from their forest, nor did they benefit from basic social infrastructures of community interest. In order to remedy this situation, a good regulation of the forestry exploitation code, the popularization of the new forestry code and the elaboration of specifications in collaboration with local communities are necessary to correct this situation in the future.
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Ngbolua, Koto-te-Nyiwa, Ngemale Gbiadiri Maurice, Masengo Ashande Colette, Ndolete Geregbia Jean-Pierre, Bongo Ngiala Gédéon, Ndanga Bikibo Apollinaire, Tshibangu Sha Tshibey Damien, and Tshilanda Dinangay Dorothée. "Survey on the Sale of Megaphrynium Macrostachyum (Marantaceae) Leaves in Gbado-Lite City and Surroundings (Nord Ubangi Province, Democratic Republic of the Congo)." Budapest International Research in Exact Sciences (BirEx) Journal 2, no. 2 (April 13, 2020): 157–67. http://dx.doi.org/10.33258/birex.v2i2.874.
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In Africa, the importance of NTFPs in the livelihood security is well recognized and these products represent vital sources of income for poor population. However, the sales chain of Marantaceae leaves is informal in Gbado-Lite and there is no information available on this sector for the promotion of the sale of NTFPs at the local level to reduce poverty and protect the environment as well as to conserve biodiversity. This survey shows that mostly female (55%) carries out the sale of Marantaceae leaves in Gbado-Lite. Among traders, 37.5% are illiterate, 32.5%, 20% and 10% have a secondary, primary and university education respectively. Regarding the marital status, 52.5% of respondents are divorced, 25% are widows and 22.5% are married. While 40% of respondents are unemployed, 30% are farmers while housewives and pupils account for 17.5% and 12.5% respectively. Our respondents know seven other non-woody forest products. These include: Mushrooms (27.5%), Caterpillars (22.5%), Marantaceae leaves (20%), honey (17.5%), snails and game (5% each) and vines (2.5%). Marantaceae leaves are first used for food packaging (47.5%), food preservation (35%), building material (10%). The forest accounts for 52% of the total harvesting habitat of Marantaceae leaves. It is followed by fallow (25%), fields (15%) savannah (8%) respectively. This sale allows the schooling for children (27.5%); health care (20%); food purchase (17%); beverage purchase (12.5%). The majority of respondents believe that these leaves are not well managed after use and therefore pollute the environment because of the lack of a waste collection structure. Yet, they are biodegradable and should be used to make compost for crops in Gbado-Lite.
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Beaune, David. "What would happen to the trees and lianas if apes disappeared?" Oryx 49, no. 3 (February 27, 2015): 442–46. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0030605314000878.
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AbstractApes, like many frugivorous animals, are crucial allies for the reproduction of several fruiting tree species. Almost all apes, however, including bonobos Pan paniscus, are threatened with extinction. How will this affect tree conservation? How can plants that are adapted to seed dispersal by apes reproduce without their dispersal vectors? At LuiKotale, in an evergreen tropical forest of the Democratic Republic of Congo, the recruitment of 22 plant species in the absence of seed dispersal was investigated under the parental canopy, where a proportion of seeds fall without horizontal dissemination. Most bonobo-dispersed plant species (95% of 19 species) were unable to self-recruit under the canopy. As 40% of the tree species (65% of trees) at LuiKotale are dispersed by bonobos there is a risk of ecosystem decay and simplification (reduced biodiversity) if Pan paniscus disappears from its natural range. The extinction of other apes from their forests could have similar consequences. The conservation of tree species, therefore, must encompass conservation of pollinators, seed dispersal vectors and other species that provide ecological services to the trees and other fruiting plants.
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Estrada, Alejandro, Paul A. Garber, Russell A. Mittermeier, Serge Wich, Sidney Gouveia, Ricardo Dobrovolski, K. A. I. Nekaris, et al. "Primates in peril: the significance of Brazil, Madagascar, Indonesia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo for global primate conservation." PeerJ 6 (June 15, 2018): e4869. http://dx.doi.org/10.7717/peerj.4869.
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Primates occur in 90 countries, but four—Brazil, Madagascar, Indonesia, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)—harbor 65% of the world’s primate species (439) and 60% of these primates are Threatened, Endangered, or Critically Endangered (IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2017-3). Considering their importance for global primate conservation, we examine the anthropogenic pressures each country is facing that place their primate populations at risk. Habitat loss and fragmentation are main threats to primates in Brazil, Madagascar, and Indonesia. However, in DRC hunting for the commercial bushmeat trade is the primary threat. Encroachment on primate habitats driven by local and global market demands for food and non-food commodities hunting, illegal trade, the proliferation of invasive species, and human and domestic-animal borne infectious diseases cause habitat loss, population declines, and extirpation. Modeling agricultural expansion in the 21st century for the four countries under a worst-case-scenario, showed a primate range contraction of 78% for Brazil, 72% for Indonesia, 62% for Madagascar, and 32% for DRC. These pressures unfold in the context of expanding human populations with low levels of development. Weak governance across these four countries may limit effective primate conservation planning. We examine landscape and local approaches to effective primate conservation policies and assess the distribution of protected areas and primates in each country. Primates in Brazil and Madagascar have 38% of their range inside protected areas, 17% in Indonesia and 14% in DRC, suggesting that the great majority of primate populations remain vulnerable. We list the key challenges faced by the four countries to avert primate extinctions now and in the future. In the short term, effective law enforcement to stop illegal hunting and illegal forest destruction is absolutely key. Long-term success can only be achieved by focusing local and global public awareness, and actively engaging with international organizations, multinational businesses and consumer nations to reduce unsustainable demands on the environment. Finally, the four primate range countries need to ensure that integrated, sustainable land-use planning for economic development includes the maintenance of biodiversity and intact, functional natural ecosystems.
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Wade, Christopher M., Kemen G. Austin, James Cajka, Daniel Lapidus, Kibri H. Everett, Diana Galperin, Rachel Maynard, and Aaron Sobel. "What Is Threatening Forests in Protected Areas? A Global Assessment of Deforestation in Protected Areas, 2001–2018." Forests 11, no. 5 (May 12, 2020): 539. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/f11050539.
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The protection of forests is crucial to providing important ecosystem services, such as supplying clean air and water, safeguarding critical habitats for biodiversity, and reducing global greenhouse gas emissions. Despite this importance, global forest loss has steadily increased in recent decades. Protected Areas (PAs) currently account for almost 15% of Earth’s terrestrial surface and protect 5% of global tree cover and were developed as a principal approach to limit the impact of anthropogenic activities on natural, intact ecosystems and habitats. We assess global trends in forest loss inside and outside of PAs, and land cover following this forest loss, using a global map of tree cover loss and global maps of land cover. While forests in PAs experience loss at lower rates than non-protected forests, we find that the temporal trend of forest loss in PAs is markedly similar to that of all forest loss globally. We find that forest loss in PAs is most commonly—and increasingly—followed by shrubland, a broad category that could represent re-growing forest, agricultural fallows, or pasture lands in some regional contexts. Anthropogenic forest loss for agriculture is common in some regions, particularly in the global tropics, while wildfires, pests, and storm blowdown are a significant and consistent cause of forest loss in more northern latitudes, such as the United States, Canada, and Russia. Our study describes a process for screening tree cover loss and agriculture expansion taking place within PAs, and identification of priority targets for further site-specific assessments of threats to PAs. We illustrate an approach for more detailed assessment of forest loss in four case study PAs in Brazil, Indonesia, Democratic Republic of Congo, and the United States.
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Borges, Alberto V., François Darchambeau, Thibault Lambert, Cédric Morana, George H. Allen, Ernest Tambwe, Alfred Toengaho Sembaito, et al. "Variations in dissolved greenhouse gases (CO<sub>2</sub>, CH<sub>4</sub>, N<sub>2</sub>O) in the Congo River network overwhelmingly driven by fluvial-wetland connectivity." Biogeosciences 16, no. 19 (October 7, 2019): 3801–34. http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/bg-16-3801-2019.
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Abstract. We carried out 10 field expeditions between 2010 and 2015 in the lowland part of the Congo River network in the eastern part of the basin (Democratic Republic of the Congo), to describe the spatial variations in fluvial dissolved carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O) concentrations. We investigate the possible drivers of the spatial variations in dissolved CO2, CH4 and N2O concentrations by analyzing covariations with several other biogeochemical variables, aquatic metabolic processes (primary production and respiration), catchment characteristics (land cover) and wetland spatial distributions. We test the hypothesis that spatial patterns of CO2, CH4 and N2O are partly due to the connectivity with wetlands, in particular with a giant wetland of flooded forest in the core of the Congo basin, the “Cuvette Centrale Congolaise” (CCC). Two transects of 1650 km were carried out from the city of Kisangani to the city of Kinshasa, along the longest possible navigable section of the river and corresponding to 41 % of the total length of the main stem. Additionally, three time series of CH4 and N2O were obtained at fixed points in the main stem of the middle Congo (2013–2018, biweekly sampling), in the main stem of the lower Kasaï (2015–2017, monthly sampling) and in the main stem of the middle Oubangui (2010–2012, biweekly sampling). The variations in dissolved N2O concentrations were modest, with values oscillating around the concentration corresponding to saturation with the atmosphere, with N2O saturation level (%N2O, where atmospheric equilibrium corresponds to 100 %) ranging between 0 % and 561 % (average 142 %). The relatively narrow range of %N2O variations was consistent with low NH4+ (2.3±1.3 µmol L−1) and NO3- (5.6±5.1 µmol L−1) levels in these near pristine rivers and streams, with low agriculture pressure on the catchment (croplands correspond to 0.1 % of catchment land cover of sampled rivers), dominated by forests (∼70 % of land cover). The covariations in %N2O, NH4+, NO3- and dissolved oxygen saturation level (%O2) indicate N2O removal by soil or sedimentary denitrification in low O2, high NH4+ and low NO3- environments (typically small and organic matter rich streams) and N2O production by nitrification in high O2, low NH4+ and high NO3- (typical of larger rivers that are poor in organic matter). Surface waters were very strongly oversaturated in CO2 and CH4 with respect to atmospheric equilibrium, with values of the partial pressure of CO2 (pCO2) ranging between 1087 and 22 899 ppm (equilibrium ∼400 ppm) and dissolved CH4 concentrations ranging between 22 and 71 428 nmol L−1 (equilibrium ∼2 nmol L−1). Spatial variations were overwhelmingly more important than seasonal variations for pCO2, CH4 and %N2O as well as day–night variations for pCO2. The wide range of pCO2 and CH4 variations was consistent with the equally wide range of %O2 (0.3 %–122.8 %) and of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) (1.8–67.8 mg L−1), indicative of generation of these two greenhouse gases from intense processing of organic matter either in “terra firme” soils, wetlands or in-stream. However, the emission rate of CO2 to the atmosphere from riverine surface waters was on average about 10 times higher than the flux of CO2 produced by aquatic net heterotrophy (as evaluated from measurements of pelagic respiration and primary production). This indicates that the CO2 emissions from the river network were sustained by lateral inputs of CO2 (either from terra firme or from wetlands). The pCO2 and CH4 values decreased and %O2 increased with increasing Strahler order, showing that stream size explains part of the spatial variability of these quantities. In addition, several lines of evidence indicate that lateral inputs of carbon from wetlands (flooded forest and aquatic macrophytes) were of paramount importance in sustaining high CO2 and CH4 concentrations in the Congo river network, as well as driving spatial variations: the rivers draining the CCC were characterized by significantly higher pCO2 and CH4 and significantly lower %O2 and %N2O values than those not draining the CCC; pCO2 and %O2 values were correlated to the coverage of flooded forest on the catchment. The flux of greenhouse gases (GHGs) between rivers and the atmosphere averaged 2469 mmol m−2 d−1 for CO2 (range 86 and 7110 mmol m−2 d−1), 12 553 µmol m−2 d−1 for CH4 (range 65 and 597 260 µmol m−2 d−1) and 22 µmol m−2 d−1 for N2O (range −52 and 319 µmol m−2 d−1). The estimate of integrated CO2 emission from the Congo River network (251±46 TgC (1012 gC) yr−1), corresponding to nearly half the CO2 emissions from tropical oceans globally (565 TgC yr−1) and was nearly 2 times the CO2 emissions from the tropical Atlantic Ocean (137 TgC yr−1). Moreover, the integrated CO2 emission from the Congo River network is more than 3 times higher than the estimate of terrestrial net ecosystem exchange (NEE) on the whole catchment (77 TgC yr−1). This shows that it is unlikely that the CO2 emissions from the river network were sustained by the hydrological carbon export from terra firme soils (typically very small compared to terrestrial NEE) but most likely, to a large extent, they were sustained by wetlands (with a much higher hydrological connectivity with rivers and streams).
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Gambalemoke, Mbalitini, Itoka Mukinzi, Drazo Amundala, Gatate-Banda Katuala, Jan Kennis, Akaibe Dudu, Rainer Hutterer, Patrick Barrière, Herwig Leirs, and Erik Verheyen. "Shrew trap efficiency: experience from primary forest, secondary forest, old fallow land and old palm plantation in the Congo River basin (Kisangani, Democratic Republic of Congo)." mammalia 72, no. 3 (January 1, 2008). http://dx.doi.org/10.1515/mamm.2008.039.
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Shapiro, Aurélie C., Katie P. Bernhard, Stefano Zenobi, Daniel Müller, Naikoa Aguilar-Amuchastegui, and Rémi d'Annunzio. "Proximate Causes of Forest Degradation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo Vary in Space and Time." Frontiers in Conservation Science 2 (July 15, 2021). http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fcosc.2021.690562.
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Forest degradation, generally defined as a reduction in the delivery of forest ecosystem services, can have long-term impacts on biodiversity, climate, and local livelihoods. The quantification of forest degradation, its dynamics and proximate causes can help prompt early action to mitigate carbon emissions and inform relevant land use policies. The Democratic Republic of the Congo is largely forested with a relatively low deforestation rate, but anthropogenic degradation has been increasing in recent years. We assess the impact of eight independent variables related to land cover, land use, infrastructure, armed conflicts, and accessibility on forest degradation, measured by the Forest Condition (FC) index, a measure of forest degradation based on biomass history and fragmentation that ranges from 0 (completely deforested) to 100 (intact). We employ spatial panel models with fixed effects using regular 25 × 25 km units over five 3-year intervals from 2002 to 2016. The regression results suggest that the presence of swamp ecosystems, low access (defined by high travel time), and forest concessions are associated with lower forest degradation, while built up area, fire frequency, armed conflicts result in greater forest degradation. The impact of neighboring units on FC shows that all variables within the 50 km spatial neighborhood have a greater effect on FC than the on-site spatial determinants, indicating the greater influence of drivers beyond the 25 km2 unit. In the case of protected areas, we unexpectedly find that protection in neighboring locations leads to higher forest degradation, suggesting a potential leakage effect, while protected areas in the local vicinity have a positive influence on FC. The Mann-Kendall trend statistic of occurrences of fires and conflicts over the time period and until 2020 show that significant increases in conflicts and fires are spatially divergent. Overall, our results highlight how assessing the proximate causes of forest degradation with spatiotemporal analysis can support targeted interventions and policies to reduce forest degradation but spillover effects of proximal drivers in neighboring areas need to be considered.
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Katuala, Pionus G. B., Jan Kennis, Violaine Nicolas, Wim Wendelen, Jan Hulselmans, Erik Verheyen, Natalie Van Houtte, Theo Dierckx, Akaibe M. Dudu, and Herwig Leirs. "The presence of Praomys, Lophuromys, and Deomys species (Muridae, Mammalia) in the forest blocks separated by the Congo River and its tributaries (Kisangani region, Democratic Republic of Congo)." mammalia 72, no. 3 (January 1, 2008). http://dx.doi.org/10.1515/mamm.2008.044.
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Y.B., Masens Da-Musa, Briki K. Cyril, Masens Mandung, and Koto-Te-Nyiwa Ngbolua. "Floristic Inventory and Evaluation of Carbon Sequestration Potential of the Misomuni Forest Massif, Kikwit City (Democratic Republic of the Congo)." Journal of Botanical Research 3, no. 4 (September 3, 2021). http://dx.doi.org/10.30564/jbr.v3i4.3505.
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The aim of this study was to inventory plant biodiversity and to evaluate the carbon sequestration potential of the Misomuni forest massif. An inventory of all trees with diameter at breast height (dbh) ≥ 10 cm measured at 1.30 m height was performed. The aerial biomass (AGB) was used for estimating the stored CO2 and its carbon equivalent. 88 plant species belonging to 71 genera and 32 families were inventoried. Fabaceae family displayed the highest number of species and genera. The highest basal area values were displayed by Scorodophloeus zenkeri (7.34 ± 2.45 m2 /ha), Brachystegia laurentii (5.82 ± 1.94 m2 /ha), Entandrophragma utile (5.28 ± 1.94 m2 /ha), Pentadesma butyracea (4.53 ± 1.51 m2 /ha). The highest values of stored carbon and their carbon equivalent were observed in Pentadesma butyracea (15.13 ± 5.00 and 50.55 ± 16.85 t/ha), Picralima nitida (7.02 ± 2.34 and 23.66 ± 7.88 t/ha), Strombosia tetandra (6.56 ± 2.18 and 22.10 ± 7.36 t/ha). The Misomuni forest massif is thus much floristically diversified and plays a significant role in the sequestration of CO2. The total AGB of the inventoried trees is 183.78 ± 61.26 t/ha corresponding to stored carbon and carbon equivalent of 96.63 ± 32.21 t/ha and 289.92 ± 96.64 t/ha respectively. The protection of this ecosystem is highly needed for combatting climatic changes at local, national and regional scales and for the conservation biodiversity habitat.
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Faustin Zigabe Mushobekwa and Bamba Bukengu Muhaya. "Socio-Cultural and Economic Role and Importance of Biodiversity and Forest in the Democratic Republic of Congo: Case of the Upper-Katanga Province." Journal of Environmental Science and Engineering A 7, no. 5 (May 28, 2018). http://dx.doi.org/10.17265/2162-5298/2018.05.003.
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Mackay, Anson W., Rebecca Lee, and James M. Russell. "Recent climate-driven ecological changes in tropical montane lakes of Rwenzori Mountains National Park, central Africa." Journal of Paleolimnology, November 4, 2020. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10933-020-00161-x.
Full textAbstract:
Abstract Rwenzori Mountains National Park, which straddles the border between the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda, has experienced rapid glacier loss since the beginning of the twentieth century, yet there has been little investigation of aquatic biodiversity change in the park. This study presents a paleolimnological analysis from Lake Mahoma (2990 m asl), which is situated in the bamboo-forest transition zone. Diatom and organic geochemistry data from a 39-cm-long sediment core with a basal age of c. 1715 CE were compared with new analyses of previously published data from Lakes Bujuku (3891 m asl) and Lower Kitandara (3989 m asl), in the alpine zone. Comparisons were made to determine if aquatic ecosystem changes exhibited similar inter-lake patterns over the past ~ 150 years of climate warming and glacial recession, or if only local change was apparent. The diatom flora of Lake Mahoma is acidophilous, dominated by Aulacoseira ikapoënsis since at least the mid eighteenth century. In recent decades, the obligate nitrogen-heterotroph Nitzschia palea increased in importance, concurrent with declining δ15Norg values. We suggest that these late twentieth century changes were linked to regional warming and increased thermal stratification of Lake Mahoma. Regional comparisons of the Rwenzori lakes were done using existing organic geochemistry records (total organic carbon, C/N and δ13Corg) and through diatom compositional turnover analyses, and categorisation of species into one of four diatom growth morphology traits, or guilds: tychoplanktonic, high-profile, low-profile and motile. Over the past 150 years, all three lakes showed unidirectional, compositional diatom turnover, indicating that deterministic processes had affected diatom communities. Declining turnover at each site is broadly mirrored by an increase in tychoplanktonic taxa, along with concomitant declines in high-profile diatoms at Lake Mahoma, and low-profile diatoms at Lake Bujuku, and at least for the past 60 years, at Lower Kitandara. The interplay between diatom guilds at all sites is mainly a consequence of competition for available resources. Sediment organic carbon at all sites comes from both autochthonous and allochthonous sources, the relative abundances of which are influenced by the time elapsed since lakes had glaciers in their catchment.