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Mercader, Julio, Freya Runge, Luc Vrydaghs, Hughes Doutrelepont, Corneille E. N. Ewango, and Jordi Juan-Tresseras. "Phytoliths from Archaeological Sites in the Tropical Forest of Ituri, Democratic Republic of Congo." Quaternary Research 54, no. 1 (July 2000): 102–12. http://dx.doi.org/10.1006/qres.2000.2150.
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Phytoliths record late Quaternary vegetation at three archaeological sites in the Ituri rain forest. The oldest deposits, dated to ca. 19,000 to 10,000 14C yr B.P., contain abundant phytoliths of grasses but also enough arboreal forms to show that the landscape was forested. The late-glacial forests may have had a more open canopy than today's. Younger phytolith assemblages show that the northeast Congo basin was densely forested throughout the Holocene. Archaeological materials among the phytoliths show that people lived in this region during the Pleistocene. Therefore, Pleistocene and Holocene prehistoric foragers probably inhabited tropical forests of the northeast Congo basin many millennia before farming appeared in the region.
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De Block, Petra. "Ixora kalehensis, a new Rubiaceae species from the Democratic Republic of the Congo." Plant Ecology and Evolution 151, no. 3 (November 28, 2018): 442–48. http://dx.doi.org/10.5091/plecevo.2018.1523.
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Background – The rain forest genus Ixora currently comprises 37 species in Continental Africa. Within the framework of a treatment of the genus for the Flore d’Afrique centrale, a new species is described from D.R. Congo, despite its being known from only two specimens.Methods – Standard methods of herbarium taxonomy are followed.Key results – Ixora kalehensis De Block, a new species from the Central Forest District in D.R. Congo, is described and illustrated. Ixora kalehensis remains under-collected and relatively poorly known but can nevertheless easily be distinguished from other Ixora species. The most distinctive character is the colour of the dried leaves: blackish on the upper surface and vivid brown on the lower surface. Other important characters are the small-sized, compact and sessile inflorescences and the large tree habit. The species is only known from two specimens collected in the 1950s and its preliminary IUCN status is Endangered (EN B2ab(iii)). The lack of more recent herbarium material highlights that the collecting effort in D.R. Congo remains substandard. It is hoped that the formal description of Ixora kalehensis will draw attention of international and local collectors and will result in more material and greater knowledge of the species. The description of this species brings the number of Ixora species to thirteen for central Africa (D.R. Congo, Rwanda and Burundi) and to twelve for D.R. Congo. An identification key to the species of D.R. Congo is provided.
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Van Krunkelsven, Ellen, Inogwabini Bila lsia, and Dirk Draulans. "A survey of bonobos and other large mammals in the Salonga National Park, Democratic Republic of Congo." Oryx 34, no. 3 (July 2000): 180–87. http://dx.doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-3008.2000.00117.x.
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AbstractIn December 1997 and January 1998 we travelled to the northern section of the Salonga National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The park is the largest African rain forest reserve, and was created in 1970 to protect endemic species such as the bonobo Pan paniscus and the Congo peacock Afropavo congensis. However, hardly any data exist on the status of animals in the park. In order to collect basic information, we set up camp at four sites along two rivers, where we followed long trails deep into the forest. A total of 7.5 km line transects were cut from three sites, along which all evidence of large mammals was recorded. Our data indicate that key forest species, including bonobo, bongo Tragelaphus euryceros, black mangabey Lophocebus alterimus and leopard Panthera pardus, are present in reasonable numbers in the part of the park we explored. Bonobo density was calculated at 1.15 animals per sq km, based on nest counts. Some elephants Loxodonta africana survive, despite the enormous hunting pressure. Conservation measures to protect the animals need to be taken urgently.
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COCQUYT, CHRISTINE, MYRIAM DE HAAN, and EDIT LOKELE NDJOMBO. "Eunotia rudis sp. nov., a new diatom (Bacillariophyta) from the Man and Biosphere Reserve at Yangambi, Democratic Republic of the Congo." Phytotaxa 272, no. 1 (August 26, 2016): 73. http://dx.doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.272.1.4.
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Eunotia rudis sp. nov. is described from material collected in acid rivers in an almost pristine tropical rain forest in the Congo Basin in Central Africa. The benthic diatom community was dominated by other Eunotia spp. and small naviculoid taxa. The morphological features of the new species are described and documented based on light and scanning electron microscopy investigations. Eunotia rudis sp. nov. can be distinguished from other taxa within the genus Eunotia by its typical slightly asymmetric valve shape with four dorsal undulations and the rough surface of the thick silica wall. In contrast to other Eunotia species, the number of dorsal undulations was constant in all observed populations. Differences between the new species and the related Eunotia garucisa and E. garucisa var. polydentula are discussed.
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BAREJ, MICHAEL F., ANDREAS SCHMITZ, MICHELE MENEGON, ANNIKA HILLERS, HARALD HINKEL, WOLFGANG BÖHME, and MARK-OLIVER RÖDEL. "Dusted off—the African Amietophrynus superciliaris-species complex of giant toads." Zootaxa 2772, no. 1 (February 23, 2011): 1. http://dx.doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.2772.1.1.
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Amietophrynus superciliaris is known to occur in rain forests from West Africa to eastern Democratic Republic of Congo and Gabon. We herein present morphological and molecular data indicating the existence of three distinct taxa. The name A. superciliaris superciliaris is restricted to toads from the western Lower Guinean Forest (eastern Nigeria, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon). We resurrect A. s. chevalieri for the Upper Guinean forest (Sierra Leone, Guinea, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Ghana) and describe a new species occurring in the eastern part of the Lower Guinean Forest (eastern Democratic Republic of Congo). Amietophrynus channingi sp. nov. from eastern Lower Guinean Forest differs from both other taxa by its brownish lateral coloration (reddish-purple in the other taxa). The new species differs morphologically from western Lower Guinean A. s. superciliaris by a less pointed eyelid process, a dark coloured posterior abdominal region and a dark coloured vertebral line (both absent in A. s. superciliaris), the shape of the parotid glands (bulged and rounded at the posterior tip in the new species, slender drop shaped and pointed at the posterior tip in A. s. superciliaris), and juvenile interorbital markings (V-shaped in the new species, usually interrupted and broken in A. s. superciliaris). Amietophrynus channingi sp. nov. differs from the Upper Guinean A. s. chevalieri by the presence of an eyelid process (absent in A. s. chevalieri), presence of a dark vertebral line and a pair of dark spots on the posterior part of the back (both absent in A. s. chevalieri). The Upper Guinean A. s. chevalieri differs from western Lower Guinean A. s. superciliaris by the absence of an eyelid process, a dark coloured posterior abdominal region (absent in A. s. superciliaris) and lacking a pair of dark spots in the posterior part of the back (present in A. s. superciliaris). The new species differs from both other taxa by 2.2–2.8% in the investigated 16S rRNA gene. West African and western Central African populations differ by only 0.9–1.1% in 16S rRNA, lacking any intra-taxon variation within each clade, and are cautiously regarded as subspecies although the genetic distinction is mirrored by strong morphological differences and distinct geographic distribution which may support its elevation to species status once that more comprehensive data become available. A key to the taxa of the A. superciliaris-species complex is provided.
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van der Hoek, Yntze, Wadika Dumbo Pazo, Escobar Binyinyi, Urbain Ngobobo, Tara S. Stoinski, and Damien Caillaud. "Diet of Grauer’s Gorillas (Gorilla beringei graueri) in a Low-Elevation Forest." Folia Primatologica 92, no. 2 (2021): 126–38. http://dx.doi.org/10.1159/000515377.
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Although the vast majority of critically endangered Grauer’s gorillas (<i>Gorilla beringei graueri</i>) inhabit low-elevation rain forests, current insights into this ape’s life history and ecology stem predominantly from 2 small populations ranging in highland habitats. Here, we provide an initial and non-exhaustive overview of food items of Grauer’s gorillas in the Nkuba Conservation Area (NCA), a lower-elevation (500–1,500 m) forest located between Kahuzi-Biega National Park and Maiko National Park in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Community-based conservation efforts at the NCA aim to protect a population of unhabituated Grauer’s gorillas, which we have studied since 2014. Between 2014 and 2020, we simultaneously tracked 1–3 gorilla groups and recorded a total of 10,514 feeding signs on at least 100 plant species, ants, termites, and fungi. Vegetative plant parts (plant stems, leaves, pith, bark, and roots), especially of Marantaceae and Fabaceae, made up close to 90% of recorded feeding signs, with fruit accounting for most of the remainder and a small (<1%) number of feeding signs on invertebrates and fungi. We found that the most frequently recorded food items were consumed year-round, though fruit intake seems to peak in the September-December wet season, possibly reflecting patterns in fruit phenology. The diet of Grauer’s gorillas in the NCA differed from that of Grauer’s gorillas in highland habitat and instead showed similarities with Grauer’s gorillas at the lowland forest of Itebero and with western lowland gorillas (<i>G. gorilla</i>), which live under ecologically comparable conditions.
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Samndong, Raymond, and Arild Vatn. "Competing Tenures: Implications for REDD+ in the Democratic Republic of Congo." Forests 9, no. 11 (October 24, 2018): 662. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/f9110662.
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The capacity of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) forests to sequestrate carbon has attracted interest from the international community to protect forests for carbon storage and alleviate rural poverty by establishing REDD+ (Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation). Using information gathered from interviews, focus groups, field observations, and policy document analysis, this paper demonstrates that REDD+ is not well adapted to the institutional structures of forest governance in the DRC, including both statutory and customary tenure. The lack of harmonization between these systems has created a situation of competition between state and customary authorities. This has created opportunities for powerful actors to ‘shop’ between the two systems to attempt to legitimize their expanded use and control over forest resources. As the REDD+ process evolves from the preparation to the implementation phase, competing institutional structures may negatively impact the effectiveness of REDD+, as well as the distribution of costs and benefits. While the newly enacted community forest law provides an opportunity to recognize customary rights to forestland, the lack of functional local government at the district and village levels has prompted REDD+ pilot project organizers to establish new village organizations for REDD+.
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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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Mvumbi, D., L. Bobanga, J. M. Kayembe, N. T. Situakibanza, G. Mvumbi, and M. P. Hayette. "No simian plasmodium detected in populations living in the equatorial rainy forest of the Democratic Republic of Congo." International Journal of Infectious Diseases 21 (April 2014): 152. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ijid.2014.03.741.
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Ngoyi Tshite, Franck, Van Tshiombe Mulamba, and Patrice Lienge. "Agronomic evaluation of rain fed rice varieties in Seke - Banza area, Democratic Republic of Congo." International Journal of Biological and Chemical Sciences 10, no. 5 (March 28, 2017): 2039. http://dx.doi.org/10.4314/ijbcs.v10i5.8.
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Virgilio, M., T. Backeljau, R. Emeleme, J. L. Juakali, and M. De Meyer. "A quantitative comparison of frugivorous tephritids (Diptera: Tephritidae) in tropical forests and rural areas of the Democratic Republic of Congo." Bulletin of Entomological Research 101, no. 5 (May 4, 2011): 591–97. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0007485311000216.
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AbstractMost of the current knowledge about African tephritids originates from studies performed in agricultural areas, while information about their distribution in pristine or moderately disturbed environments is extremely scarce. This study aims at (i) describing levels of spatial variability of frugivorous tephritids in tropical forests and small rural villages of the Congo River basin and (ii) verifying if human-mediated activities, such as small-scale agriculture and trade, can affect their distribution patterns. Four locations were sampled along a 250 km stretch of the Congo River. At each location, pristine and disturbed habitats (i.e. tropical forests and small rural villages, respectively) were sampled, with three replicate sites in each combination of habitat and location. Sampling with modified McPhail traps baited with four different attractants yielded 819 tephritid specimens of 29 species from seven genera (Bactrocera, Carpophthoromyia, Ceratitis, Dacus, Celidodacus, Perilampsis, Trirhithrum). The three most abundant species sampled (Dacus bivittatus, D. punctatifrons, Bactrocera invadens) showed significant variations in abundance across locations and sites and accounted for 98.29% of the overall dissimilarity between habitats. Assemblages differed among locations and sites while they showed significant differences between pristine and disturbed habitats in two out of the four locations. This study shows that frugivorous tephritids in central Congo have remarkably patchy distributions with differences among locations and sites representing the main source of variability. Our data show that, in rural villages of central Democratic Republic of Congo, human activities, such as small-scale agriculture and local commerce, are not always sufficient to promote differences between the tephritid assemblages of villages and those of the surrounding tropical forests.
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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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Mercader, Julio, and Alison S. Brooks. "Across Forests and Savannas: Later Stone Age Assemblages from Ituri and Semliki, Democratic Republic of Congo." Journal of Anthropological Research 57, no. 2 (July 2001): 197–217. http://dx.doi.org/10.1086/jar.57.2.3631567.
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Oslisly, Richard, Ilham Bentaleb, Charly Favier, Michel Fontugne, Jean François Gillet, and Julie Morin-Rivat. "West Central African Peoples: Survey of Radiocarbon Dates over the Past 5000 Years." Radiocarbon 55, no. 3 (2013): 1377–82. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s003382220004830x.
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Tracing human history in west central Africa suffers from a scarcity of historical data and archaeological remains. In order to provide new insight into this problem, we reviewed 733 radiocarbon dates of archaeological sites from the end of the Late Stone Age, Neolithic Stage, and Early and Late Iron Age in Cameroon, Gabon, Central African Republic, Equatorial Guinea, Republic of Congo, and the western Democratic Republic of Congo. This review provides a spatiotemporal framework of human settlement in the forest biome. Beyond the well-known initial spread of Iron Age populations through central African forests from 2500 cal BP, it depicts the geographical patterns and links with the cultural evolution of the successive phases of human expansion from 5000 to 3000 cal BP and then from 3000 to 1600 cal BP, of the hinterland depopulation from 1350 to 860 cal BP, and of recolonization up to 500 cal BP.
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Inogwabini, Bila-Isia, Bewa Matungila, Longwango Mbende, Mbenzo Abokome, and Tshimanga wa Tshimanga. "Great apes in the Lake Tumba landscape, Democratic Republic of Congo: newly described populations." Oryx 41, no. 4 (October 2007): 532–38. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0030605307414120.
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AbstractOver 8 months we surveyed the Lake Tumba landscape, Democratic Republic of Congo, walking 86 km of transects and 324 km of reconnaissance, to document the distribution and estimate the abundance of great apes. Five separate groups of bonobo Pan paniscus were located in the areas of Bolombo-Losombo, Mbala-Donkese, Ngombe-Botuali, Botuali-Ilombe, and Mompulenge–Mbanzi-Malebo–Nguomi, and one population of chimpanzees Pan troglodytes in the Bosobele-Lubengo area. Mean bonobo densities ranged from 0.27 individuals km-2 in the vicinity of Lake Tumba to 2.2 individuals km-2 in the Malebo-Nguomi area. In the latter they appear to be living at a higher density than reported for any other site. This may be due to the area's forest-savannah mosaic habitat, which may provide year-round fruit sources, with bonobos falling back on savannah fruits when forest resources are scarce. The bonobos of the Bolombo-Losombo area and the Bosobele-Lubengo chimpanzees have low relative abundances and live in marginal habitats of islands of terra firma within inundated forests.
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Majambu, Eliezer, Salomon Mampeta Wabasa, Camille Welepele Elatre, Laurence Boutinot, and Symphorien Ongolo. "Can Traditional Authority Improve the Governance of Forestland and Sustainability? Case Study from the Congo (DRC)." Land 8, no. 5 (April 26, 2019): 74. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/land8050074.
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With about 107 million hectares of moist forest, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is a perfect paradox of a natural resources endowed country caught in repeated economic and socio-political crises. Democratic Republic of Congo possesses about 60% of the Congo basin’s forest on which the majority of its people rely for their survival. Even if the national forest land in the countryside is mainly exploited by local populations based on customary rights, they usually do not have land titles due to the fact that the state claims an exclusive ownership of all forest lands in the Congo basin including in DRC. The tragedy of “bad governance” of natural resources is often highlighted in the literature as one of the major drivers of poverty and conflicts in DRC. In the forest domain, several studies have demonstrated that state bureaucracies cannot convincingly improve the governance of forestland because of cronyism, institutional weaknesses, corruption and other vested interests that govern forest and land tenure systems in the country. There are however very few rigorous studies on the role of traditional leaders or chiefdoms in the governance of forests and land issues in the Congo basin. This research aimed at addressing this lack of knowledge by providing empirical evidence through the case study of Yawalo village, located around the Yangambi Biosphere Reserve in the Democratic Republic of Congo. From a methodological perspective, it used a mixed approach combining both qualitative (field observations, participatory mapping, interviews, focal group discussions, and desk research,) and quantitative (remote sensing and statistics) methods. The main findings of our research reveal that: (i) vested interests of traditional rulers in the DRC countryside are not always compatible with a sustainable management of forestland; and (ii) influential users of forestland resources at the local level take advantage of traditional leaders’ weaknesses—lack of autonomy and coercive means, erratic recognition of customary rights, and poor legitimacy—to impose illegal hunting and uncontrolled forest exploitation.
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Tyukavina, Alexandra, Matthew C. Hansen, Peter Potapov, Diana Parker, Chima Okpa, Stephen V. Stehman, Indrani Kommareddy, and Svetlana Turubanova. "Congo Basin forest loss dominated by increasing smallholder clearing." Science Advances 4, no. 11 (November 2018): eaat2993. http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.aat2993.
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A regional assessment of forest disturbance dynamics from 2000 to 2014 was performed for the Congo Basin countries using time-series satellite data. Area of forest loss was estimated and disaggregated by predisturbance forest type and direct disturbance driver. An estimated 84% of forest disturbance area in the region is due to small-scale, nonmechanized forest clearing for agriculture. Annual rates of small-scale clearing for agriculture in primary forests and woodlands doubled between 2000 and 2014, mirroring increasing population growth. Smallholder clearing in the Democratic Republic of the Congo alone accounted for nearly two-thirds of total forest loss in the basin. Selective logging is the second most significant disturbance driver, contributing roughly 10% of regional gross forest disturbance area and more than 60% of disturbance area in Gabon. Forest loss due to agro-industrial clearing along the Gulf of Guinea coast more than doubled in the last half of the study period. Maintaining natural forest cover in the Congo Basin into the future will be challenged by an expected fivefold population growth by 2100 and allocation of industrial timber harvesting and large-scale agricultural development inside remaining old-growth forests.
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Inogwabini, Bila-Isia, and Bewa Matungila. "Bonobo Food Items, Food Availability and Bonobo Distribution in the Lake Tumba Swampy Forests, Democratic Republic of Congo." Open Conservation Biology Journal 3, no. 1 (April 28, 2009): 14–23. http://dx.doi.org/10.2174/1874839200903010014.
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Lokonda, Michel, Vincent Freycon, Sylvie Gourlet-Fleury, and Ferdinand Kombele. "Are soils under monodominant Gilbertiodendron dewevrei and under adjacent mixed forests similar? A case study in the Democratic Republic of Congo." Journal of Tropical Ecology 34, no. 3 (May 2018): 176–85. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0266467418000135.
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Abstract:Soil has been proposed as a driver explaining the development of monodominant forests in the tropics, for example, Gilbertiodendron dewevrei forests (GDF) in central Africa. The aim of this study was to compare the physical and chemical properties of soils under GDF with those under an adjacent mixed forest (AMF), while controlling for topography. To this end, we set up sixteen 0.25-ha plots according to forest type and topography (plateau vs. bottomland), in the Yoko forest reserve, Democratic Republic of Congo. In each plot, we measured litter thickness and collected a total of 80 soil samples at depths of 0–5, 5–10, 10–20, 20–40 and 120–150 cm, for standard physical and chemical analyses. When controlling for topography and soil texture, we found that most of the chemical properties of soils under GDF did not differ from those of soils under AMF, particularly acidity, cation concentration, total N and the C:N ratio. The litter layer was 2.3 times thicker under GDF than under AMF stands, and, for a given texture, soils under GDF had a slightly higher organic C concentration in the 0–5 cm soil layer. This study suggests that G. dewevrei stands modify organic matter dynamics, which may be important in maintaining its monodominance.
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Munzimi, Yolande A., Matthew C. Hansen, Bernard Adusei, and Gabriel B. Senay. "Characterizing Congo Basin Rainfall and Climate Using Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) Satellite Data and Limited Rain Gauge Ground Observations." Journal of Applied Meteorology and Climatology 54, no. 3 (March 2015): 541–55. http://dx.doi.org/10.1175/jamc-d-14-0052.1.
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AbstractQuantitative understanding of Congo River basin hydrological behavior is poor because of the basin’s limited hydrometeorological observation network. In cases such as the Congo basin where ground data are scarce, satellite-based estimates of rainfall, such as those from the joint NASA/JAXA Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM), can be used to quantify rainfall patterns. This study tests and reports the use of limited rainfall gauge data within the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to recalibrate a TRMM science product (TRMM 3B42, version 6) in characterizing precipitation and climate in the Congo basin. Rainfall estimates from TRMM 3B42, version 6, are compared and adjusted using ground precipitation data from 12 DRC meteorological stations from 1998 to 2007. Adjustment is achieved on a monthly scale by using a regression-tree algorithm. The output is a new, basin-specific estimate of monthly and annual rainfall and climate types across the Congo basin. This new product and the latest version-7 TRMM 3B43 science product are validated by using an independent long-term dataset of historical isohyets. Standard errors of the estimate, root-mean-square errors, and regression coefficients r were slightly and uniformly better with the recalibration from this study when compared with the 3B43 product (mean monthly standard errors of 31 and 40 mm of precipitation and mean r2 of 0.85 and 0.82, respectively), but the 3B43 product was slightly better in terms of bias estimation (1.02 and 1.00). Despite reasonable doubts that have been expressed in studies of other tropical regions, within the Congo basin the TRMM science product (3B43) performed in a manner that is comparable to the performance of the recalibrated product that is described in this study.
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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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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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Sabin, Scott, Birori Dieudonne, John Mitchell, Jared White, Corey Chin, and Robert Morikawa. "Community-Based Watershed Change: A Case Study in Eastern Congo." Forests 10, no. 6 (May 31, 2019): 475. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/f10060475.
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Conflict and environmental degradation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo are interrelated and complex. The authors conducted a case study of a community-based environmental restoration project in Eastern Congo and provide early results which suggest a link between community environmental action and multidimensional outcomes such as peace and reconciliation. The project examined in this study is based on a framework (Theory of Change) which networks communities through autonomous savings groups, churches, mosques, schools, and a community leadership network with the goal of catalyzing sustainable farming, reforestation, and community forest management. The primary project input was training, and the resulting voluntary community action included tree planting and the management of common forest areas. A mixed-methods approach was used to evaluate project results comparing two watersheds, and included a difference in differences analysis, participatory workshops, remote sensing analysis, and community activity reports. Positive change was observed in the treatment watershed in terms of ecosystem health and household economic condition. Results suggest a possible influence on peace conditions which, while fragile, offers hope for continued restorative action by communities. This study provides evidence that a community-based approach to environmental restoration may have a positive influence on multidimensional issues such as forests, watershed health, economic well-being, and peace.
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Doumtsop, Armand R. P. F., Rachid Hanna, Maurice Tindo, Willy K. Tata-Hangy, Apollin K. Fotso, Komi K. M. Fiaboe, Abraham Fomena, Adolph Kemga, and Benjamin B. Normark. "Geographic distribution and abundance of the Afrotropical subterranean scale insect Stictococcus vayssierei (Hemiptera: Stictococcidae), a pest of root and tuber crops in the Congo basin." Bulletin of Entomological Research 110, no. 2 (October 1, 2019): 293–301. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0007485319000658.
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AbstractStictococcus vayssierei is a major pest of root and tuber crops in central Africa. However, data on its ecology are lacking. Here we provide an updated estimate of its distribution with the aim of facilitating the sustainable control of its populations. Surveys conducted in nine countries encompassing 13 ecological regions around the Congo basin showed that African root and tuber scale was present in Cameroon, Central African Republic, Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon and Uganda. It was not found on the sites surveyed in Chad and Nigeria. The pest occurred in the forest and the forest-savannah mosaic as well as in the savannah where it was never recorded before. However, prevalence was higher in the forest (43.1%) where cassava was the most infested crop, compared to the savannah (9.2%) where aroids (cocoyam and taro) were the most infested crops. In the forest habitat, the pest was prevalent in all but two ecological regions: the Congolian swamp forests and the Southern Congolian forest-savanna mosaic. In the savannah habitat, it was restricted to the moist savannah highlands and absent from dry savannahs. The scale was not observed below 277 m asl. Where present, the scale was frequently (87.1% of the sites) attended by the ant Anoplolepis tenella. High densities (>1000 scales per plant) were recorded along the Cameroon–Gabon border. Good regulatory measures within and between countries are required to control the exchange of plant materials and limit its spread. The study provides information for niche modeling and risk mapping.
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Kambale, Jean-Léon K., Bernard T. Malombo, Eric W. Katembo, Reddy E. Shutsha, Judith M. Tsongo, Elie P. Bugentho, Patrick K. Mutombo, et al. "Comparative study of the floristic and structural diversity of three lowland forests of the former Province Orientale, Democratic Republic of the Congo." Tropical Plant Research 6, no. 1 (April 30, 2019): 63–73. http://dx.doi.org/10.22271/tpr.2019.v6.i1.011.
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CIRIMWAMI, L. "DOES THE ALTITUDE AFFECT THE STABILITY OF MONTANE FORESTS? A STUDY IN THE KAHUZI-BIEGA NATIONAL PARK (DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO)." Applied Ecology and Environmental Research 15, no. 4 (2017): 1697–713. http://dx.doi.org/10.15666/aeer/1504_16971713.
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Nsangua, Benoit Mposo, Hippollyte Nshimba Nseya, Faustin Boyemba B., Roger Katusi L., Faustin Mbayo M., and Laurianne Mbuyu M. "Etude De La Variabilite Structurale Et Floristique Des Forets Sur Terre Ferme En Chefferie De Bahema-Boga (Province De L’ituri, RDC)." European Scientific Journal, ESJ 14, no. 30 (October 31, 2018): 500. http://dx.doi.org/10.19044/esj.2018.v14n30p500.
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The knowledge of the structural and floristic variability of forest is the principal tool which makes it possible to know the floristic composition of forest in an area. This paper focuses on analyzing the structural and floristic variability between compounds of forest on firm earth in chieftainship Bahema-boga in Ituri Province in Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The study provides knowledge and education to those responsible for environmental protection and those who are concerned with the forest based on the floristic potential for the conservation and the sustainable management of the forests. The structure and the floristic composition vary from one forest to another. The quantity of carbon stoke also vary due to the function of structures and floristic composition of forests. The forests play an important role in the reduction of CO2. The inventories of trees whose diameter is ≥ 10 cm have allowed us to collect the data to analyze this structural and floristic variability in a sample of 3 ha (plots) of forests in firm earth. The results obtained indicate that 812 inventoried individuals (trees) are extended in 16 species, 11 kinds, and 8 famillies. The total earth surface of inventoried individuals is 32,06 m2 /ha. The species of Cynometra sessiliflora dominated those forests with 408 individuals (50,25%). The diametric class of the most elevated inventoried plants are located between 10-20cm (63,17%). The family of the Fabaceae is better represented in those forests (73,65%).
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Fa, John E., Dominic Currie, and Jessica Meeuwig. "Bushmeat and food security in the Congo Basin: linkages between wildlife and people's future." Environmental Conservation 30, no. 1 (March 2003): 71–78. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0376892903000067.
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Tropical moist forests in Africa are concentrated in the Congo Basin. A variety of animals in these forests, in particular mammals, are hunted for their meat, termed bushmeat. This paper investigates current and future trends of bushmeat protein, and non-bushmeat protein supply, for inhabitants of the main Congo Basin countries. Since most bushmeat is derived from forest mammals, published extraction (E) and production (P) estimates of mammal populations were used to calculate the per person protein supplied by these. Current bushmeat protein supply may range from 30 g person−1 day−1 in the Democratic Republic of Congo, to 180 g person−1 day−1 in Gabon. Future bushmeat protein supplies were predicted for the next 50 years by employing current E:P ratios, and controlling for known deforestation and population growth rates. At current exploitation rates, bushmeat protein supply would drop 81% in all countries in less than 50 years; only three countries would be able to maintain a protein supply above the recommended daily requirement of 52 g person−1 day−1. However, if bushmeat harvests were reduced to a sustainable level, all countries except Gabon would be dramatically affected by the loss of wild protein supply. The dependence on bushmeat protein is emphasized by the fact that four out of the five countries studied do not produce sufficient amounts of non-bushmeat protein to feed their populations. These findings imply that a significant number of forest mammals could become extinct relatively soon, and that protein malnutrition is likely to increase dramatically if food security in the region is not promptly resolved.
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Hicks, Thurston C., Hjalmar S. Kühl, Christophe Boesch, Steph B. J. Menken, John Hart, Peter Roessingh, Corneille Ewango, and Roger Mundry. "The Relationship Between Tool Use and Prey Availability in Chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii) of Northern Democratic Republic of Congo." International Journal of Primatology 41, no. 6 (May 14, 2020): 936–59. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10764-020-00149-4.
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AbstractA key feature of human behavioral diversity is that it can be constrained by cultural preference (“cultural override”); that is, population-specific preferences can override resource availability. Here we investigate whether a similar phenomenon can be found in one of our closest relatives, as well as the potential impacts of ecological differences on feeding behavior. Our study subjects were different subpopulations of Eastern chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii) occupying two very different habitats, moist tropical lowland forests vs. moist tropical forest–savanna mosaic on opposite sides of a major river. Given differences in encounter rates of different kinds of tool sites on both sides of the Uele River, we predicted that these subpopulations would differ in their likelihood of using tools to prey on two insect species despite similar availability. In surveys conducted over a 9-year period at 19 different survey regions in northern Democratic Republic of Congo (10 in lowland forest and 9 in mosaic), we collected and analyzed data on chimpanzee tool-assisted exploitation of insects. To determine the availability of insect species eaten by the chimpanzees, we counted insects and their mounds on transects and recces at 12 of these sites. For stick tools used to harvest epigaeic Dorylus and ponerine ants, we evaluated seasonal, geographical, and prey-availability factors that might influence their occurrence, using nest encounter rate as a proxy to control for chimpanzee abundance. Across the 19 survey regions spanning both sides of the Uele, we found little difference in the availability of epigaeic Dorylus and ponerine ants. Despite this, tool encounter rates for epigaeic Dorylus, but not ponerine, ants were significantly higher in the mosaic to the north of the Uele. Furthermore, we found no evidence for termite fishing anywhere, despite the availability of Macrotermes mounds throughout the region and the fact that chimpanzees at a number of other study sites use tools to harvest these termites. Instead, the chimpanzees of this region used a novel percussive technique to harvest two other types of termites, Cubitermes sp. and Thoracotermes macrothorax. This mismatch between prey availability and predation is consistent with cultural override, but given the different habitats on the two sides of the Uele River, we cannot fully rule out the influence of ecological factors. Comparing our findings with those of similar studies of other chimpanzee populations promises to contribute to our understanding of the evolution of behavioral diversity in humans and our closest cousins.
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Alcayna-Stevens, Lys. "Habituating field scientists." Social Studies of Science 46, no. 6 (October 22, 2016): 833–53. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0306312716669251.
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This article explores the sensory dimensions of scientific field research in the only region in the world where free-ranging bonobos ( Pan paniscus) can be studied in their natural environment; the equatorial rainforest of the Democratic Republic of Congo. If, as sensory anthropologists have argued, the senses are developed, grown and honed in a given cultural and environmental milieu, how is it that field scientists come to dwell among familiarity in a world which is, at first, unfamiliar? This article builds upon previous anthropological and philosophical engagements with habituation that have critically examined primatologists’ attempts to become ‘neutral objects in the environment’ in order to habituate wild apes to their presence. It does so by tracing the somatic modes of attention developed by European and North American researchers as they follow bonobos in these forests. The argument is that as environments, beings and their elements become familiar, they do not become ‘neutral’, but rather, suffused with meaning.
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Jiang, Shengnan, Zhenke Zhang, Hang Ren, Guoen Wei, Minghui Xu, and Binglin Liu. "Spatiotemporal Characteristics of Urban Land Expansion and Population Growth in Africa from 2001 to 2019: Evidence from Population Density Data." ISPRS International Journal of Geo-Information 10, no. 9 (August 29, 2021): 584. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/ijgi10090584.
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Africa has been undergoing a rapid urbanization process, which is critical to the achievement of the 11th Sustainable Development Goal (SDG11). Using population density data from LandScan, we proposed a population density-based thresholding method to generate urban land and urban population data in Africa from 2001 to 2019, which were further applied to detect the spatiotemporal characteristics of Africa’s urbanization. The results showed that urban land and urban population have both grown rapidly in Africa, which increased by about 5.92% and 4.91%, respectively. The top three countries with the most intense urbanization process in Africa are Nigeria, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Ethiopia. The coupling relationship index of urban land expansion and population growth was 0.76 in Africa during 2001–2019. Meanwhile, the total proportion of uncoordinated development types at the provincial level was getting higher, which indicated an uncoordinated relationship between urban land expansion and population growth in Africa. Cropland, grassland, rural land, and forests were the most land-use types occupied by urban expansion. The proportion of cropland, grassland, and forests occupied was getting higher and higher from 2001 to 2019. The extensive urban land use may have an impact on the environmental and economic benefits brought by urbanization, which needs further research.
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Picard, Nicolas, Ludovic Ngok Banak, Salomon Namkosserena, and Yves Yalibanda. "The stock recovery rate in a Central African rain forest: an index of sustainability based on projection matrix models." Canadian Journal of Forest Research 39, no. 11 (November 2009): 2138–52. http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/x09-103.
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The stock recovery rate is used in most natural forests of the Congo Basin to assess logging sustainability. This rate is computed using the so-called Dimako formula. Although this formula has been used for many years now in management plans, its mathematical properties have not been closely reviewed. We show that the Dimako formula corresponds to a Leslie matrix model, and then we propose an extension of it as a Usher matrix model. The stock recovery rate at the end of the first felling cycle for six commercial species in the Central African Republic varied between 21.7% and 99.9%. As felling cycles follow each other, the stock recovery rate converged towards a limit that is the asymptotic stock recovery rate. This limit varies between 27.2% and 158.4% for the same six species. Comparing felling scenarios reveals that increasing the minimum harvest diameter was as efficient at increasing the stock recovery rate at the end of the first felling cycle as decreasing the logging intensity. The results for the other parameters of the felling scenarios varied among species, with changes in the stock recovery rate ranging from 0% to 180% at the end of the first felling cycle, and changes in the asymptotic rate ranging from 0% to 685%.
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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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Inogwabini, Bila-Isia. "The Bonobo Pan paniscus (Mammalia: Primates: Hominidae) nesting patterns and forest canopy layers in the Lake Tumba forests and Salonga National Park, Democratic Republic of Congo." Journal of Threatened Taxa 7, no. 12 (October 26, 2015): 7853–61. http://dx.doi.org/10.11609/jott.o4217.7853-61.
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Syavulisembo, A. M., H. B. Havenith, B. Smets, N. d'Oreye, and J. Marti. "Preliminary assessment for the use of VORIS as a tool for rapid lava flow simulation at Goma Volcano Observatory, Democratic Republic of the Congo." Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences 15, no. 10 (October 22, 2015): 2391–400. http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/nhess-15-2391-2015.
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Abstract. Assessment and management of volcanic risk are important scientific, economic, and political issues, especially in densely populated areas threatened by volcanoes. The Virunga volcanic province in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, with over 1 million inhabitants, has to cope permanently with the threat posed by the active Nyamulagira and Nyiragongo volcanoes. During the past century, Nyamulagira erupted at intervals of 1–4 years – mostly in the form of lava flows – at least 30 times. Its summit and flank eruptions lasted for periods of a few days up to more than 2 years, and produced lava flows sometimes reaching distances of over 20 km from the volcano. Though most of the lava flows did not reach urban areas, only impacting the forests of the endangered Virunga National Park, some of them related to distal flank eruptions affected villages and roads. In order to identify a useful tool for lava flow hazard assessment at Goma Volcano Observatory (GVO), we tested VORIS 2.0.1 (Felpeto et al., 2007), a freely available software (http://www.gvb-csic.es) based on a probabilistic model that considers topography as the main parameter controlling the lava flow propagation. We tested different parameters and digital elevation models (DEM) – SRTM1, SRTM3, and ASTER GDEM – to evaluate the sensitivity of the models to changes in input parameters of VORIS 2.0.1. Simulations were tested against the known lava flows and topography from the 2010 Nyamulagira eruption. The results obtained show that VORIS 2.0.1 is a quick, easy-to-use tool for simulating lava-flow eruptions and replicates to a high degree of accuracy the eruptions tested when input parameters are appropriately chosen. In practice, these results will be used by GVO to calibrate VORIS for lava flow path forecasting during new eruptions, hence contributing to a better volcanic crisis management.
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Chishugi, David Ushindi, Denis Jean Sonwa, Jean-Marie Kahindo, Destin Itunda, Josué Bahati Chishugi, Fiyo Losembe Félix, and Muhindo Sahani. "How Climate Change and Land Use/Land Cover Change Affect Domestic Water Vulnerability in Yangambi Watersheds (D. R. Congo)." Land 10, no. 2 (February 6, 2021): 165. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/land10020165.
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In the tropics, the domestic water supply depends principally on ecosystem services, including the regulation and purification of water by humid, dense tropical forests. The Yangambi Biosphere Reserve (YBR) landscape is situated within such forests in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Surprisingly, given its proximity to the Congo River, the YBR is confronted with water issues. As part of its ecosystem function, the landscape is expected to reduce deterioration of water quality. However, environmental consequences are increasing due to conversion of its dense forest into other types of land use/land cover (LULC) in response to human activities. It is therefore important to check how the physicochemical quality parameters of water resources are influenced by landscape parameters—and to know if the population can adapt to this water vulnerability. To do this, we analyzed the watershed typology (including morphometric and LULC characteristics) and the physical and chemical parameters of water within the principal watershed’s rivers. We also analyzed data from surveys and the Yangambi meteorological station. We found that some landscape indices related to LULC significantly influence water quality deterioration in Yangambi. On average, each person in the Yangambi landscape uses 29–43 liters of water per day. Unfortunately, this falls short of World Health Organization standards regarding some parameters. The best fitted simple linear regression model explains the variation in pH as a function of edge density of perturbed forest, edge density of crop land and patch density of dense forest up to 94%, 92% and 90%, respectively. While many researchers have identified the consequences of climate change and human activities on these water resources, the population is not well-equipped to deal with them. These results suggest that water management policies should consider the specificities of the Yangambi landscape in order to develop better mitigation strategies for a rational management of water resources in the YBR in the context of climate change.
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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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HEISS, ERNST, and VASILY GREBENNIKOV. "Monophyly, review, six new species and DNA barcode of micropterous Afromontane Afropictinus (Heteroptera: Aradidae)." Zootaxa 4208, no. 2 (December 15, 2016): 149. http://dx.doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4208.2.3.
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The micropterous East African flat bug genus Afropictinus Heiss, 1986 (Heteroptera: Aradidae: Mezirinae) is revised. In addition to the type and only known species A. congoensis (Hoberlandt, 1956) from Rwanda, four new species from Tanzania (A. castor sp. nov., A. hylas sp. nov., A. idas sp. nov., A. nauplius sp. nov.), one new species from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (A. kahuzianus sp. nov.), and one new species from Ethiopia (A. nabu sp. nov.) are described and illustrated. An identification key is presented to all seven nominal species of Afropictinus. DNA barcodes of 28 individuals of Afropictinus species were newly generated and together with 12 sequences of other Aradidae were made publicly available at dx.doi.org/10.5883/DS-AFROPICT. These mtDNA sequences were analyzed phylogenetically using Maximum Likelihood approach with 500 bootstraps. Obtained topology reveals a monophyletic Afropictinus with high statistical support (84%), although its sister group remains elusive. Both specimens of non-Tanzanian Afropictinus species included in the study (A. kahuzianus and A. nabu) were nested among Tanzanian congeners. The internal clades within Afropictinus, except for those at species and population level, had lesser statistical support. Despite of intense sampling, no Afropictinus species was found in mountain forests of geologically young (<2 Ma) volcanic highlands of the Ngorongoro-Kilimanjaro Volcanic Belt, which suggest reduced dispersal capacities.
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Jiménez, Abner, Alexander J. Hernández, and Víctor M. Rodríguez-Espinosa. "Integration of Geospatial Tools and Multi-source Geospatial Data to Evaluate the Tropical Forest Cover Change in Central America and Its Methodological Replicability in Brazil and the DRC." Remote Sensing 12, no. 17 (August 21, 2020): 2705. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/rs12172705.
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Satellite monitoring of forests plays a relevant role in the agendas of tropical countries, mainly in the framework of international negotiations to implement a mechanism that ensures a reduction in global CO2 emissions from deforestation. An efficient way to approach this monitoring is to avoid duplication of efforts, generating products in a regional context that are subsequently adopted at the national level. In this effort, you should take advantage of the different data sources available by integrating geospatial tools and satellite image classification algorithms. In this research, a methodological framework was developed to generate cost-efficient national maps of forest cover and its dynamics for the countries of Central America, and its scalability and replicability was explored in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and the State of Pará in Brazil. The maps were generated from Landsat images from the years 2000, 2012, and 2017. New geoprocessing elements have been incorporated into the digital classification procedures for satellite images, such as the automated extraction of training samples from secondary sources, the use of official national reference maps that respond to nationally adopted forest definitions, and automation of post-classification adjustments incorporating expert criteria. The applied regional approach offers advantages in terms of reducing costs and time, as well as improving the consistency and coherence of reports at different territorial levels (regional and national), reducing duplication of efforts and optimizing technical and financial resources. In Central America, the percentage of forest area decreased from 44% in 2000 to 38% in 2017. Average deforestation in the 2000–2012 period was 197,443 ha/year and that of 2012–2017 was 332,243 ha/year. Average deforestation for the complete period 2000–2017 was 264,843 ha/year. The tropical forests in both the State of Pará, Brazil, and the DRC have decreased over time.
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Muvatsi, Paluku, Laura K. Snook, Geoffrey Morgan, and Jean-Marie Kahindo. "The yield of edible caterpillars Imbrasia oyemensis and Cirina forda from timber trees logged on concessions in the Democratic Republic of the Congo: A contribution to managing tropical forests for multiple resources." Trees, Forests and People 4 (June 2021): 100079. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.tfp.2021.100079.
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Marsden, Stuart J., Emmanuel Loqueh, Jean Michel Takuo, John A. Hart, Robert Abani, Dibié Bernard Ahon, Nathaniel N. D. Annorbah, Robin Johnson, and Simon Valle. "Using encounter rates as surrogates for density estimates makes monitoring of heavily-traded grey parrots achievable across Africa." Oryx 50, no. 4 (September 15, 2015): 617–25. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0030605315000484.
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AbstractEstimating population sizes in the heavily traded grey parrots of West and Central Africa would provide insights into conservation status and sustainability of harvests. Ideally, density estimates would be derived from a standardized method such as distance sampling, but survey efforts are hampered by the extensive ranges, patchy distribution, variable abundance, cryptic habits and high mobility of the parrots as well as by logistical difficulties and limited resources. We carried out line transect distance sampling alongside a simpler encounter rate method at 10 sites across five West and Central African countries. Density estimates were variable across sites, from 0–0.5 individuals km−2 in Côte d'Ivoire and central Democratic Republic of the Congo to c. 30 km−2 in Cameroon and > 70 km−2 on the island of Príncipe. Most significantly, we identified the relationship between densities estimated from distance sampling and simple encounter rates, which has important applications in monitoring grey parrots: (1) to convert records of parrot groups encountered in a day's activities by anti-poaching patrols within protected areas into indicative density estimates, (2) to confirm low density in areas where parrots are so rare that distance sampling is not feasible, and (3) to provide a link between anecdotal records and local density estimates. Encounter rates of less than one parrot group per day of walking are a reality in most forests within the species’ ranges. Densities in these areas are expected to be one individual km−2 or lower, and local harvest should be disallowed on this basis.
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DUMONT, EMILIE SMITH, SUBIRA BONHOMME, TIMOTHY F. PAGELLA, and FERGUS LLOYD SINCLAIR. "STRUCTURED STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT LEADS TO DEVELOPMENT OF MORE DIVERSE AND INCLUSIVE AGROFORESTRY OPTIONS." Experimental Agriculture 55, S1 (January 30, 2017): 252–74. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0014479716000788.
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SUMMARYThere is a lot of interest in the contribution that agroforestry can make to reverse land degradation and create resilient multifunctional landscapes that provide a range of socio-economic benefits. The agroforestry research agenda has been characterized by approaches that promote a few priority tree species, within a restricted set of technological packages. These have often not spread widely beyond project sites, because they fail to take account of fine scale variation in farmer circumstances. New methods are needed to generate diverse sets of agroforestry options that can reconcile production and conservation objectives and embrace varying local conditions across large scaling domains. Here, we document a novel approach that couples local knowledge acquisition with structured stakeholder engagement to build an inclusive way of designing agroforestry options. We applied this approach in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) where armed conflict, erratic governance and poverty have resulted in severe pressure on forests in the Virunga National Park, a global biodiversity hotspot. Around the park, natural resources and land are severely degraded, whereas most reforestation interventions have consisted of exotic monocultures dominated by Eucalyptus species grown as energy or timber woodlots mainly by male farmers with sufficient land to allocate some exclusively to trees. We found that structured stakeholder engagement led to a quick identification of a much greater diversity of trees (more than 70 species) to be recommended for use within varied field, farm and landscape niches, serving the interests of a much greater diversity of people, including women and marginalized groups. The process also identified key interventions to improve the enabling environment required to scale up the adoption of agroforestry. These included improving access to quality tree planting material, capacity strengthening within the largely non-governmental extension system, and collective action to support value capture from agroforestry products, through processing and market interventions. Integrating local and global scientific knowledge, coupled with facilitating broad-based stakeholder participation, resulted in shifting from reliance on a few priority tree species to promoting tree diversity across the Virunga landscape that could underpin more productive and resilient livelihoods. The approach is relevant for scaling up agroforestry more generally.
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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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PERKINS, PHILIP D. "Revisions of the genera Parhydraena Orchymont, Protozantaena Perkins, Decarthrocerus Orchymont, and Parhydraenopsis nomen novum, aquatic and humicolous beetles from Africa and Madagascar, and comparative morphology of the tribe Parhydraenini (Coleoptera: Hydraenidae)." Zootaxa 2038, no. 1 (March 16, 2009): 1–119. http://dx.doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.2038.1.1.
Full textAbstract:
The hydraenid genera Parhydraena Orchymont, 1937, Decarthrocerus Orchymont, 1948, Protozantaena Perkins, 1997, and Parhydraenopsis nomen novum are comprehensively revised, based on the study and databasing of 13,323 specimens. Decarthrocerus Orchymont is considered a valid genus, not a subgenus of Parhydraena. A new generic name, Parhydraenopsis nomen novum, is provided to replace Pseudhydraena Orchymont, 1947 (a junior homonym of Pseudhydraena Acloque, 1896). The genera are redescribed, and new species are described in Parhydraena (14), Protozantaena (4), Parhydraenopsis (2), and Decarthrocerus (3). Redescriptions are provided for Parhydraena brevipalpis (Régimbart), P. lancicula Perkins & Balfour-Browne, P. seriata Balfour-Browne, Protozantaena labrata Perkins, Parhydraenopsis cooperi (Orchymont), and Decarthrocerus jeanneli Orchymont. Selected morphological features of Pneuminion Perkins, and members of the tribe Hydraenidini, Hydraenida Germain and Parhydraenida Balfour-Browne, are illustrated and compared with those of members of Parhydraenini. Keys to the genera of Parhydraenini and keys to the species of the genera revised herein are given. Male genitalia, representative spermathecae, antennae, and elytra are illustrated. Scanning electron micrographs of external morphological characters are presented. High resolution digital images of the primary types of all species (except the holotypes of three species, which could not be found) are presented (online version in color), and geographical distributions are mapped. The tribe Parhydraenini has both fully aquatic and humicolous adapted species, and shows notable diversity in the lengths of the maxillary palpi and legs, reflecting the microhabitat type. Humicolous species have relatively short maxillary palpi and tarsi, and often have a specialized body form, as in the very differently shaped members of Discozantaena and Decarthrocerus. Parhydraena has both aquatic and humicolous species, the latter being broad-shouldered species with very short maxillary palpi and tarsi. Protozantaena has one aquatic species, the four other species in the genus being collected by sifting litter in humicolous microhabitats. Species of Decarthrocerus have only been collected by sifting litter; many of the specimens are from bamboo forests. As far as is known, members of Parhydraenopsis are fully aquatic, or found in wet streamside mosses. The following new species are described (type locality in South Africa unless otherwise given): Parhydraena ancylis (Western Cape Province, Heuningnes River), P. asperita (Western Cape Province, Knysna, Diepwalle), P. brahma (Mpumalanga Province, Uitsoek), P. brunovacca (Eastern Cape Province, Umtata, Nquadu Mt.), P. divisa (Sudan, Gilo), P. sebastiani (KwaZulu-Natal Province, Cathedral Peak), P. maculicollis (KwaZulu-Natal Province, Polela River, Himeville), P. maureenae (Western Cape Province, W. Wiedouw farm), P. mpumalanga (Mpumalanga Province, Fanie Botha Trail, Maritzbos Hut area, SW Sabie), P. namaqua (Western Cape Province, Van Rhyns Pass), P. ora (Western Cape Province, Cape Town), P. parva (Western Cape Province, George, Saasveld, Kaaimans River), P. semicostata (Mpumalanga Province, Soutpansberg, Entabeni), P. toro (Western Cape Province, Kirstenbosch, Table Mountain), Protozantaena ankaratra (Madagascar, Antananarivo, Ankaratra, Reserve Manjakatompo, M. Arirana, SE drainage River Ambodimangavo), P. grebennikovi (Tanzania, W. Usambara Mts., Lushoto district, Grant’s Lodge, Mkuzu river, 3–4 km upstream of Kifungilo), P. malagasica (Madagascar, Antsiranana, Parc National Montagne d’Ambre), P. palpalis (Madagascar, Antananarivo, Anjozorobe, Ravoandrina, left affluent of River Ampanakamonty), Parhydraenopsis alta (Ethiopia, Wolamo Province, Mt. Damota), P. simiensis (Ethiopia, Simien Mountains National Park, Jinbar Wenz), Decarthrocerus bambusicus (Democratic Republic of Congo, P. N. Virunga, Volcan Sabinyo, Chanya W., W. Sabinyo), D. mahalicus (Tanzania, Mahali Peninsula, Kungure), D. mbizi (Tanzania, Mt. Mbizi, 12 mi. NE Sumbawanga).
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Wæhle, Esben. "FIKSE OG TRIKSE, ORDNE OG MIKSE! Etnografisk Kongosamling i tre epoker." Tidsskriftet Antropologi, no. 43-44 (December 1, 2001). http://dx.doi.org/10.7146/ta.v0i43-44.107420.
Full textAbstract:
While doing fieldwork in the Democratic
Republic Congo (1982-83) the author
assembled a collection of objects from the Efe
(Mbuti Pygmy) and neighbouring Lese Dese
cultivators of the rain forest. This collection
was to contribute to the permanent African
exhibition of the Ethnographic Museum of
the University of Oslo, Norway. Secondly,
it was directed primarily at objects which
reflected the daily life of the inhabitants of
the area so as to contrast to the collections
of weapons, religious objects and emblems
of power made by Norwegians in the epoch
of the Congo Freestate and the early Belgian
Congo (1885-1918). If given the chance to
collect in this region again, the author would
delve into the fascinating and humorous
strategies applied by the bricoleurs of the
large cities of the Congo. The two existent
and the hypothetical collection may not
be so different after all. Seen in a historic
perspective, all collections attest to material
and social strategies for survival and to
strategies for making life beautiful and
pleasant. Congolese producers have had
various sources of inspiration and broad
frames of reference for their invention and
production of material culture.
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Lescuyer, Guillaume, Tito Muhindo Kakundika, Ignace Muganguzi Lubala, Isaac Shabani Ekyamba, Raphaël Tsanga, and Paolo Omar Cerutti. "Are community forests a viable model for the Democratic Republic of Congo?" Ecology and Society 24, no. 1 (2019). http://dx.doi.org/10.5751/es-10672-240106.
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Xu, Liang, Sassan S. Saatchi, Aurélie Shapiro, Victoria Meyer, Antonio Ferraz, Yan Yang, Jean-Francois Bastin, et al. "Spatial Distribution of Carbon Stored in Forests of the Democratic Republic of Congo." Scientific Reports 7, no. 1 (November 8, 2017). http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-15050-z.
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FISCHER, EBERHARD, DOROTHEE KILLMANN, BURKHARD LEH, and STEVEN B. JANSSENS. "Carapa wohllebenii (Meliaceae), a new tree species from montane forests in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, and Burundi." Phytotaxa 511, no. 1 (July 13, 2021). http://dx.doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.511.1.2.
Full textAbstract:
Carapa wohllebenii is described as a new tree species from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, and Burundi. Its affinities to Carapa grandiflora are discussed. It differs in a number of morphological features; the most prominent being the oblanceolate-oblong leaflets with distinctly mucronate apex and a length/width ratio of 3.2–4.7 (vs. oblong ovate leaflets with mucronulate apex and a length/width ratio of 1.9–2.7 in C. grandiflora). A molecular phylogeny of Carapa is presented that clearly indicates the distinct phylogenetic position of both species. Based on the current knowledge, the new species is given a preliminary conservation assessment of LEAST CONCERN (LC). Carapa grandiflora is here for the first time recorded from the Democratic Republic of Congo.
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Dettke, Elizabeth. "The Consequences of Rape During Conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo." Cornell Internation Affairs Review 5, no. 2 (May 1, 2012). http://dx.doi.org/10.37513/ciar.v5i2.423.
Full textAbstract:
“I rape because of the need. After that I feel like a man.” These are the words of a rebel soldier who ruthlessly roams the forests of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in search of his next victims. Rape has been used in the past during warfare to weaken populations and ruin communities and family bonds but never to the extent witnessed in the DRC today. Literally, tens of thousands of women have been raped and this number is most likely largely underestimated. The conflict has been called Africa’s First World War and one of the deadliest since World War II with the death toll reaching 5.4 million in a decade. Ending sexual violence as a weapon of the DRC war remains one of the greatest challenges to the protection of women’s rights. The psychological and physical repercussions of the mass rape of women, children and sometimes even men in the DRC will undermine the capacity of the Congolese people to trust each other. It is possible that the experience of rape and violence could prevent the country from ever being capable of effectively building a nation state.
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David, J. C. "Phaeoramularia manihotis. [Descriptions of Fungi and Bacteria]." IMI Descriptions of Fungi and Bacteria, no. 161 (August 1, 2004). http://dx.doi.org/10.1079/dfb/20056401602.
Full textAbstract:
Abstract A description is provided for Phaeoramularia manihotis. Information is included on the disease caused by the organism, its transmission, geographical distribution, and hosts. DISEASE: White leafspot of cassava. HOSTS: Manihot esculenta (= M. utilissima) (Euphorbiaceae). GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION: AFRICA: Cameroon, Congo, Congo Democratic Republic, Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Tanzania. NORTH AMERICA: USA (Hawaii). CENTRAL AMERICA: Barbados, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Haiti, Jamaica, Nicaragua, Netherlands Antilles, Panama, Puerto Rico, Trinidad & Tobago, Virgin Islands. SOUTH AMERICA: Brazil (Alagoas, Amazonas, Espírito Santo, Minas Gerais, Paraiba, Sao Paolo, Rio Grande do Sul) (VIÉGAS, 1945), Colombia, Guyana, Venezuela. ASIA: India, Malaysia, Sri Lanka. AUSTRALASIA: New Caledonia (BRAUN et al., 1999). TRANSMISSION: Rain splash and wind. The fungus survives the dry season on the fallen leaves.