Congo Basin Rainforest

Flashcards covering the key aspects of the Congo Basin Rainforest, including its background, importance, threats, and management strategies.

Countries located in the Congo Basin

Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, DRC, CAR, Gabon, Republic of Congo

Size of the Congo Basin Rainforest

Approximately 500 million acres

Fraction of the Congo Basin Rainforest found in the DRC

2/3

Percentage of the world's remaining rainforest that the Congo Basin makes up

18%

Number of people living in the Congo Basin

75 million

Number of ethnic groups living in the Congo Basin

150

Climate of the Congo Basin

2,000 mm/year; 20-27°C

Climate-vegetation interdependence

Temperature, humidity, and rainfall create conditions for plants to grow.

Strangler fig-mammals/birds-trees interdependence

Strangler fig seeds are deposited by mammals/birds and Strangler fig needs trees to grow around

Ecological Importance of Strangler Figs

Strangler fig provides niche and food source to invertebrates, bats, reptiles and birds etc

Bonobo reliance on Strangler Figs

Strangler fig provides fig fruits for bonobo

Congolese people-bonobo/trees interdependence

Reliant on bush meat (e.g. bonobos) & Use trees for traditional medicines

Moabi tree-elephant interdependence

Elephants use moabi as food source & Moabi use elephants for seed dispersal

Medicinal Value of the Rainforest

Identified 1400 tropical forest plants with potential to fight cancer. Moabi tree alone makes over make over 50 traditional drugs

Importance of the Rainforest to People

Indigenous tribes such as Ba'ka follow hunter-gatherer lifestyle in tropical rainforest. Provides freshwater, food and shelter for 75million people. Rainforest is a place of refuge in times of strife (e.g. Civil war)

Tourism Value of the Rainforest

Home to rare wildlife (e.g. Elephants) which can be a magnet for tourists & Tourists can kickstart local multiplier effects in economies

Fauna Biodiversity in the Rainforest

Endangered wildlife, include forest elephants, chimpanzees, bonobos, and lowland and mountain gorillas. It contains one-half of the remaining elephants on the continent.

Flora Biodiversity in the Rainforest

10,000 plant species, with 30% unique to the region

Carbon Storing value of the Rainforest

Key store of carbon - 22 gigatons of carbon stored in DRC

Logging in the Congo Basin Rainforest

Permission given for 15m hectares in DRC & Much more done illegally (87%)

Rate of Deforestation in the Congo Basin Rainforest

0.2% per year & 30% gone by 2030

Oil Exploitation threats

Soco International started exploration for oil in Virunga - they have since withdrawn

Coltan exploitation threats

80% of world's supply in E Congo Basin

Threats to biodiversity

Mining means areas are deforested, Environmental degradation in proximity to the mines, Access roads split up rainforest and prevent migration for species

Volumes as threat to the rainforest

5 million tonnes of bushmeat come from unregulated poaching and hunting per year & 60-80% of people's protein in rural parts of the CBR come from bushmeat

Impacts as threat to the rainforest

The African Forest Elephants occupy only 25% of their previous range because of poaching. The DRC is a home for the Grauer's gorilla whose populations have declined 70% in 20 years.. Guards in Virunga killed protecting animals

Economic and Environmental positives of Virunga National Park Management

Jobs for 800 rangers & Decrease in illegal logging and poaching, number of gorillas x 3 since park opened

Economic and Social negatives of Virunga National Park Management

It costs a lot of money to run and employ 800 park rangers & Danger for park rangers - 160 killed in 20 years

Environmental negative of Virunga National Park Management

Small scale - Cannot stop all poaching; in 2007 an illegal charcoal mafia murdered a family of mountain gorillas