Introduction

The Congo Basin, nestled in west coast of Central Africa, hosts the second largest tropical rainforest. The basin spans 700,000 square miles and extends across six countries in Africa: Cameroon, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea and Gabon. The Congo Basin tropical rainforest makes up 70% of Africa’s forest and is teeming with biodiversity, including 10,000 tropical plant species (30% of which is endemic), 400 mammal species such as elephants, bonobos, chimpanzees, and gorillas, 1,000 bird species, and 700 species of fish. Lastly, millions of people from nearly 150 ethnic groups have depended on the forest for food, shelter, and fresh water for the last 50,000 years, and will continue to do so as the forest provides for the population's well-being.

Source: Astrium

http://www.astrium-geo.com/en/2867-space-technologies-
serving-sustainable-forest-management

Source: WWF
http://worldwildlife.org/places/congo-basin

Historical Conditions

Source: New Security Beat

http://www.newsecuritybeat.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/drc_forest.jpg

            Although the Congo Basin is home to around 75 million people and has been inhabited by humans for the past 50,000 years, a large part of the rainforest is in the same state it was thousands of years ago. The rainforest is comprised of a dense humid forest surrounded by open dry forest on the northern end and dense dry forest on the southern end of basin. It has always had high levels of biodiversity as well.  For example, it is home to the okapi, bonobo and the Congo Peafowl.  Recently, more than 600 tree species and 10,000 animal species have been recorded. In regards to forestry, the forest primarily consists of taller trees due to the fact that a large part of numerous herbivores' diet, such as those of the elephants and gorillas, consists of smaller trees.

Source: Mongabay.com
http://rainforests.mongabay.com/congo/#.UnRF1vksmSo

            During the last decade of the 20^th century, the conservation status of the tropical rainforests in the Congo Basin was deteriorating but at a fairly slow rate, especially compared to the conservation statuses of rainforests, such as the Amazon is South America. However, due to a rising demand for the area's natural resources in the past decade, the status of the rainforest and its inhabitants has been declining. Fortunately, conservation groups such as the World Wildlife Fund and the Wildlife Conservation Society have developed very successful campaigns to get the local governments to protect the area. As a result, the conservation status has improved in last couple years.

            If one were to examine the condition of the Congo Basin now, as opposed to before humans started causing a significant impact, there would no longer be rounds or any signs of logging or mining. Human who inhabited or resided in the area in the past also have converted some parts of the rainforest into fields that are utilized for agriculture.

Benefits for Humans

Source: WWF
http://worldwildlife.org/places/congo-basin

            The residents of the Congo Basin often rely on the area to provide them with means to produce food. Patches of the tropical rainforest have been converted to fields, which are used for crops and livestock. The most common agricultural practice in the Congo is subsistence agriculture, which provides food and income for many isolated communities. Although the tropical weather provides a setting to grow crops, there is a large gap between potential and actual yields.  Residents don’t always get enough subsistence, leading to widespread hunger in the region.
             Another benefit of the ecosystem to humans is the air quality. The trees in the rainforest store a vast amount of carbon. Whenever fossil fuel pollution enters the atmosphere, the trees are able to take in a lot of the carbon dioxide. Humans also utilize the raw materials in the rainforest, clearing for fuel wood and charcoal through mining.

Human Impact

            The majority of the people living in the Congo Basin are still extremely dependent on the forest for subsistence and raw materials. As populations continue to rise in the Congo, pressure increases on the forest. Forests decrease in size at an annual rate of 0.35%. Due to selective logging, only 35% of the Congo Basin Rainforest is primary forest. Primary forests are the most species-rich, diverse ecosystems on the planet. In 2000, studies showed that a whopping 39% of the DRC’s forests are affected by selective logging. Research indicates that the primary forest in the DRC will decrease by 4% in the next decade due to rapid agricultural and logging development.

           

Source: WWF
http://worldwildlife.org/places/congo-basin

Fuel wood represents more than two thirds of removed wood in the Congo. Deforestation and poor forest management is leading to a decrease in the Congo Basin’s carbon stocks. Research also points to an increasing pressure from a series of industries including mineral extraction, road development, and biofuels. Subsistence agriculture and charcoal collection, two causes of deforestation in the Congo basin, are not even included in this equation. The areas surrounding the Congo Basin are also urbanizing and this will lead to an increased demand for agricultural resources. All these industries combined will take a noticeable toll on the environment, forcing many species to lose their habitat.

            Humans themselves actually have a direct impact on the animals in the Congo Basin. Illegal wildlife trading and hunting is the source of a decline in population of many species including antelope, gorillas, bonobos and monkeys. Often in isolated areas bushmeat is an easy way to make money for families. Logging roads have also made it possible for the frequency of bushmeat hunting in the Congo to increase in recent years.  People in the Congo are still using elephant’s ivory as a source of income. In certain areas, elephants have even become extinct and there has been a tragic 60% decrease in the region’s forest elephant population in the last decade.

Source: Mongabay.com

http://rainforests.mongabay.com/congo/deforestation.html#.UpK_KWSY7Fk

     

Source: wallpix.com

http://www.wallpixy.com/baby-elephant-and-egrets/

Source: WWF
http://worldwildlife.org/places/congo-basin

Protected Areas & Status

Thanks to international organizations such as World Wildlife Fund (WWF), Wild Conservation Society (WCS), and Conversational International, there are protected areas within the tropical rain forests in the Congo Basin. These protected areas, which include national parks, make up about only 14% of the area; however, in the last few years, there have been a few advancements in establishing more protected areas. The primary job of the national forests is to conserve the biological organisms, the biological diversity, the safeguard of soil and water resources, and the conservation of cultural heritage. The Congo Basin is known for it's abundant resources which is why a lot of people have been taking them from here. The primary resources that people take from here are diamonds, timber, and petroleum, but organizations such as the WWF are promoting sustainable ways to extract the resources. 

Source: grida.no
http://www.grida.no/graphicslib/detail/protected-areas-and-transboundary-cooperation-in-congo-basin-countries_c5a6#

Also, they have planted around 10 million trees to help meet the people's needs. They are also sending out important practices that people should adopt in this area so the damage can be reduced. According to the WWF's website, their main goals are to, "implement low-impact logging practices and leave some areas undisturbed." The current potentials for economic and social success are not well known in this area yet because people are not educated enough to know the consequences of their actions, thus giving logging activities priority.
Although such organizations have been given many funds for the needed preservation, these protected areas still cost a tremendous amount. The status of this protected area is good in the areas that are protected but bad in the rest. This land is very rich in resources, which is why a lot of people use it to get the natural resources the majority of the durable land is under the forests. In conclusion, the Congo Basin is stable at the moment, but is susceptible to the dangers of extracting too many natural resources of the area.

Source: rainforestfoundationuk.org
http://www.rainforestfoundationuk.org/files/RFUK%20Protected%20areas%20briefing.pdf

Future Prospects

           In comparison to the year 2000, the status of the tropical rainforests in the Congo Basin has actually improved in 2011.  The positive impacts and progress of the forest have been noticeable; however, there are still numerous remaining threats to this ecosystem.  For example, the communities living in the Congo Basin are expected to see a population increase between 2000 and 2030, whereby the population will double to 170 million people.  Moreover, this explosion in population will subsequently lead to rapid urbanization as well, which will likely raise the demand for fuel wood.  In addition, to feed the population, the government intends to increase domestic production of food rather than rely on food imports, which has been done in the past.  This trend towards increased domestic food production will surely have a negative impact on the forests, as more land will be converted to fields for subsistence agriculture.  Lastly, as the prices of both fuel and food continue to rise, land acquisition and mining will become more prominent factors of deforestation.  For instance, numerous protected areas face a threat of mining and palm tree plantations for biofuels, and many companies are already looking into areas labeled for biodiversity conservation such as Dja in Cameroon, Minkebe in Gabon, and Odzala in Congo.  As biodiversity hot spots, these areas host numerous species, and the threat to such areas also signifies a threat to these species as well.

What Can Be Done?

          Because the livelihood of nearly 60 million people depend upon the tropical rainforests in the Congo Basin, it is important to ensure that our methods of reducing deforestation and preserving the ecosystem does not degrade the well-being of its inhabitants.  

Source: FAO
http://www.fao.org/docrep/014/i2247e/i2247e00.pdf

          For starters, since the Congo Basin spans six countries, we have to assure that this multitude of governments and communities collaborate with one another for the benefit of the ecosystem.  In doing so, this will ensure that the policies between each country's government remains the same and that every one involved in the Congo Basin tropical forests' conservation is on the same track.  Many efforts have already been implemented towards this goal.  For example, a collaboration between the countries was launched as early as 1999 in Cameroon, where Central African Heads of State met to discuss the future of this ecosystem.  During this meeting, they reaffirmed their commitment to work collectively for the sake of sustainable use of the forest, leading to many organizations such as the Central African Forest Commission, Congo Basin Forest Partnership, and the African Timber Organization to name a few.  Provided that these countries continue to work together, sustainable methods to conserve the tropical rainforests in the Congo Basin should likely prove successful.
        In regards to forest degradation and deforestation, people may plant more trees, which will not only help the local people but will also provide habitats for large wildlife species, such as the gorilla.  Low-impact logging practices should be implemented as well to help protect the forest.  In addition, exclusion of certain timber species from exploitation will help preserve the forests, as certain species are beneficial to the ecosystem and locally important.  Subsequently, compensation for companies to avoid exploitation of such species should be enforced.
        Many companies have already made progress towards sustainable forest management.  For example, 4.5 million hectares of the Congo Basin tropical rainforests have been certified as sustainable, and the decline of wildlife have been reversed in some protected areas as well.  The Forest Stewardship Council, in particular, helps ensure good practices in forest management, and the World Wildlife Fund have been involved in a tree plantation program in the Democratic Republic of Congo.  Furthermore, WWF helps to decrease poaching for the bushmeat market, helping the diversity of the ecosystem.
       Lastly, in regards to the carbon stored in the trees, governments can create incentives for companies to preserve the carbon stocks in the forest.  For example, the UN Framework Convention for Climate Change has made incentives to decrease the amount of emissions from deforestation and forest degradation practices by rewarding countries who help preserve or even enhance the carbon that is kept inside forests.  This will not only help improve the conservation status of the forests themselves, but will also contribute to the livelihood of its inhabitants, as carbon is essential for air quality.

Abstract         

      La selva del Congo Basin es uno de los lugares más diversos en el planeta. En este estudio descubrimos que esta selva es una de las más diversas en el mundo. Muchas fundaciones internacionales han ayudado con la preservación de este ecosistema. Estas fundaciones han ayudado a dar información a los residentes del Congo Basin para que aprendan a sostener la preservación del ecosistema.  En comparación al pasado, se ha mejorado  el ecosistema. Las organizaciones han donado mucho dinero para que mantengan las áreas bajo de protección. Este ecosistema depende mucho en las importaciones de comida. En lo que encontramos, descubrimos que hay mucho que hacer para preservar el ecosistema para que se mantenga como esta, o para que mejore. 

References

1) Butler, Rhett. The Congo. Mongabay.com, 2013. Web. 21 Nov. 2013.

2) Butler, Rhett. People of the Congo Rainforest - the "Pygmies." Mongabay.com, 2013. 21 Nov. 2013.

3) Megevand, Carole, Aline Mosnier, Joel Hourticq, Klas Sanders, Nina Doetinchem, and Charlotte Streck. Deforestation Trends in the Congo Basin: Reconciling Economic Growth and Forest Protection. Washington, DC: The World Bank, 2013. Elibrary. Web. 21 Nov. 2013.

4) Ndoye, Ousseynou and Julius Chupezi Tieguhong. "Forest Resources and Livelihoods: The Conflict Between Timber and Non-timber Forest Products in the Congo Basin." Scandinavian Journal of Forest Research 19.4 (2004): 36-44. Taylor & Francis Online. Web. 21 Nov. 2013.

5) Oijen, Danielle Van. Cutting to the truth on Congo Basin Deforestation. Greenpeace International, 2013. 21 Nov. 2013.

6) "Protected Areas." The Rainforest Foundation UK: Securing Lands, Sustaining Lives. The Rainforest Foundation UK. Web. 21 Nov. 2013.

7) "The State of Forests in the Amazon Basin, Congo Basin, and Southeast Asia." Summit of the Three Rainforest Basins. Rome, Italy. FAO. Web. 21 Nov. 2013.

8) Wilkie, David, Ellen Shaw, Fiona Rotberg, Gilda Morelli, and Phillipe Auzel. "Roads, Development, and Conservation in the Congo Basin." Conservation Biology 14.6 (2000): 1614-1622. Wiley Online Library. Web. 21 Nov. 2013.

9) World Wildlife Fund. Congo Basin. WWF, 2013. Web. 21 Nov. 2013.
10) Moss, Catriona. The Congo Basin Forests: What Policymakers Should Know. Center for International Forestry Research. 21 Nov. 2013.