A Map of the Study Area

http://rainforests.mongabay.com/congo/congo_basin_countries2.jpg

The Tropical Rainforest of the Congo lies in the the Western part of Sub-Saharan Africa, and is most withheld in the six countries of Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Republic of the Congo, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Combined, the actual rainforest takes up 60% of these countries area (2,5,6).

Images

Before:

(Citations from top, counter clockwise)

http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/travel/countries/congo-guide/

http://www.greenpeace.org/africa/en/campaigns/Forests-hub/

http://www.bubblews.com/news/10123-the-diversity-of-congo-rainforest

After:

(Citations from top left, clockwise)
http://news.mongabay.com/2007/0607-congo.html
http://news.mongabay.com/2005/1205-congo.html
http://eol.jsc.nasa.gov/sseop/images/EO/highres/ISS007/ISS007-E-6305.jpg

Historical State

The Congo Basin Forest is the second largest rainforest region in the world with a total coverage of 227.6 million hectares (2,5). It is also the most intact of the large rain forests, making up 18% of Earth's remaining rainforest (2). There are approximately 10,000 species within the Congo Basin, and 30% of these are endemic, meaning they occur nowhere else in the world (2). 400 species of mammals also exist here, along with 1,000 species of birds, and 700 species of fish (2). The true extent of species, both endemic and not, is not precisely clear, as every year more and more species or animals are being discovered. Also, there are many endangered species that are endemic to the region, such as forest elephants, chimpanzees, bonobos, and lowland/mountain gorillas (2,5).

(Citations from top left clockwise)

http://scienceray.com/biology/zoology/the-most-beautifully-and-uniquely-colored-mammals-in-the-world/

http://www.nypi.net/new-york-bronx-zoo/

http://www.africaanimals.org/information.html

Human Impacts

There are many current impacts that are negatively impacting the tropical rainforest of the Congo River Basin region. Logging is the worst offense, however, with an astounding loss of forest lost each year to logging, both in commercial and illegal small scale operations (1,3). The forest region is declining at an average total rate of .35% a year (5). Logging operations serve both to export money for profit themselves, but also provide the government with payment for using their forest. In addition, they also employ many of the local people, almost all of whom live in a state of poverty, which allows these people to feed their families and receive health care.  However, the commercial logging companies must operate within certain limitations imposed by the government, while many illegal loggers rely on corrupt politicians to destroy restricted lands (1,3,6). It is estimated up to 50% of the logging in Cameroon, for example, is illegal (4). Both of these kinds of loggers create logging roads, or large roads that destroy trees and vegetation, to transport out the cut wood. Not only do these roads directly destroy vegetation, but they also indirectly destroy the forest further by allowing small subsistence agriculture operations to emerge (2). Subsistence farmers are mainly poor families or groups, those not employed by the logging companies, who rely on slash and burn farming to clear patches of forest to grow crops, such as yams, or raise livestock (2).

http://anglicanaid.net/?p=269

http://www.greenpeace.org.uk/blog/forests/congo-logging-contracts-cancelled-forest-still-under-threat-20090121

Besides logging and subsistence farming, many smaller problems also plague this region, such as civil strife, mining, and the bushmeat trade. During the past few decades, civil wars and roaming militias have created a virtual migration of refugees from their homes and on large treks through the forest, resulting in the destruction of plants and trees to build shelters and the hunting of animals, many endangered species, to feed the masses of displaced (2). The Congo Basin is rich in minerals, and much of the mining operations to extract the minerals is done through questionable and unmonitored methods (2). These methods allow for many unhealthy minerals to seep into the soil and Congo River, while also destroying large swaths of land to allow for the operations to take place, as can be seen below. Finally, the prevalent bushmeat trade threatens many animals species, including some on the endangered species list, simply as a way for many people to get protein into their diet (2). Poachers use logging roads to penetrate into the forest,then killing whatever animals they can find to sell in open market venues to locals. Much of this poaching is done illegally.

(citations from top left clockwise)

http://commdev.org/artisanal-and-small-scale-mining-drc

http://www.bornfreeusa.org/a9c_bushmeat.php

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/gallery/2008/oct/28/congo-unitednation

Future Prospects as I See Them

The future prospects for this region are not exactly promising, and in some cases can be seen as bad. Since the 1980's, Africa has had the highest rates of deforestation of any region on the globe, much of which comes from the Congo Basin Rainforest (2). Also, by 2050, it has been estimated that up to 40% of the forest could be either threatened or destroyed, primarily due to logging (1,5). Lately, many of the countries which contain the rainforest have been creating national parks and conserving up to 16% of the forest in such countries as Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, and the Central African Republic (2,4). However, the vast majority of these areas are still open to logging and illegal poaching. Many times the laws are not strictly enforced, as the countries are plagued with bad economies and rampant corruption (6). The governments of these countries rely to heavily on the World Bank for funding, which they get through exploiting the logging industry (4,6). Until the economies of these countries improve, their will not be enough of a focus on conservation and apportioning off pieces of land as national parks or protected areas. This, however, spells doom for the rainforest, as civil strifes and mass unemployment keep the economy from growing, which keeps the rainforest under the control of loggers (2). The future for this ecosystem depends on the uplifting of the economy and the strict enforcement of policy by the government, things which, in the past, have not proven very effective. Though recent actions show promise and a foundation has been established through the creation of a national park system, there is a lot of ground to be made up.

http://ecatreport.com/lenr/a-world-of-lenr-devices

How to Improve the Human Impacts

Despite the bleak outlook on the future of the Rainforest of the Congo Basin, their is still hope if certain actions are taken and maintained. One of the biggest problems in connection with deforestation in the continuation of illegal logging by companies who cut down trees outside of government restrictions (3).  Now, their are two solutions which would reduce the occurrence of this issue, the first solution involving government regulation. It is often corruption in the government that allows this breach in policy to happen, so governments need to remain more vigilant on such logging activities, and auditors need to be active in making sure proper logging activities are taking place. If they are not, the government needs to fine the companies for damages incurred, and if action continues, the international community needs to place penalties on the governments themselves. As a second option, a policy of agroforestry could be substituted in place of current policies (7). Agroforestry allows for trees to be replanted every time one is cut down to allow for a constant number of trees to be present, which is beneficial for both the soil and the native species. It also allows for small scale agriculture to be present in between rows of trees, as seen below.

http://www.extension.umn.edu/distribution/naturalresources/DD7407.html

Another alternative which could prove beneficial in the maintenance of the forest would be to substitute the mass-scale cut and burn or felling methods of clearing forest with the strip felling technique (7). This technique allows for areas of 50m to be removed at a time, which allows them to regrow naturally through either assistance by the locals in replanting native trees or by the transference of seeds being either blown by the wind or brought in by the feces of native animals. It also allows for their to be even amounts of logging, working one area as the others grow back to be logged again later, as seen below.

http://www.for.gov.bc.ca/hfp/training/00014/varshel.htm

The people of the Congo river basin are reliant on the forest in many ways, be through the resources provided them by the logging companies (such as health care, employment, and increased income, etc.) or through the direct existence of the forest through tourism (5,6). With the continued loss of forest mounting every year, the peoples in this area are at risk of losing these benefits. The people must be educated in ways that promote continued conservation and maintenance of the forest. They must be taught how to replant trees, how to farm in ways that are less harmful to the soil and to the forest, and also about restricted hunting so that they do not hunt endangered species or those that may soon become endangered. As summed up by Edd Turtle, these people "after all will be the ones managing the rainforest in the future and need to be tought the advantages of sustainable techniques" (7).

Data Tables

http://photos.mongabay.com/12/0320-congo_forest_cover.jpg

The above graph illustrates how much of the remaining rainforest lies in each country, with the vast majority of it remaining in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The amount of land is measured in millions of hectares.

http://photos.mongabay.com/12/0320-congo_degradation.jpg

This graph, in relation with the other, shows the amount of deforestation taking place in the specific countries every year, with the Democratic Republic of the Congo losing more forest than the other countries. While one could argue they have more forest so they can afford to cut down more, preventive actions still need to take place to reduce the annual percentage lost, using Equatorial Guinea as an example, where they have managed to lose smaller amounts of forest in the past 5 years due to improved forest conservation laws..