Congo Basin Research

Tshimanga, Raphael M.; N’kaya, Guy D. Moukandi; Laraque, Alain; Nicholson, Sharon E.; Onema, Jean‐Marie Kileshye; Lumbuenamo, Raymond; Alsdorf, Douglas

doi:10.1002/9781119657002.ch1

Cited by 4 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 21 publications

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“…These highlands are characterized by high population densities and continuous pressure on land (Walters et al, 2021;Kleinschroth et al, 2019). Major humid zones are found on the coasts, from Cameroon to the banks of the River Congo (Nest et al, 2022;Tshimanga et al, 2022). The population density of the Basin though varied is increasing.…”

Section: Study Areamentioning

confidence: 99%

“…km locally), some areas such as east Cameroon, the north of Congo and the Central African Republic have less than 5 inhabitants/sq. km (Tshimanga et al, 2022;Walters et al, 2021;Molua, 2019).…”

Section: Study Areamentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Efforts at the conservation of Central African forests and their contribution of this sector in the gross domestic product (GDP) of the majority of the countries testify to the importance of this sector (Kleinschroth et al, 2019;DeLancey, 2019). The Commissariat des forêts d'Afrique Centrale (COMIFAC) has been created to enable the Central African states to harmonize their policies on the sustainable use of forest resources (Nago and Krott, 2022;Tshimanga et al, 2022;Achille, 2020).…”

Section: Study Areamentioning

confidence: 99%

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Climate-Smart Conservation Agriculture, Farm Values and Tenure Security: Implications for Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation in the Congo Basin

Molua

Sonwa²,

Bele³

et al. 2023

Tropical Conservation Science

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Background and Research Aims: Agriculture through deforestation is an important threat to biodiversity conservation in the Congo Basin’s tropical forest. The policy challenge is not only to promote adaptation to perceived climate change but also to promote forest conservation. The aim of this study is to provide empirical evidence on the impact of farm-level investments in climate-smart agricultural practices related to conservation agriculture in some Congo Basin countries. The hypothesis is that property rights to land and trees play a fundamental role in governing the patterns of investment, forestland management for conservation, as well as in the profitability of agriculture. Methods: A Simulated Maximum Likelihood Estimation using a Mixed Logit model is used to test farmers’ choice of agricultural system and a farmland value model for each agricultural system which includes determinants of tenure or property rights, climate, soils, and socioeconomic variables such as education and gender. The data was collected from more than 600 farms covering 12 regions and 45 divisions in 3 countries, Cameroon, the Central African Republic and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Results: Farmers choose one of three agricultural systems to maximize farm profit mindful of the current tenure regime and environmental conditions. Conservation agriculture techniques within climate-smart practices show benefits for smallholder farmers through improvements in soil health, soil moisture retention and enhanced crop yields. The rights to access, withdraw, manage, as well as exclude others from land and trees affect both the farmers' choice of system and the profit earned from the chosen system. Conclusion: Farm-level investments improve farm incomes and enhance conservation effort for farmers perceiving climate change. Implications for Conservation: Climate change adaptation through planting of trees improves soil stability, restores ecosystems and creates a safe haven for biodiversity. Secure land tenure promotes better forestland management and reduces land degradation in vulnerable communities.

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Section: Study Areamentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Study Areamentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Study Areamentioning

confidence: 99%

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Climate-Smart Conservation Agriculture, Farm Values and Tenure Security: Implications for Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation in the Congo Basin

Molua

Sonwa²,

Bele³

et al. 2023

Tropical Conservation Science

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“…Chao et al (2015) [23] studied offshore freshwater anomalies created by variations in the Congo River outflow in 2011-2013. When the Congo River discharge quadrupled between August 2012 and January 2013, this caused an offshore low-salinity anomaly (observed along Aquarius orbital tracks some 400 km from the river mouth) that peaked in February 2013, about a month after the discharge peak of >60,000 m 3 /s in January 2013 (Figures 5 and 9 in [23]) (see also [93] for more data and analyses of the Congo River hydrology).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Salinity Fronts in the South Atlantic

Belkin,

Shen

2024

Remote Sensing

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Monthly climatology data for salinity fronts in the South Atlantic have been created from satellite SMOS sea surface salinity (SSS) measurements taken from 2011–2019, processed at the Barcelona Expert Center of Remote Sensing (BEC), and provided as high-resolution (1/20°) daily SSS data. The SSS fronts have been identified with narrow zones of enhanced horizontal gradient magnitude (GM) of SSS, computed using the Belkin–O’Reilly algorithm (BOA). The SSS gradient fields generated by the BOA have been log-transformed to facilitate feature recognition. The log-transformation of SSS gradients markedly improved the visual contrast of gradient maps, which in turn allowed new features to be revealed and previously known features to be documented with a monthly temporal resolution and a mesoscale (~100 km) spatial resolution. Monthly climatologies were generated and analyzed for large-scale open-ocean SSS fronts and for low-salinity regions maintained by the Rio de la Plata discharge, Magellan Strait outflow, Congo River discharge, and Benguela Upwelling. A 2000 km-long triangular area between Africa and Brazil was found to be filled with regular quasi-meridional mesoscale striations that form a giant ripple field with a 100 km wave length. South of the Tropical Front, within the subtropical high-salinity pool, a trans-ocean quasi-zonal narrow linear belt of meridional SSS maximum (Smax) was documented. The meridional Smax belt shifts north–south seasonally while retaining its well-defined linear morphology, which is suggestive of a yet unidentified mechanism that maintains this feature. The Subtropical Frontal Zone (STFZ) consists of two tenuously connected fronts, western and eastern. The Brazil Current Front (BCF) extends SE between 40 and 45°S to join the subantarctic front (SAF). The STFZ trends NW–SE across the South Atlantic, seemingly merging with the SAF/BCF south of Africa to form a single front between 40 and 45°S. In the SW Atlantic, the Rio de la Plata plume migrates seasonally, expanding northward in winter (June–July) from 39°S into the South Brazilian Bight, up to Cabo Frio (23°S) and beyond. The inner Plata front moves in and out seasonally. Farther south, the Magellan Strait outflow expands northward in winter (June–July) from 53°S up to 39–40°S to nearly join the Plata outflow. In the SE Atlantic, the Congo River plume spreads radially from the river mouth, with the spreading direction varying seasonally. The plume is often bordered from the south by a quasi-zonal front along 6°S. The diluted Congo River water spreads southward seasonally down to the Angola–Benguela Front at 16°S. The Benguela Upwelling is delineated by a meridional front, which extends north alongshore up to 20°S, where the low-salinity Benguela Upwelling water forms a salinity front, which is separate from the thermal Angola–Benguela Front at 16°S. The high-salinity tropical water (“Angola water”) forms a wedge between the low-salinity waters of the Congo River outflow and Benguela Upwelling. This high-salinity wedge is bordered by salinity fronts that migrate north–south seasonally.

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