Knowra Congolian rainforests Congolian rainforests The tropical forests of the Congo Basin and neighboring Central African regions form the world’s second-largest contiguous tropical rainforest system, spanning several countries and forest types.
Congo Basin : The drainage basin of the Congo River, covering much of Central Africa. Its rivers and wetlands structure the region’s forests and supply their water.
Evapotranspiration : The transfer of water from land to the atmosphere through evaporation and plant transpiration. Forest moisture returned to the air helps sustain regional rainfall.
Congo Basin forest partnership : A multilateral initiative supporting sustainable management and conservation across the Congo Basin. It coordinates governments, donors, and organizations working on regional forest stewardship.
Deforestation : The conversion of forest to non-forest land through clearing or other lasting removal of tree cover. Agriculture, logging, mining, and infrastructure can fragment or remove forest habitat.
Congo River : Africa’s second-longest river, flowing through the Congo Basin to the Atlantic Ocean. Its tributaries cross the forest and connect upland ecosystems to central wetlands.
Carbon sink : A system that takes up more carbon from the atmosphere than it releases over a specified period. Living trees and soils store carbon, although the balance varies across the region.
REDD+ : A United Nations framework for reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation and supporting forest conservation. Its approaches can channel climate finance toward conserving Congolian forests.
Forest degradation : A decline in a forest’s ecological structure, function, or capacity without complete conversion to another land use. Selective logging and repeated disturbance can damage forests that still appear tree-covered.
Tropical rainforest : A forest ecosystem found in warm regions with high annual rainfall and limited seasonal drought. The Congolian forests are a major example of this global ecosystem type.
Forest stratification : The vertical layering of vegetation in a forest, including canopy, understory, and ground layers. Distinct layers create habitats for species with different light and food needs.
Show all 23