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Congo Rainforest

Santhosh Kumar 28/06/2023

Congo Rainforest upsc notes
Context
Congo rainforest loss
Half a million hectares lost in 2022
Key Findings
Congo rainforest loss details
500,000 hectares lost in 2022
Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) loss
Over 500,000 hectares in 2022
Global tropical primary forest loss
4.1 mha worldwide in 2022
Major contributing countries
Brazil: 43%
DRC: 12.1%
Bolivia
CO2 generation
2.7 billion tonnes from forest destruction
Decrease in DRC humid primary forest
Reduced by 6.1%
Primary forests
Definition
Forests of native tree species
No clearly visible human activities
Primary forest loss details
Mostly small clearings
Near cyclical agricultural areas
Cyclical agricultural areas
Definition
Land cleared for short-term cultivation
Cleared using slash-and-burn techniques
Left fallow for regeneration
Economic factors and deforestation
Dependence on forests for food, energy
Challenge in reducing primary forest loss
Drivers of forest loss
Slash-and-burn agriculture
Uncontrolled bushfires
Charcoal production
Dominant form of energy
Generated by cutting and burning timber
Cattle ranching
Illegal (artisanal) logging
About Congo Rainforest
World's second-largest rainforest
Bordering countries
Cameroon
Central African Republic
Republic of Congo
Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)
Equatorial Guinea
Gabon
Climate
Tropical climate year-round
Heavy precipitation
High humidity and temperatures
Flora and fauna
10,000 tropical plants (30% unique)
400 mammal species
Over 600 tree species
10,000 animal species
1,000 bird species
700 fish species
Includes endangered wildlife
Forest elephants
Chimpanzees
Bonobos
Economic significance
Provides food, medicine, water, materials, shelter for over 75 million people
Human inhabitants
Over 150 ethnic groups for over 50,000 years
Includes groups like Ba'Aka, BaKa, BaMbuti, Efe
Often referred to as Pygmies
Adult males less than 59 inches in average height
Rely on hunting, gathering for survival in rainforest

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Categories: Africa, Environmental Degradation, Geography

Tags: 28.06.2023, Newsbits

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