Central Africa

Skill: reading a graph. Which country has the most rainforest coverage? Which has the least?

The Congo Rainforest The Congo Rainforest has 70% of Africa’s plant cover. It comprises a large portion of Africa’s biodiversity with over 600 tree species and 10,000 Animal species. With the Equator running through the region, the rainforest climate is warm and humid. It rains about 117 days/year with about 70 inches of rainfall total. The Congo River flows through central Africa and the Congo Rainforest.

Where is the rainforest? Around two-thirds of the region's forest is found in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), but it also covers large areas of Gabon, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, the Central African Republic and the Republic of Congo. The Congo Rainforest spans six countries—Cameroon, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea and Gabon.

Endangered wildlife, including forest elephants, chimpanzees, bonobos, and lowland gorillas inhabit the lush forests.

Also found in the Congo Rainforest... Lots of insects and reptiles!

Vegetation The Congo rainforest vegetation is so dense that many parts of it have never been seen by humans. In the thickest parts of the rainforest only 1% of the sunlight reaches the ground.

There are approximately 10,000 species of tropical plants in the Congo Rainforest and 30 percent are unique to the region. Cancer Institutes have identified approximately 1,400 rainforest plants which could potentially be used to fight cancer.

What is slash and burn agriculture?  A method of agriculture where the forest is cut back and the under growth is burned away so that crops can be planted.  Cleared rainforest land will only support crops for a few years; the soil is not suitable for sustained growth of crops.

In the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) alone, 40 million people depend on the forest. Like all large intact forests, it's also crucially important for regulating the local and global climate.

What has the damage been so far? Central Africa lost approximately 56,544 miles 2 to deforestation in the 10 years between 1990 and The size of the region's forests was estimated at 1,493,154 miles 2 in 2000.

The slash and burn method is used by both subsistence farmers and larger corporations.

What are the consequences of deforestation?  Loss of wood for the forest industry  Loss of plant & animal biodiversity  Desertification  Climate change  Changes to ecosystems and climates by altering local rainfall patterns; in turn leads to disruption of the water cycle

Who lives in the rainforests of central Africa?  The Congo Rainforest has been inhabited by humans for more than 50,000 years and it provides food, fresh water and shelter to more than 75 million people. Nearly 150 distinct ethnic groups exist and live in the Congo Rainforest.  The group we will focus on is the Pygmy people.  There are many tribes of Pygmies. They include, but are not limited to: Baka, Aka, Mbuti, Twa, and Batwa.

Pygmies are pretty short. They average 4’11” Charles Knowles with Mbuti Pygmies An Anglo lady with Batwa Pygmies.

Pygmy people are hunter-gatherers.  They live in tribes.  They used to be nomadic, but now they tend to stay in one area.  Between 250, ,00 Pygmies live in the Congo Rainforest.

Why are Pygmies so short?  Good question! One theory suggests that environmental factors are the main cause. It's very hard to find food in the rainforest, despite the biodiversity, so perhaps over centuries, Pygmies have never grown tall because of lack of proper nourishment.  Another theory is that being short is a plus in the rainforest environment – easier to get through all the dense, low-hanging foliage. Through natural selection, perhaps short genes began to dominate the gene pool.

Ancient traditions last.  The Pygmy people originally sharpened their teeth for spiritual purposes and to imitate the look of a carnivorous animal. Now, they mostly sharpen their teeth out of tradition. Pygmies of the CAR

Plight of modern Pygmies  In the Republic of Congo, some Pygmy groups are being exploited by ethnic Bantu people. According to human rights groups, men, women, and children are forced to work in harsh conditions and for long hours.  They are often paid in cigarettes or clothing; sometimes they are paid nothing.