Northeastern Congolian lowland forests


The Northeastern Congolian lowland forests is a tropical moist broadleaf forest ecoregion that spans the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Central African Republic.

Geography

The Northeastern Congolian lowland forests lie in the northeastern basin of the Congo River. The ecoregion is mostly in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, with a portion extending into the southern Central African Republic. It is the easternmost portion of the Guineo-Congolian region, a belt of tropical rain forests that extends through western and central Africa.
The Ituri Rainforest is in the ecoregion.
The ecoregion lies north and east of Congo River, and other rainforest ecoregions bound it on the west and southwest. It is bounded on the north by the Northern Congolian forest–savanna mosaic, and on the southwest by the Southern Congolian forest–savanna mosaic across the Congo River. The Albertine Rift mountains bound the Congo Basin on the east, and are home to the neighboring Albertine Rift montane forests ecoregion above 1500 meters elevation.

Climate

The climate is humid and tropical. Average annual rainfall ranges from 1,500 mm to 2,000 mm, and is generally lower in the east. There is a distinct dry season from January to March.

Flora

The predominant plant community is lowland moist forest. The forests are principally evergreen, with areas of semi-evergreen forest where some trees lose their leaves during the winter dry season. The forests are mostly a mix of species, although there are some single-species stands, notably Gilbertiodendron dewevrei.
Transitional submontane forest is found at the eastern edge of the ecoregion on the lower slopes of the Albertine Rift mountains, and drier transitional forest is found along the ecoregion's northern edge.

Fauna

Sixteen mammals are endemic to the ecoregion, including the okapi, giant genet, aquatic genet, lesser forest shrew, African foggy shrew, fuscous shrew, owl-faced monkey, and L'Hoest's monkey. It is important habitat for the eastern lowland gorilla. Limited-range mammals include the pied bat Allen's striped bat, Misonne's soft-furred mouse, and Verschuren's swamp rat.
Endemic birds include Neumann's coucal and golden-naped weaver. Nahan's francolin, Ituri batis, Turner's eremomela, Congo peacock, Sassi's greenbul, Bedford's paradise-flycatcher, and Chapin's mountain-babbler are considered near-endemic.
There are seven endemic amphibians, including the olive shovelnose, Kigulube reed frog, Kunungu reed frog, Mertens' running frog, Buta River frog, Christy's grassland frog, and Pangi Territory frog. There are five endemic reptiles, including the Zaire dwarf gecko.

People

The eastern edge of the ecoregion along the Albertine Rift is the most densely populated. The central part of the ecoregion, including the Ituri Forest, is sparsely populated, and is home to the Mbuti people, an indigenous pygmy people who live by hunting and gathering in the forest.

Protected areas

A 2017 assessment found that 54,712 km2, or 11%, of the ecoregion is in protected areas. 34% of the unprotected area is still forested. Protected areas include: