Current knowledge on the Cuvette Centrale peatland complex and future research directions
Abstract
The Cuvette Centrale is the largest tropical peatland complex in the world, covering approximately 145,000 km2 across the Republic of Congo and the Democratic Republic of Congo. It stores ca. 30.6 Pg C, the equivalent of three years of global carbon dioxide emissions and is now the first trans-national Ramsar site. Despite its size and importance as a global carbon store, relatively little is known about key aspects of its ecology and history, including its formation, the scale of greenhouse gas flows, its biodiversity and its history of human activity. Here, we synthesise available knowledge on the Cuvette Centrale, identifying key areas for further research. Finally, we review the potential of mathematical models to assess future trajectories for the peatlands in terms of the potential impacts of resource extraction or climate change.
Citation
Biddulph , G E , Bocko , Y E , Bola , P , Crezee , B , Dargie , G C , Emba , O , Georgiou , S , Girkin , N , Hawthorne , D , Jovani-Sancho , J , Kanyama T. , J , Mampouya , W E , Mbemba , M , Sciumbata , M & Tyrell , G 2022 , ' Current knowledge on the Cuvette Centrale peatland complex and future research directions ' , Bois et Forêts des Tropiques , vol. 350 , pp. 3-14 . https://doi.org/10.19182/bft2021.350.a36288
Publication
Bois et Forêts des Tropiques
Status
Peer reviewed
ISSN
1777-5760Type
Journal article
Description
CongoPeat Early Careers Researchers Group is a group of early career researchers who work directly or in partnership with the NERC funded CongoPeat project (NERC reference no.: NE/R016860/1; https://congopeat.net), which has provided the authors with full or partial financial and academic support.Collections
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