Current knowledge on the Cuvette Centrale peatland complex and future research directions

Biddulph, George Elliot; Bocko, Yannick Enock; Bola, Pierre; Crezee, Bart; Dargie, Greta C.; Emba, Ovide; Georgiou, Selena; Girkin, Nicholas; Hawthorne, Donna; Jovani-Sancho, A. Jonay ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7824-0501; Kanyama T., Joseph; Mampouya, Wenina Emmanuel; Mbemba, Mackline; Sciumbata, Matteo; Tyrell, Genevieve. 2021 Current knowledge on the Cuvette Centrale peatland complex and future research directions. Bois et Forêts des Tropiques, 350. 3-14. https://doi.org/10.19182/bft2021.350.a36288

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Official URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.19182/bft2021.350.a36288

Abstract/Summary

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.

Item Type:	Publication - Article
Digital Object Identifier (DOI):	https://doi.org/10.19182/bft2021.350.a36288
UKCEH and CEH Sections/Science Areas:	Soils and Land Use (Science Area 2017-)
ISSN:	0006-579X
Additional Information. Not used in RCUK Gateway to Research.:	Open Access paper - full text available via Official URL link.
Additional Keywords:	tropical peatland, carbon storage, greenhouse gas emissions, palaeoecology, biodiversity, Anthropocene, Democratic Republic of Congo
NORA Subject Terms:	Agriculture and Soil Science
Date made live:	26 Jan 2022 17:57 +0 (UTC)
URI:	https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/531836

Item Type:

Publication - Article

Digital Object Identifier (DOI):

https://doi.org/10.19182/bft2021.350.a36288

UKCEH and CEH Sections/Science Areas:

Soils and Land Use (Science Area 2017-)

ISSN:

0006-579X

Additional Information. Not used in RCUK Gateway to Research.:

Open Access paper - full text available via Official URL link.

Additional Keywords:

tropical peatland, carbon storage, greenhouse gas emissions, palaeoecology, biodiversity, Anthropocene, Democratic Republic of Congo