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

George Elliot Biddulph,Yannick Enock Bocko,Selena Georgiou,Donna Hawthorne,Nicholas Girkin,Matteo Sciumbata,Jonay Jovani-Sancho,Joseph Kanyama T,Greta C Dargie,Ovide Emba,Genevieve Tyrrell,Pierre Bola,Mackline Mbemba,Bart Crezee,Wenina Emmanuel Mampouya

doi:10.19182/bft2021.350.a36288

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.

Highlights

Recently it became apparent that the Cuvette Centrale, a vast region of wetlands in the centre of the Congo Basin, shared between the Republic of the Congo (ROC) and Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), is home to the largest tropical peatland complex in the world
The Cuvette Centrale peatlands were first mapped in 2017 (Dargie et al, 2017), and whilst the peatlands are at present largely intact, a number of potential threats have been identified including climate change, hydrocarbon exploration, industrial logging and infrastructure development with negative impacts on carbon stocks, biodiversity and water quality expected if these threats were to materialise (Dargie et al, 2019)
Work is still needed to improve peatland maps and reduce the large uncertainties around the carbon stock estimate, with data acquisition in the region made challenging by the vast extent and relative inaccessibility of these peatland ecosystems. It is not just a question of carbon stocks; very little is known about the carbon dynamics of the Cuvette Centrale peatlands and their role in the global carbon cycle

Summary

Introduction

Recently it became apparent that the Cuvette Centrale, a vast region of wetlands in the centre of the Congo Basin, shared between the Republic of the Congo (ROC) and Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), is home to the largest tropical peatland complex in the world. The Cuvette Centrale peatlands were first mapped in 2017 (Dargie et al, 2017), and whilst the peatlands are at present largely intact, a number of potential threats have been identified including climate change, hydrocarbon exploration, industrial logging and infrastructure development with negative impacts on carbon stocks, biodiversity and water quality expected if these threats were to materialise (Dargie et al, 2019).

Results

Conclusion