Forests Of Central Africa Research Articles

Changes and determinants of the shape of irregular trunk trees over time in a semi-deciduous forest in Central Africa

Changes and determinants of the shape of irregular trunk trees over time in a semi-deciduous forest in Central Africa

Disentangling the impact of nested sources of variability on species growth processes: A mixture of multilevel mixed model approach.

SummaryThe understanding of tree growth processes is crucial for promoting sustainable forest management strategies. This is a challenging task in highly biodiverse ecosystems where many tree species are observed on very few individuals and the small sample sizes hinder a good fit of species‐specific models. We propose the use of finite mixture of random coefficient regression models with multilevel nested random effects to infer guild specific fixed and random effects while evaluating the relative importance of the nested sources of variability on goodness‐of‐fit. This approach extends finite mixture of linear mixed model used for longitudinal or single group structured data contexts. A dedicated expectation–maximisation algorithm is introduced for parameter estimation. Simulations are performed for the evaluation of the misspecification of nested‐grouping structures. This work has been motivated by data collected biennially in Central African rainforests from 1986 to 2010. We show the accuracy of the proposed approach in successfully reproducing individual growth processes and classifying tree species into well‐differentiated clusters with clear ecological interpretations. Moreover, results confirm that interindividual variability appears as the most important factor to explain tropical tree species growth process variability from Central Africa forests.

Transboundary Central African Protected Area Complexes Demonstrate Varied Effectiveness in Reducing Predicted Risk of Deforestation Attributed to Small-Scale Agriculture

The forests of Central Africa constitute the continent’s largest continuous tract of forest, maintained in part by over 200 protected areas across six countries with varying levels of restriction and enforcement. Despite protection, these Central African forests are subject to a multitude of overlapping proximate and underlying drivers of deforestation and degradation, such as conversion to small-scale agriculture. This pilot study explored whether transboundary protected area complexes featuring mixed resource-use restriction categories are effective in reducing the predicted disturbance risk to intact forests attributed to small-scale agriculture. At two transboundary protected area complex sites in Central Africa, we used Google Earth Engine and a suite of earth observation (EO) data, including a dataset derived using a replicable, open-source methodology stemming from a regional collaboration, to predict the increased risk of deforestation and degradation of intact forests caused by small-scale agriculture. For each complex, we then statistically compared the predicted increased risk between protected and unprotected forests for a stratified random sample of 2 km sites (n = 4000). We found varied effectiveness of protected areas for reducing the predicted risk of deforestation and degradation to intact forests attributed to agriculture by both the site and category of protected areas within the complex. Our early results have implications for sustainable agriculture development, forest conservation, and protected areas management and provide a direction for future research into spatial planning. Spatial planning could optimize the configuration of protected area types within transboundary complexes to achieve both forest conservation and sustainable agricultural production outcomes.

The Impact of Illegal Logging on the State of the Rainforests of the Congo River Basin

In the modern world, one of the key problems on a planetary scale is the disappearance of tropical forests. In addition, the state of these forest ecosystems is of serious concern. The fight against the disappearance of tropical forests, especially due to illegal logging, is an integral part of the decisions taken to prevent negative climate impacts, and the most important task for the implementation of programs for the socio-economic development and protection of forests in Central Africa. The article describes the state of forests in the countries of the Congo River basin. The reasons for the degradation of forests and deforestation of the territory of this region are given, as well as the consequences of anthropogenic activities that have a huge direct and indirect impact on forest ecosystems. The lack of balance between economic, environmental and social components in the formation of national and subregional forest policy is reflected in legislation in this area. As a consequence, grounds for delinquency and illegal activities are created, and illegal logging continues in all countries of the Congo Basin. The authors analyzed the situation with illegal logging. It is shown that illegal logging not only has a devastating impact on forest ecosystems, but also deprives the state of income from the export of valuable timber and, thereby, destabilizes the situation in this subregion. The development of illegal activities is explained by the peculiarities of the forest management system, which has created a situation with relative impunity for offenders due to corruption and the imperfection of the regulatory framework. Solving the problem requires a deep reform of forest legislation and the development of a more effective system of economic measures to counter illegal logging of tropical forests in the countries of the Congo Basin.

The spatial propagation and increasing dominance of Gilbertiodendron dewevrei (Fabaceae) in the eastern Congo basin.

Though substantial research has been conducted on possible historical, physiological, and symbiotic mechanisms that permit monodominance to occur within tropical lowland rainforests, less is known about the successional rates at which monodominance exerts itself on surrounding forest structures. Here we extend efforts to evaluate the longitudinal dynamics of Gilbertiodendron dewevrei-dominated forest in Central Africa by considering this species' spatial dynamics. Using three 10-ha censused field plots measured across three time periods, we present the first quantitative estimates of the spatial propagation of Gilbertiodendron into adjacent mixed species forest. Using three analytical strategies, we demonstrate that Gilbertiodendron is increasing in dominance and that monodominant forest patches are expanding into the surrounding forest at a statistically significant rate. The rates of successional advance vary by patch and direction, but average 0.31 m year-1, with speeds greatest in the direction of the prevailing winds. We show that the advancement of Gilbertiodendron is significantly slower than documented rates from other forest ecotones across Central Africa. When paired with stress tolerance traits and ectomycorrhizal associations, these findings help to clarify the means by which Gilbertiodendron dewevrei gains dominance in otherwise species-diverse regions.

Modeling the potential distribution of the threatened Grey-necked Picathartes Picathartes oreas across its entire range

Summary Understanding the distribution and extent of suitable habitats is critical for the conservation of endangered and endemic taxa. Such knowledge is limited for many Central African species, including the rare and globally threatened Grey-necked Picathartes Picathartes oreas, one of only two species in the family Picathartidae endemic to the forests of Central Africa. Despite growing concerns about land-use change resulting in fragmentation and loss of forest cover in the region, neither the extent of suitable habitat nor the potential species’ distribution is well known. We combine 339 (new and historical) occurrence records of Grey-necked Picathartes with environmental variables to model the potential global distribution. We used a Maximum Entropy modelling approach that accounted for sampling bias. Our model suggests that Grey-necked Picathartes distribution is strongly associated with steeper slopes and high levels of forest cover, while bioclimatic, vegetation health, and habitat condition variables were all excluded from the final model. We predicted 17,327 km2 of suitable habitat for the species, of which only 2,490 km2 (14.4%) are within protected areas where conservation designations are strictly enforced. These findings show a smaller global distribution of predicted suitable habitat forthe Grey-necked Picathartes than previously thought. This work provides evidence to inform a revision of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List status, and may warrant upgrading the status of the species from “Near Threatened” to “Vulnerable”.

Atmospheric phosphorus deposition amplifies carbon sinks in simulations of a tropical forest in Central Africa.

Spatial redistribution of nutrients by atmospheric transport and deposition could theoretically act as a continental-scale mechanism which counteracts declines in soil fertility caused by nutrient lock-up in accumulating biomass in tropical forests in Central Africa. However, to what extent it affects carbon sinks in forests remains elusive. Here we use a terrestrial biosphere model to quantify the impact of changes in atmospheric nitrogen and phosphorus deposition on plant nutrition and biomass carbon sink at a typical lowland forest site in Central Africa. We find that the increase in nutrient deposition since the 1980s could have contributed to the carbon sink over the past four decades up to an extent which is similar to that from the combined effects of increasing atmospheric carbon dioxide and climate change. Furthermore, we find that the modelled carbon sink responds to changes in phosphorus deposition, but less so to nitrogen deposition. The pronounced response of ecosystem productivity to changes in nutrient deposition illustrates a potential mechanism that could control carbon sinks in Central Africa. Monitoring the quantity and quality of nutrient deposition is needed in this region, given the changes in nutrient deposition due to human land use.

Deep Learning for Mapping Tropical Forests with TanDEM-X Bistatic InSAR Data

The TanDEM-X synthetic aperture radar (SAR) system allows for the recording of bistatic interferometric SAR (InSAR) acquisitions, which provide additional information to the common amplitude images acquired by monostatic SAR systems. More concretely, the volume decorrelation factor, which can be derived from the bistatic interferometric coherence, is a reliable indicator of the presence of vegetation and it was used as main input feature for the generation of the global TanDEM-X forest/non-forest map, by means of a clustering algorithm. In this work, we investigate the capabilities of deep Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) for mapping tropical forests at large-scale using TanDEM-X InSAR data. For this purpose, we rely on a U-Net architecture, which takes as input a set of feature maps selected on the basis of previous preparatory works. Moreover, we design an ad hoc training strategy, aimed at developing a robust model for global mapping purposes, which has to properly manage the large variety of different acquisition geometries characterizing the TanDEM-X global data set. In addition to detecting forest/non-forest areas, the CNN has also been trained to detect water surfaces, which are typically characterized by low values of coherence. By applying the proposed method on single TanDEM-X images, we achieved a significant performance improvement with respect to the baseline clustering approach, with an average F-score increase of 0.13. We then applied such a model for mapping the entire Amazon rainforest, as well as the other tropical forests in Central Africa and South-East Asia, in order to test its robustness and generalization capabilities, and we observed that forests are typically well detected as contour closed regions and that water classification is reliable, too. Finally, the generated maps show a great potential for mapping temporal changes occurring over forested areas and can be used for generating large-scale maps of deforestation.

New evidence on the role of past human activities and edaphic factors on the fine-scale distribution of an important timber species: Cylicodiscus gabunensis Harms

Despite the implementation of management plans, commercial tree species densities are declining in the forests of Central Africa. In the region, Cylicodiscus gabunensis Harms (Fabaceae-Caesalpinioideae; common name ‘okan’), is one such species most exploited, but its ecology remains poorly understood. The rarity of its regeneration in evergreen forest suggests that, like other commercial light-demanding species, the conditions that allowed populations to become established are no longer present. Using a combined archaeobotanical and pedological approach, the aim of this study is to identify the factors explaining the current distribution of C. gabunensis individuals at local scale. Within a plot of 1050 ha in a forest concession in south-eastern Gabon, we installed 40 archaeological pits equally divided between sites with and without C. gabunensis. The artefacts encountered were collected and analysed. Charcoal masses were quantified and 18 charcoals were dated. These ages were compared with the average age of the tree population, using growth data from 50 individuals and heartwood dating from 4 individuals. An analysis of the physico-chemical properties of the soil was carried out on composite samples from each archaeological pit. Pottery sherds were found in two pits while charcoal was present in all pits, suggesting widespread human occupation and fire throughout the study area. Human occupation occurred in two phases: between 2480 and 1010 BP and from 590 to 80 BP. The abandonment of agricultural land at the end of this second phase could coincide with the establishment of the C. gabunensis cohort whose average age has been estimated at between 90 and 148 years. Soil analyses showed that C. gabunensis individuals were located on soils that were comparatively richer in element potentially toxic (Fe) and in some plant nutrients (K, P) and total nitrogen. The current scarcity of young trees argues for the implementation of a silviculture that integrates the light requirements of the species as well as the chemical fertility of the soil.

Phenolic composition, antioxidant and enzyme inhibitory activities of Parkia biglobosa (Jacq.) Benth., Tithonia diversifolia (Hemsl) A. Gray, and Crossopteryx febrifuga (Afzel.) Benth

Medicinal plants from Chad grow under special climatic conditions in between the equatorial forest of Central Africa and the desert of North Africa and are understudied. Three medicinal plants from Chad ( T. diversifolia, P. Biglobosa and C. Febrifuga ) were evaluated for their phenolic composition, antioxidant and enzyme inhibition activities. The total phenolic composition varied from 203.19 ± 0.58 mg GAE/g DW in the ethyl acetate extract of P. biglobosa , to 56.41 ± 0.89 mg GAE/g DW in the methanol extract of C. febrifuga while the total flavonoid content varied from 51.85 ± 0.91 mg QE/g DW in the methanol extract of P. biglobosa to 08.56 ± 0.25 mg QE/g DW in the methanol extract of C. febrifuga. HPLC-DAD revealed that rutin, gallic acid and protocatechuic acid were the most abundant phenolics in T. diversifolia, P. Biglobosa and C. Febrifuga respectively. The antioxidant activity assayed by five different methods revealed very good activity especially in the DPPH • , ABTS •+ and CUPRAC assays where the extracts were more active than the standard compounds used. Good inhibition was exhibited against acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) with methanol (IC 50 : 15.63 ± 0.72 µg/mL), ethyl acetate (IC 50 : 16.20 ± 0.67 µg/mL) extracts of P. biglobosa , and methanol (IC 50 : 21.53 ± 0.65 µg/mL) and ethyl acetate (IC 50 : 30.81 ± 0.48 µg/mL) extracts of T. diversifolia showing higher inhibition than galantamine (IC 50 : 42.20 ± 0.44 µg/mL) against BChE. Equally, good inhibition was shown on α-amylase and α-glucosidase. On the α-glucosidase, the ethyl acetate (IC 50 = 12.47 ± 0.61 µg/mL) and methanol extracts (IC 50 = 16.51 ± 0.18 µg/mL) of P. biglobosa showed higher activity compared to the standard acarbose (IC 50 = 17.35 ± 0.71 µg/mL) and on α-amylase, the ethyl acetate (IC 50 = 13.50 ± 0.90 µg/mL) and methanol (IC 50 = 18.12 ± 0.33 µg/mL) extracts of P. biglobosa showed higher activity compared to acarbose (IC 50 = 23.84 ± 0.25 µg/mL). The results indicate that these plants are good sources of antioxidant phenolics and can be used to manage oxidative stress linked illnesses such as Alzheimer’s disease and diabetes.

New numerical dynamics of the fractional monkeypox virus model transmission pertaining to nonsingular kernels.

Monkeypox (MPX) is a zoonotic illness that is analogous to smallpox. Monkeypox infections have moved across the forests of Central Africa, where they were first discovered, to other parts of the world. It is transmitted by the monkeypox virus, which is a member of the Poxviridae species and belongs to the Orthopoxvirus genus. In this article, the monkeypox virus is investigated using a deterministic mathematical framework within the Atangana-Baleanu fractional derivative that depends on the generalized Mittag-Leffler (GML) kernel. The system's equilibrium conditions are investigated and examined for robustness. The global stability of the endemic equilibrium is addressed using Jacobian matrix techniques and the Routh-Hurwitz threshold. Furthermore, we also identify a criterion wherein the system's disease-free equilibrium is globally asymptotically stable. Also, we employ a new approach by combining the two-step Lagrange polynomial and the fundamental concept of fractional calculus. The numerical simulations for multiple fractional orders reveal that as the fractional order reduces from 1, the virus's transmission declines. The analysis results show that the proposed strategy is successful at reducing the number of occurrences in multiple groups. It is evident that the findings suggest that isolating affected people from the general community can assist in limiting the transmission of pathogens.

Effect of Different Extraction Methods on the Physicochemical Characteristics of Tetracarpidium Conophorum Müll. Arg. Hutch. and Dalz. Almonds Oil

Tetracarpidum conophorum nut is an oil seed found abundantly in the equatorial forest of Central Africa. The present study was conducted to evaluate the yield and the physicochemical composition oils from T. conophorum kernels extracted by cold and hot pressing. The experiments were carried out with mechanical screw press (type – Komet D85-1G) with a nozzle diameter of 8 mm. The extraction method had an influence on oil yield, with a greater yield for hot pressing at 90 °C (68.86 ± 2.00%) compared to cold pressing at 30°C (64.65±3.82%). The refractive index and the density of oils were not significantly different with respect to the extraction methods. The iodine value varies from 146 for hexane extraction to 170 for cold extraction. For both oils, the acid and peroxide values were in line with Codex standards. The oil extracted with hot press method had higher carotenoid content (32.03 ± 1.86 µg/g). a-tocopherol was greater in the oil obtained through the cold process (16.2 ± 0.20 mg/100 g). The seed oils contained substantial amounts of polyunsaturated fatty acids, including precisely linolenic acid (68% of total fatty acids) and linoleic acid (11% of total fatty acids). Based on its characteristics, oils obtained through cold press extraction was of better quality with respect to preservation of bioactive components. T. conophorum oil may have interesting abilities in nutrition, pharmacology and management of metabolic diseases.

High flexibility in diet and ranging patterns in two golden monkey (Cercopithecus mitis kandti) populations in Rwanda.

Many primates exhibit behavioral flexibility which allows them to adapt to environmental change and different habitat types. The golden monkey (Cercopithecus mitis kandti) is a little-studied endangered primate subspecies endemic to the Virunga massif and the Gishwati forest in central Africa. In the Virunga massif, golden monkeys are mainly found in the bamboo forest, while in the Gishwati forest they live in mixed tropical montane forest. Here we describe and compare the diet of golden monkeys in both fragments. Over 24 consecutive months from January 2017 we used scan sampling to record feeding and ranging behavior of two Virunga groups and one Gishwati group totaling ca. 240 individuals. We also examined the phenology of bamboo and fruit trees, key seasonal food plant species for the monkeys. Golden monkeys fed on more than 100 plant species. The Virunga groups were mostly folivorous (between 72.8% and 87.16% of the diet) and fed mostly on young bamboo leaves and bamboo shoots, while 48.69% of the diet of the Gishwati group consisted of fruit from 22 different tree and shrub species. Bamboo shoots and fruit are seasonally available foods and were consumed regularly throughout the period when they were available. Despite being the smallest of the three study groups, the Gishwati group had a larger home range area (150.07 ha) compared to both Virunga groups (25.24 and 91.3 ha), likely driven by the differences in availability and distribution of fruit and bamboo in the habitats. Like other blue monkey subspecies, golden monkeys appear to have a flexible dietary strategy enabling them to adjust diet and ranging behavior to local habitats and available food resources. Additional studies and continuing conservation efforts are needed to better understand how variation in feeding and ranging ecology affects reproduction, population growth, and carrying capacity.

Antioxidant and Ethnobotanical Study of Strychnos icaja Baillon (Loganiaceae) from Gabon

Aim: In plants, are found large amount of vitamin (A, B, C, E), mineral (Zn, Cu, Se) and biochemical (glutathione, taurine, phenol acids) substances which also have a well-known antioxidant power. These substances have phytotheraptic applications in the fight against aging caused by oxidative stress and are oxidative component of acute pathologies: (infectious, traumatic, inflammatory and allergic). Strychnos icaja Baillon (Loganiaceae) is a tropical shrub common in the tropical forest of Central Africa. Strychnos species is mainly used by the local population as an arrow or ordeal poison, for treatment of haemorrhoids and malaria by the Pygmies tribes from Cameroon due to its magic-medical property. This study determined the medicinal uses of Strychnos and assessed its antioxidant potential.
 Methodology: Extracts of alkaloids, aqueous, ethyl acetate, dichloromethane and butanol from Strychnos were evaluated for their antioxidant properties. An ethnobotanical survey of 20 traditional therapists was carried to obtain the medicinal uses of the root of Strychnos icaja.
 Results: 1,1-diphenyl-2-picryl-hydrazyl (DPPH) test shows good antiradical activity. Antioxidant activity by the ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) test, show that Strychnos total alkaloids of the roots have a value of 5.94 ± 0.14mmol EAA/g that is significantly close from Ascorbic acid (5.86 ± 0.51 mmol EAA/g). The results of survey of traditional therapists identified six indications of this plant, namely in the treatment of haemorrhoids, against ear infections, male urethritis, rheumatic and dental pain and sterility in women.
 Conclusion: The Strychnos icaja possesses antioxidant activity, this can find use in the treatment of inflammatory diseases.

Recent phenological shifts of migratory birds at a Mediterranean spring stopover site: Species wintering in the Sahel advance passage more than tropical winterers.

Spring migration phenology is shifting towards earlier dates as a response to climate change in many bird species. However, the patterns of change might not be the same for all species, populations, sex and age classes. In particular, patterns of change could differ between species with different ecology. We analyzed 18 years of standardized bird capture data at a spring stopover site on the island of Ponza, Italy, to determine species-specific rates of phenological change for 30 species following the crossing of the Mediterranean Sea. The advancement of spring passage was more pronounced in species wintering in Northern Africa (i.e. short-distance migrants) and in the Sahel zone. Only males from species wintering further South in the forests of central Africa advanced their passage, with no effect on the overall peak date of passage of the species. The migration window on Ponza broadened in many species, suggesting that early migrants within a species are advancing their migration more than late migrants. These data suggest that the cues available to the birds to adjust departure might be changing at different rates depending on wintering location and habitat, or that early migrants of different species might be responding differently to changing conditions along the route. However, more data on departure time from the wintering areas are required to understand the mechanisms underlying such phenological changes.

Spatial priorities for conserving the most intact biodiverse forests within Central Africa

The forests of Central Africa contain some of Earth’s few remaining intact forests. These forests are increasingly threatened by infrastructure development, agriculture, and unsustainable extraction of natural resources (e.g. minerals, bushmeat, and timber), all of which is leading to deforestation and forest degradation, particularly defaunation, and hence causing declines in biodiversity and a significant increase in carbon emissions. Given the pervasive nature of these threats, the global importance of Central African forests for biodiversity conservation, and the limited resources for conservation and sustainable management, there is a need to identify where the most important areas are to orientate conservation efforts. We developed a novel approach for identifying spatial priorities where conservation efforts can maximize biodiversity benefits within Central Africa’s most intact forest areas. We found that the Democratic Republic of Congo has the largest amount of priority areas in the region, containing more than half, followed by Gabon, the Republic of Congo and Cameroon. We compared our approach to one that solely prioritizes forest intactness and one that aims to achieve only biodiversity representation objectives. We found that when priorities are only based on forest intactness (without considering biodiversity representation), there are significantly fewer biodiversity benefits and vice versa. We therefore recommend multi-objective planning that includes biodiversity representation and forest intactness to ensure that both objectives are maximized. These results can inform various types of conservation strategies needed within the region, including land-use planning, jurisdictional REDD + initiatives, and performance related carbon payments, protected area expansion, community forest management, and forest concession plans.

How does eco-label competition affect environmental benefits? The case of Central Africa's forests

Increasingly, non-governmental organization (NGO) and industry eco-labels compete. Environmental benefits may increase or decrease with entry by an industry label, depending on the shape of consumers’ willingness to pay and the shape of the distribution of forest compliance costs. Using geospatial data from forests in Cameroon and Gabon to proxy for compliance costs, I test whether lower compliance cost forests are more likely to participate in stricter labels. Next, I use a semi-nonparametric estimator to estimate parameters for willingness to pay and the distribution of forest compliance costs to calculate benefits with and without label competition. I find that, in this context, eco-label competition decreases environmental benefits by 17%. The industry label lures away a sufficient number of forests that would have chosen an NGO standard in autarky, overwhelming gains from broader participation and a stricter NGO standard. The distribution of forest compliance cost is skewed toward high cost forests. Willingness to pay is bowed: initial increases in protection have a high marginal willingness-to-pay but additional increases are less valuable. Industry certified wood prices are predicted to be 14–28% higher than uncertified wood. NGO certified wood prices are predicted to be 9–17% higher than industry certified wood.

An elusive record further exposed: additional excavations and chronometric data on human settlement in the northern Congo Basin rain forest, southern Central African Republic

ABSTRACTRecently, Lupo et al. (2015, 2018) reported novel data on the nature and timing of late Holocene human settlement and iron production in the northern Congo Basin rain forest, southern Central African Republic. This paper expands those data by presenting new archaeological and chronological information discovered in field investigations conducted in 2017–2018. Twenty-five archaeological sites were identified and radiocarbon dates from 14 signal human habitation over some 1900 years. Together with the previously reported investigations a diverse suite of sites has been identified, including slag mounds, ceramic scatters, habitation sites and the only documented series of iron ore quarries in the Central African forest. Cumulatively, the results of radiocarbon assay of charcoal samples from 32 sites indicate nearly continuous human activity in the Lobaye River Basin over the past 2300 years. Among others, these data: 1) indicate, for the first time, an Early Iron Age interval in the region with evidence of iron production; 2) include multiple calibrated age estimates on sites/components dating within the c. 1400–800 BP hiatus in human occupations reported elsewhere in Central Africa forests; and 3) afford a number of additional radiocarbon age estimates that fall during the Late Iron Age increase in human use of the forest reported in neighbouring contexts.

Using camera trap data to characterise terrestrial larger‐bodied mammal communities in different management sectors of the Dja Faunal Reserve, Cameroon

AbstractCamera trap surveys can be useful in characterising terrestrial larger‐bodied mammal communities in Central Africa forests. Two 40‐trap, minimum of 100 days, survey grids conducted in the Dja Faunal Reserve of southern Cameroon showed differences in the mammal communities of two sites 32 km apart. Mammal richness, diversity, guild structure, body‐size patterns and relative abundance of taxa were measured by trapping rates and occupancy of the two mammal communities. One of the survey sites was (a) less rich in terrestrial mammal species; (b) missing disturbance‐sensitive felids and white‐bellied duiker (Cephalophus leucogaster, subsp, leucogaster, Gray, 1873); (c) greater in abundance of some disturbance‐tolerant species; and (d) lower in abundance of larger‐bodied species. Several indicators suggest a higher hunting pressure at this site, and this may be a contributing factor to these differences.

Recognition of a new generic‐level swallow taxon from central Africa

The forest swallow Petrochelidon fuliginosa is a little‐known species endemic to lowland forests in central Africa; for lack of access to high‐quality genetic material, the species has been omitted from all previous molecular phylogenetic studies of the swallows. The species is currently placed in the genus Petrochelidon, within the ‘mud‐nester’ clade of swallows, yet its plumage, morphology, and nesting behavior do not align well with those of other major swallow lineages. As a consequence, upon securing recent specimens and high‐quality tissue samples, we sequenced DNA from two mitochondrial genes and one nuclear marker to place this species in the swallow phylogenetic tree. Our results placed the forest swallow firmly within the ‘mud nester’ clade, but outside of the clade corresponding to Petrochelidon. This outcome led us to document and describe formally a distinct, generic‐level lineage of swallow endemic to the Lower Guinean forest region of central Africa.