Owing to a lack of evolution of agricultural techniques, slash-and-burn agriculture remains the most frequent practice in Central Africa. During centuries, a balance was maintained between resources and exploitation, owing to low population density but now with the generalized use of chainsaws, this balance has gone, says Trefon.  Besides, except for the very fertile soils…

Logging is another major threat. It provokes soil erosion, water pollution and reduces the regeneration capacity of the forest, warns the Central African Forests Observatory (OFAC). Moreover, it contributes to the densification of the human presence in the forests, opening roads to poachers and itinerant farmers or charcoal producers. Illegal logging is continuing as showed…

According to recent NASA satellite information there are five times more wildfires burning in Africa than in the Amazon. Deforestation must be seen as global threat. The phenomenon is general in Africa, in particular in the Congo Basin, one of the main biodiversity sanctuaries of the planet with over a thousand bird species, 1300 butterfly…

Central African forests are also vulnerable to the effects of climate change which could generate negative consequences for biodiversity. Indeed, since 1950, a trend showing a rise of temperatures and another indicating lower precipitations, albeit differently according to the regions, have been observed. Some studies indicate a decrease of rainfall on large parts of the…