Conserving Carbon Stocks Under Climate Change: Importance of Trees Outside Forests in Agricultural Landscapes of Mongala Province, Democratic Republic of Congo
This study aimed to evaluate the role of trees outside forests on agricultural land (TOF-AL) in preserving the initial aboveground biomass (<i>AGB</i>) of forests within the agricultural landscape of Mongala province in the Democratic Republic of Congo. In 2024, tree inventories were con...
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MDPI AG
2025-03-01
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| author | Jean Pierre Azenge Aboubacar-Oumar Zon Hermane Diesse Jean Pierre Pitchou Meniko Jérôme Ebuy Justin N’Dja Kassi Paxie W. Chirwa |
| author_facet | Jean Pierre Azenge Aboubacar-Oumar Zon Hermane Diesse Jean Pierre Pitchou Meniko Jérôme Ebuy Justin N’Dja Kassi Paxie W. Chirwa |
| author_sort | Jean Pierre Azenge |
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| description | This study aimed to evaluate the role of trees outside forests on agricultural land (TOF-AL) in preserving the initial aboveground biomass (<i>AGB</i>) of forests within the agricultural landscape of Mongala province in the Democratic Republic of Congo. In 2024, tree inventories were conducted over four months in the forests and agricultural lands of Mongala province to analyse <i>AGB</i>. The effects of artisanal logging and charcoal production activities on the <i>AGB</i> conservation rate were considered. This study indicates that 78.3% of the trees encountered in agricultural lands were large-diameter trees (diameter at breast height (DBH) ≥ 60 cm). In forest areas, large-diameter trees accounted for 55.9% of tree density. The average <i>AGB</i>s are 66.8 Mg ha<sup>−1</sup> for TOF-AL and 373.5 Mg ha<sup>−1</sup> for forest trees. The <i>AGB</i> of TOF-AL accounts for 17.9% of the <i>AGB</i> of the total forest trees. The <i>AGB</i> conservation rates vary by region, with Lisala having the highest at 22.1%, Bumba the lowest at 11.2%, and Bongandanga at 20.5%. Artisanal logging and charcoal production reduce the <i>AGB</i> conservation rate of TOF-AL. The <i>AGB</i> conservation rate is positively correlated with the distances to major cities. These results prove that conserving trees in agricultural landscapes can reduce the <i>AGB</i> losses associated with slash-and-burn agriculture and contribute to mitigating climate change effects. |
| format | Article |
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| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2673-4834 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-03-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
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| series | Earth |
| spelling | doaj-art-b6e286831a574c67b0740c3b60cfac4b2025-08-20T03:27:21ZengMDPI AGEarth2673-48342025-03-01621910.3390/earth6020019Conserving Carbon Stocks Under Climate Change: Importance of Trees Outside Forests in Agricultural Landscapes of Mongala Province, Democratic Republic of CongoJean Pierre Azenge0Aboubacar-Oumar Zon1Hermane Diesse2Jean Pierre Pitchou Meniko3Jérôme Ebuy4Justin N’Dja Kassi5Paxie W. Chirwa6Filière Gestion des Ressources Naturelles Renouvellables, Institut Facultaire des Sciences Agronomiques de Yangambi (IFA-Yangambi), Kisangani P.O. Box 1232, Democratic Republic of the CongoDépartement des Sciences de la Vie et de la Terre, UFR Sciences et Technologies, Université Lédéa Bernard OUEDRAOGO, Ouahigouya 01 BP 346, Burkina FasoDepartment of Natural Resource Science, Namibia University of Science and Technology, 13 Jackson Kaujeua Street, Windhoek 13388, NamibiaFilière Gestion des Ressources Naturelles Renouvellables, Institut Facultaire des Sciences Agronomiques de Yangambi (IFA-Yangambi), Kisangani P.O. Box 1232, Democratic Republic of the CongoFaculté de Gestion des Ressources Naturelles Renouvelables, Université de Kisangani (UNIKIS), Kisangani P.O. Box 2012, Democratic Republic of the CongoUFR Biosciences, Université Félix Houphouët-Boigny, Abidjan P.O. Box 582, Côte d’IvoireDepartment of Plant and Soil Sciences, University of Pretoria, Pretoria 0022, South AfricaThis study aimed to evaluate the role of trees outside forests on agricultural land (TOF-AL) in preserving the initial aboveground biomass (<i>AGB</i>) of forests within the agricultural landscape of Mongala province in the Democratic Republic of Congo. In 2024, tree inventories were conducted over four months in the forests and agricultural lands of Mongala province to analyse <i>AGB</i>. The effects of artisanal logging and charcoal production activities on the <i>AGB</i> conservation rate were considered. This study indicates that 78.3% of the trees encountered in agricultural lands were large-diameter trees (diameter at breast height (DBH) ≥ 60 cm). In forest areas, large-diameter trees accounted for 55.9% of tree density. The average <i>AGB</i>s are 66.8 Mg ha<sup>−1</sup> for TOF-AL and 373.5 Mg ha<sup>−1</sup> for forest trees. The <i>AGB</i> of TOF-AL accounts for 17.9% of the <i>AGB</i> of the total forest trees. The <i>AGB</i> conservation rates vary by region, with Lisala having the highest at 22.1%, Bumba the lowest at 11.2%, and Bongandanga at 20.5%. Artisanal logging and charcoal production reduce the <i>AGB</i> conservation rate of TOF-AL. The <i>AGB</i> conservation rate is positively correlated with the distances to major cities. These results prove that conserving trees in agricultural landscapes can reduce the <i>AGB</i> losses associated with slash-and-burn agriculture and contribute to mitigating climate change effects.https://www.mdpi.com/2673-4834/6/2/19trees outside forestsagricultural landscapesaboveground biomassartisanal loggingcharcoal productionMongala province |
| spellingShingle | Jean Pierre Azenge Aboubacar-Oumar Zon Hermane Diesse Jean Pierre Pitchou Meniko Jérôme Ebuy Justin N’Dja Kassi Paxie W. Chirwa Conserving Carbon Stocks Under Climate Change: Importance of Trees Outside Forests in Agricultural Landscapes of Mongala Province, Democratic Republic of Congo Earth trees outside forests agricultural landscapes aboveground biomass artisanal logging charcoal production Mongala province |
| title | Conserving Carbon Stocks Under Climate Change: Importance of Trees Outside Forests in Agricultural Landscapes of Mongala Province, Democratic Republic of Congo |
| title_full | Conserving Carbon Stocks Under Climate Change: Importance of Trees Outside Forests in Agricultural Landscapes of Mongala Province, Democratic Republic of Congo |
| title_fullStr | Conserving Carbon Stocks Under Climate Change: Importance of Trees Outside Forests in Agricultural Landscapes of Mongala Province, Democratic Republic of Congo |
| title_full_unstemmed | Conserving Carbon Stocks Under Climate Change: Importance of Trees Outside Forests in Agricultural Landscapes of Mongala Province, Democratic Republic of Congo |
| title_short | Conserving Carbon Stocks Under Climate Change: Importance of Trees Outside Forests in Agricultural Landscapes of Mongala Province, Democratic Republic of Congo |
| title_sort | conserving carbon stocks under climate change importance of trees outside forests in agricultural landscapes of mongala province democratic republic of congo |
| topic | trees outside forests agricultural landscapes aboveground biomass artisanal logging charcoal production Mongala province |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2673-4834/6/2/19 |
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