Fishes of the Mfimi River in the central Congo basin of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Kasai ecoregion or part of the Cuvette Centrale?

Despite the cultural and economic importance of fisheries to communities in the region, the Mfimi is one of the least well-documented river systems in the central Congo basin. Here we present a preliminary listing of species collected during two surveys sampling 35 sites along the main channel, in major tributaries, and in some marginal habitats. A total of 2195 specimens representing 141 species were collected and archived at the American Museum of Natural History, New York, and in the teaching collections of the University of Kinshasa. Five species are considered as potentially new to science, and range extensions of numerous species into the Mfimi are recorded. Based on the data presented we conclude that the fish communities in the Mfimi share affinities with those of the Cuvette Centrale to the north, rather than the Kasai basin with which the river is currently connected via an inflow at the Kwa-Kasai junction.

Automatic Detection of Inland Water Bodies along Altimetry Tracks for Estimating Surface Water Storage Variations in the Congo Basin

Surface water storage in floodplains and wetlands is poorly known from regional to global scales, in spite of its importance in the hydrological and the carbon balances, as the wet areas are an important water compartment which delays water transfer, modifies the sediment transport through sedimentation and erosion processes, and are a source for greenhouse gases. Remote sensing is a powerful tool for monitoring temporal variations in both the extent, level, and volume, of water using the synergy between satellite images and radar altimetry. Estimating water levels over flooded area using radar altimetry observation is difficult. In this study, an unsupervised classification approach is applied on the radar altimetry backscattering coefficients to discriminate between flooded and non-flooded areas in the Cuvette Centrale of Congo. Good detection of water (open water, permanent and seasonal inundation) is above 0.9 using radar altimetry backscattering from ENVISAT and Jason-2. Based on these results, the time series of water levels were automatically produced. They exhibit temporal variations in good agreement with the hydrological regime of the Cuvette Centrale. Comparisons against a manually generated time series of water levels from the same missions at the same locations show a very good agreement between the two processes (i.e., RMSE ≤ 0.25 m in more than 80%/90% of the cases and R ≥ 0.95 in more than 95%/75% of the cases for ENVISAT and Jason-2, respectively). The use of the time series of water levels over rivers and wetlands improves the spatial pattern of the annual amplitude of water storage in the Cuvette Centrale. It also leads to a decrease by a factor of four for the surface water estimates in this area, compared with a case where only time series over rivers are considered.

Description of five new species of Epitola sensu lato (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae: Poritiinae) from West and Central Africa

Five new species of Epitola s.l. (Lycaenidae: Poritiinae) are described in the genera Stempfferia Jackson, 1962 and Cephetola Libert, 1999. Stempfferia salonga sp. n. was found in the ‘Cuvette Centrale’ of the Democratic Republic of Congo and a single specimen was identified also from southern Cameroon. The similar S. buea sp. n. is known only from the unique holotype collected at the foothills of Mount Cameroon, while S. michelliberti sp. n. is distributed in lowland rainforest between southeast Ivory Coast and Guinea. The new species of Cephetola were found only in Liberia. Cephetola praecox sp. n. is known from a single upland forest locality in the Putu Range, whereas C. wologizi sp. n. was collected also in upland forest in the Wologizi Mountains.

Sediment Balance Estimation of the ‘Cuvette Centrale’ of the Congo River Basin Using the SWAT Hydrological Model

In this study, the SWAT hydrological model was used to estimate the sediment yields in the principal drainage basins of the Congo River Basin. The model was run for the 2000–2012 period and calibrated using measured values obtained at the basins principal gauging station that controls 98% of the basin area. Sediment yield rates of 4.01, 5.91, 7.88 and 8.68 t km−2 yr−1 were estimated for the areas upstream of the Ubangi at Bangui, Sangha at Ouesso, Lualaba at Kisangani, and Kasai at Kuto-Moke, respectively—the first three of which supply the Cuvette Centrale. The loads contributed into the Cuvette Centrale by eight tributaries were estimated to be worth 0.04, 0.07, 0.09, 0.18, 0.94, 1.50, 1.60, and 26.98 × 106 t yr−1 from the Likouala Mossaka at Makoua, Likouala aux Herbes at Botouali, Kouyou at Linnegue, Alima at Tchikapika, Sangha at Ouesso, Ubangi at Mongoumba, Ruki at Bokuma and Congo at Mbandaka, respectively. The upper Congo supplies up to 85% of the fluxes in the Cuvette Centrale, with the Ubangi and the Ruki contributing approximately 5% each. The Cuvette Centrale acts like a big sink trapping up to 23 megatons of sediment produced upstream (75%) annually.

First Evidence of Peat Domes in the Congo Basin using LiDAR from a Fixed-Wing Drone

The world’s most extensive tropical peatlands occur in the Cuvette Centrale depression in the Congo Basin, which stores 30.6 petagrams of carbon (95% CI, 6.3–46.8). Improving our understanding of the genesis, development and functioning of these under-studied peatlands requires knowledge of their topography and, in particular, whether the peat surface is domed, as this implies a rain-fed system. Here we use a laser altimeter mounted on an unmanned airborne vehicle (UAV) to measure peat surface elevation along two transects at the edges of a peatland, in the northern Republic of Congo, to centimetre accuracy and compare the results with an analysis of nearby satellite LiDAR data (ICESat and ICESat-2). The LiDAR elevations on both transects show an upward slope from the peatland edge, suggesting a surface elevation peak of around 1.8 m over ~20 km. While modest, this domed shape is consistent with the peatland being rainfed. In-situ peat depth measurements and our LiDAR results indicate that this peatland likely formed at least 10,000 years BP in a large shallow basin ~40 km wide and ~3 m deep.

UAV and Spaceborne LiDAR Gives First Evidence of Peat Domes in the Congo Basin

<p>The peatlands of the Cuvette Centrale depression in the Congo Basin store between 6.3 and 46.8 petagrams of carbon. To improve our understanding of the genesis, development and functioning of these peatlands, we need to know if their surface is domed. Past work using satellite-based instruments has established that if the peatland surface is domed, it is very shallow, below 2‑3 m over a distance of 26km. We used a laser altimeter mounted on an unmanned airborne vehicle (UAV) to measure peat surface elevation along two transects at the edges of a peatland  to centimetre accuracy, and combined the results with an analysis of local ICESat and ICESat-2 returns. The LiDAR elevations show an upward slope inwards from both edges, and the ICESat and ICESat-2 returns suggest a peak around 1.8 m  above the edges. This matches our expectations of a rainfed peatland and, combined with prior measurements of peat depth, indicates that this peatland formed in a 3 m-deep basin.</p>

Investigating the role of the Cuvette Centrale wetlands in the hydrology, sediment and carbon fluxes of the Congo River basin

<p><strong>Keywords: </strong>Cuvette Centrale, Hydrology, Sediments, Carbon,</p><p>The Congo River basin is among the largest Rivers in the world in terms of discharge and drainage area. At the heart of the basin lies the Cuvette Centrale-one of the most extensive wetlands in the world. The increasing pressure on wetland resources continues to threaten the role wetlands play in maintaining water resources and ecological service functions. Therefore, in order to understand the role of the Cuvette Centrale in water resources and ecological service functions linked to the quality of water and life in the basin, we first need to quantify its role in the hydrological, sediment and carbon dynamics. To achieve this aim, we use the Soil and Water Assessment Tool model (SWAT) – modified for tropical environments, in order to analyze the hydrology, sediment and organic carbon fluxes flowing in and flowing out of the Cuvette Centrale of the Congo River basin (CRB). The model was calibrated and validated for the 2000-2006 and 2007-2012 periods respectively by comparing the discharge and sediment output with different data sources (gauging stations and altimetry) at a daily and monthly time step. Then by adapting equations of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and particulate organic carbon (POC) from literature, we are able to quantify the role of the Cuvette Centrale in the CRB carbon dynamics.The results reveal that the models for hydrology, sediments and carbon can represent both temporally and spatially the exports in a watershed and sheds more light on the important regulatory function of the Cuvette and the need for sustainable land use practices as well as protection of ground water resources  in order to maintain wetland water quantities and quality.</p>

Using Pléiades HR data to understand and monitor a dynamic socio-ecological system: China's Poyang lake

Le lac Poyang, première réserve d'eau douce de Chine, est un lac de moussons présentant de fortes variations de surfaces en eau entre la saison sèche, novembre-mars, et la saison humide juin-septembre. Les surfaces en eau passent ainsi de plus de 3000 km2 en été, à moins de 1000 km2 en hiver, cela correspondant à une variation inter annuelle de la hauteur de l'eau de 8 à 12 mètres. En saison sèche, la dépression du Poyang comprend une cuvette centrale en eau de taille réduite, et des lacs déconnectés entourés de vastes zones enherbées plus ou moins hautes. Lorsque le niveau d'eau augmente, la grande dépression centrale se remplit, puis au fur et à mesure du remplissage, comme une marée montante, l'eau arrive au niveau des lacs, les submerge et l'ensemble forme alors une petite mer intérieure d'eau douce. Cette dynamique et cette amplitude de variations ont de nombreuses implications en termes de ressources en eau, de santé publique (bilharziose), et mais aussi de richesse de la biodiversité.Le lac Poyang est un des milieux les plus riches et les plus importants en termes de biodiversité en Asie du Sud Est. Il s'agit d'une zone d'hivernage essentielle pour toute l'avifaune de l'Asie et de Sibérie. Plus de trois cents espèces d'oiseaux dépendent de cet habitat unique dont plus d'une douzaine d'espèces considérées en danger. Les plus emblématiques sont les grues de Sibérie et les cigognes blanches orientales dont la quasi-totalité, 98% de la population mondiale (moins de 3000 individus) viennent hiverner au Poyang. Cette de grande diversité d'oiseaux d'eau migrateurs est une conséquence directe de l'hydrologie complexe du lac Poyang.La forte variabilité intra et interannuelle du remplissage du Poyang, est un phénomène difficile à qualifier, c'est pourquoi un suivi temporel à relative haute fréquence est nécessaire. Dans le cadre de la RTU Pléiades HR, des acquisitions sur une base mensuelle ont été programmées au cours de l'année 2013 couvrant la partie la plus riche et sensible de la Reserve Naturelle du lac Poyang (PLNR). L'exploitation des données a porté sur plusieurs axes. Tout d'abord la caractérisation, à une échelle fine, des trajets de l'eau et de la dynamique de remplissage et de vidange des lacs, mettant en évidence un remplissage plutôt tardif et peu important au regard des observations réalisées les 12 dernières années, et surtout une vidange très précoce (fin juillet, entrainant par exemple la vidange totale du Bang Hu, principal site d'accueil des grues sibériennes). Les travaux ont également portés sur l'autre principale composant du milieu naturel, la végétation et sa dynamique inverse de l'eau. A partir des relevés terrain, le long de quatorze de transects, des indices de végétation ont été exploités afin de réaliser la cartographie de la végétation de ce secteur clé du lac Poyang. Les travaux ont également portes portés sur l'impact des activités anthropiques sur le milieu avec deux atteintes fortes, la mise en place de zones de cultures au sein du Parc national, et l'exploitation du lac Poyang comme carrière de sable se traduisant par un fort retrait des berges et un creusement des lits mineurs. Enfin, l'exploitation des données Pléiades HR, associées à des données CSK a permis de lever la première carte des filets de pêche au sein de la Reserve naturelle. De plus, deux triplets stéréo ont été acquis lors de périodes de basses hautes en en mars et septembre 2013, permettant la génération de modèles numériques de surfaces très précis et très détaillés.Les résultats obtenus suite à l'exploitation des images Pléiades HR, transmis à l'administration en charge de la gestion du Parc et à une ONG, l'International Crane Fondation, montrent l'apport des données Pléiades HR pour le suivi environnemental et aussi tout l'intérêt de séries temporelles très haute résolution pour la connaissance, et par la même, la protection des milieux.