Conserving Carbon Stocks Under Climate Change: Importance of Trees Outside Forests in Agricultural Landscapes of Mongala Province, Democratic Republic of Congo

Publication Type

Journal Article

Name of Author

Jean Pierre Azenge Bokoy, UFR Biosciences, Université Félix Houphouët‑Boigny, Abidjan Côte d’IvoireFollow
Aboubacar‑Oumar Zon, Département des Sciences de la Vie et de la Terre, UFR Sciences et Technologies, Université Lédéa Bernard OUEDRAOGO, Ouahigouya,Burkina Faso
Jean Pierre Pitchou Meniko, UFR Sciences et Technologies, Université Lédéa Bernard OUEDRAOGO, Ouahigouya,Burkina Faso
Jérôme Ebuy, Faculté de Gestion des Ressources Naturelles Renouvelables, Université de Kisangani (UNIKIS), Kisangani , Democratic Republic of the Congo
Justin N’Dja Kassi, UFR Biosciences, Université Félix Houphouët‑Boigny, Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire
Paxie W. Chirwa, Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, University of Pretoria, South Africa

Publication Date (Issue Year)

2025

Journal Name

MDPI-Earth

Abstract

This study aimed to evaluate the role of trees outside forests on agricultural land (TOF‑AL) in preserving the initial aboveground biomass (AGB) 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 AGB. The effects of artisanal logging and charcoal production activities on the AGB 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 AGBs are 66.8 Mg ha−1 for TOF‑AL and 373.5 Mg ha−1 for forest trees. The AGB of TOF‑AL accounts for 17.9% of the AGB of the total forest trees. The AGB 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 AGB conservation rate of TOF‑AL. The AGB conservation rate is positively correlated with the distances to major cities. These results prove that conserving trees in agricultural landscapes can reduce the AGB losses associated with slash‑and‑burn agriculture and contribute to mitigating climate change effects.

Keywords

trees outside forests, agricultural landscapes, aboveground biomass, artisanal logging, charcoal production, Mongala province, DR Congo

Rsif Scholar Name

Jean Pierre Azenge Bokoy

Rsif Scholar Nationality

Congo

Cohort

Cohort 3

Thematic Area

Climate Change

Africa Host University (AHU)

University Felix Houphouët-Boigny (U-FHB), Côte d'Ivoire

Funding Statement

This research was funded by the PASET Regional Scholarship and Innovation Fund

Recommended Citation

Azenge, J. P., Zon, A.-O., Diesse, H., Meniko, J. P. P., Ebuy, J., Kassi, J. N., & Chirwa, P. W. (2025). Conserving Carbon Stocks Under Climate Change: Importance of Trees Outside Forests in Agricultural Landscapes of Mongala Province, Democratic Republic of Congo. Earth, 6(2), 19. https://doi.org/10.3390/earth6020019