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1. Recent rainfall conditions in the Congo Basin

   https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ac61c4  

   Nicholson, Sharon E.; Klotter, Douglas A.; Zhou, Liming; Hua, Wenjian (May 2022, Environmental Research Letters)

   Abstract In the Congo Basin, a drying trend in the April–May–June rains prevailed between 1979 and 2014, accompanied by a decline in forest productivity. This article examines the subsequent years, in order to determine whether rainfall conditions have improved and to examine meteorological factors governing conditions in those years. It is shown that a wetter period, comparable to that of 1979–1993, spanned the years 2016–2020. However, the meteorological factors responsible for the wetter conditions appear to be significantly different from those related to the earlier wet period. The wetter conditions of 1979–1993 were associated with changes in the tropical Walker circulation, in moisture flux and flux divergence, and in Pacific sea-surface temperatures (SST), namely a warmer central and eastern Pacific and a cooler western Pacific, compared to the dry phase in 2000–2014. This resulted in a lower-than-average trans-Pacific SST gradient. In contrast, SSTs were almost ubiquitously higher in the 2016–2020 period than in either prior period. However, there was some reduction in the trans-Pacific gradient. The Walker circulation and moisture flux/flux divergence were not factors in this episode. The major factors provoking the return to wetter years appear to be an increase in convective available potential energy and in total column water vapor. This could be related to the general warming of the oceans and land. 

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

   https://doi.org/10.15560/17.6.1681  

   Melanie, L. J.; S. Elizabeth, Alter; Tobit, L.D. Liyandja; Myriam, Y. Modimo; Raoul, J. C. (December 2021, Checklist)

   Despite the cultural and economic importance of fisheries to communities in the region, the Mfimi is one of the leastwell-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. 

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3. Biological Field Stations in the Heart of the Congo Basin Rainforest

   https://doi.org/10.1002/bes2.1785  

   Zaunbrecher, Virginia (January 2021, The Bulletin of the Ecological Society of America)

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4. Women and urban wildmeat trafficking in the Republic of Congo

   https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2024.110587  

   Green, Aalayna R.; Plowman, Christian; Mwinyihali, Robert; Wieland, Michelle; Gore, Meredith L. (April 2024, Biological Conservation)

   As a result of declining biodiversity and increasing rates of urbanization, the illegal urban wildmeat trade is projected to become an integral sector of the wildlife crime industry. Adequate assessment of urban wildmeat trafficking requires investigation into the roles and behaviors of individuals who engage in wildlife crimes. However, akin to much of wildlife crime literature, women's engagement within the urban wildmeat trade have received little investigation. The objectives of our investigation were to (1) explore relationships between women and wildlife products across the supply chain, and (2) determine whether a significant relationship exists between women and specific wildlife products. Through systematic social observations, we evaluate the gendered dimensions of urban wildmeat trafficking in the Republic of Congo between the urban centers of Brazzaville and Pointe-Noire. We place particular emphasis on species of conservation concern, namely great apes, African pangolins, and dwarf crocodiles. Results indicate that there are gendered variations at the species and the geographic level, indicating that women are sourcing and sending their products to different locations than men, and that women are specializing in trade of different species. We attest that urban wildmeat trafficking prevention strategies implement a gender-aware approach due to the unique ways that individuals engage with the industry and how that engagement is gendered. 

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5. Orographic enhancement of rainfall over the Congo Basin

   https://doi.org/10.1002/asl.1079  

   Raghavendra, Ajay; Xia, Geng; Zhou, Liming; Jiang, Yan (April 2022, Atmospheric Science Letters)