Investigating Forestry Exploitation
Research currently being undertaken by WCS-Congo researchers is investigating the direct and indirect effects of commercial timber exploitation on wildlife in forest concessions.
The study seeks to identify and understand the direct effects (canopy loss, habitat change, etc.) and the indirect effects (commercial hunting) on wildlife across different habitat types and management scenarios. Logged/hunted, logged/unhunted, logged/managed hunting, unlogged/unhunted, unlogged/hunted, etc. scenarios will be examined in collaboration with the CIB forestry operations to further inform wildlife management under various scenarios of forest management and exploitation.
Areas to which Reduced Impact Logging (RIL) techniques are applied will also be included in the study design. The overall investigation will associate several researchers focusing on different groups of wildlife species and forestry aspects. These activities will be based out of the Mombongo camp in the "no-hunting" zone of the Kabo concession zone, the Bomassa triangle, and in the Nouabalé-Ndoki National Park, thus ensuring a conservation presence in the area as well.