Abstract
The Congo exhibits a considerable diversity of landscapes and natural environments and hosts an impressive array of both plant and animal species. As in neighbouring Zaïre, the forests have remained relatively intact so that today the Congo is the second most densely forested country in the Afrotropical realm. It contains large areas of both lowland and swamp forest. Up to the 1970s, timber was the main source of revenue for the country, although this has since been surpassed with the discovery of oil. Nonetheless, the forests of the Congo have considerable importance and potential. The authorities recognise the value of forests for the economy and have invested heavily in forestry planning and in several successful plantation schemes. At the time of preparing this Atlas no comprehensive map of the forests existed and the editors have been obliged to use a sketch map prepared by IUCN staff based on local kmowledge.
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N’Sosso, D., Hecketsweiler, P. (1992). Congo. In: Sayer, J.A., Harcourt, C.S., Collins, N.M. (eds) The Conservation Atlas of Tropical Forests Africa. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-349-12961-4_15
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-349-12961-4_15
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