| 1. |
- Gebrehiwot, Solomon Gebreyohannis, 1974-, et al.
(författare)
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The Nile Basin waters and the West African rainforest : Rethinking the boundaries
- 2019
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Ingår i: WIREs Water. - : WILEY. - 2049-1948. ; 6:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- This focus article presents the state of the West African rainforest (WARF), its role in atmospheric moisture transport to the Nile Basin, and the potential impact of its deforestation on the Nile Basin's water regime, as well as options for improving transboundary water governance. The Nile is the longest river in the world, but delivers less water per unit area than other major rivers. Pressures from the Basin's rapidly growing population and agricultural demand risk exacerbating transboundary water conflicts. About 85% of the surface water reaching Aswan in Egypt originates from the Ethiopian Highlands which comprise less than 10% of the Nile Basin's total area (3.3 million km(2)). Some of the atmospheric moisture reaching the Highlands crosses over the WARF; other moisture source areas include the Mediterranean Sea, the Indian Ocean, and the Atlantic Ocean. The WARF adds atmospheric moisture and modifies the regional climate system. Deforestation in the WARF has the potential to alter rainfall patterns over the Ethiopian Highlands and thus flows in the Nile River, with reductions a likely outcome. Transregional governance that looks beyond basin boundaries to the sources and routes of moisture transport (the precipitationshed) has yet to be integrated into land-atmosphere and water management negotiations. To better achieve sustainable land management and water resource development in the Nile Basin, scientific and governance frameworks need to be established that include the WARF region states in the ongoing negotiations between the Nile riparian states. This article is categorized under: Engineering Water > Planning Water Human Water > Water Governance Science of Water > Methods
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| 2. |
- Inogwabini, Bila-Isia
(författare)
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Bushmeat, over-fishing and covariates explaining fish abundance declines in the Central Congo Basin
- 2014
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Ingår i: Environmental Biology of Fishes. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0378-1909 .- 1573-5133. ; 97, s. 787-796
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Fish stocks are declining at alarming rates in the Central African forests but little is known about patterns of fishing pressure for different areas. To contribute to the understanding of covariates that could explain these trends, this study documented the relative abundances of fish in eleven sites in the western Democratic Republic of Congo in relation to human density, distance from the nearest markets and mean numbers of fishing nets. Linear regression indicated that, taken alone, 88 % of observed differences in fish relative abundance correlated with the mean number of fishing nets and 60 % of these differences were attributable to distance from the nearest market. Human density was marginally associated with fish abundance. The study also shows that fish and wildlife relative abundances followed the same trends: where more wildlife species remain, there are more abundant fish stocks. The two conservation messages of this paper are that, as is the case for bushmeat, fishing becomes a problem when the commercial market is its prime driver and a solution to the bushmeat crisis could also reduce over-fishing.
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| 3. |
- Inogwabini, Bila-Isia
(författare)
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Congo Basin's Shrinking Watersheds: Potential Consequences on Local Communities
- 2017
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Ingår i: Reconsidering the Impact of Climate Change on Global Water Supply, Use, and Management. - : IGI Global. - 9781522510468 ; , s. 211-226
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Bokkapitel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Rainfall time series data from three sites (Kinshasa, Luki, and Mabali) in the western Democratic Republic of Congo were analyzed using regression analysis; rainfall intensities decreased in all three sites. The Congo Basin waters will follow the equation y = -20894x + 5483.16; R-2 = 0.7945. The model suggests 18%-loss of the Congo Basin water volume and 7%-decrease for fish biomasses by 2025. Financial incomes generated by fishing will decrease by 11% by 2040 compared with 1998 levels. About 51% of women (N= 408,173) from the Lake Tumba Landscape fish; their revenues decreased by 11% between 2005 and 2010. If this trend continues, women's revenues will decrease by 59% by 2040. Decreased waters will severely impact women (e.g. increasing walking distances to clean waters). Increasing populations and decreasing waters will lead to immigrations to this region because water resources will remain available and highly likely ignite social conflicts over aquatic resources.
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| 4. |
- Inogwabini, Bila-Isia
(författare)
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Conserving and Restoring Water-Related Ecosystems World-Widely: Have We Met the 2020s the Benchmarks of the Sustainable Development Goal Six?
- 2021
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Ingår i: Sustainability in Natural Resources Management and Land Planning. - 9783030766238 ; , s. 3-16
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Bokkapitel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The sixth benchmark for the Sustainable Development Goal 6 (SDG 6) was that by 2020 the world should be able to protect and restore all sorts of water-related ecosystems. This article looks at what it would have taken for the world to achieve that target at the end of 2020. After sketchily reviewing the current status of water across globe, the article concludes that the world’s waters are undergoing significant shifts and changes that will affect their geographical distribution, their intrinsic quality and their ecological functions. That made the achievement of the sixth benchmark of the SDG 6 could not have been possible by 2020; it also is why holistic and dedicated action is still needed to conserve what can be conserved and to restore the lost quality wherever that will be possible. The paper argues that even when action begins, the process will be long and needs continued efforts throughout several decades to come.
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| 5. |
- Inogwabini, Bila-Isia
(författare)
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Eastern Chimpanzees, but Not Bonobos, Represent a Simian Immunodeficiency Virus Reservoir
- 2012
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Ingår i: Journal of Virology. - 0022-538X. ; 86, s. 10776-10791
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Chimpanzees in west central Africa (Pan troglodytes troglodytes) are endemically infected with simian immunodeficiency viruses(SIVcpzPtt) that have crossed the species barrier to humans and gorillas on at least five occasions, generating pandemic and nonpandemic forms of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) as well as gorilla SIV (SIVgor). Chimpanzees in east Africa (Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii) are also infected with SIVcpz; however, their viruses (SIVcpzPts) have never been found in humans. To examine whether this is due to a paucity of natural infections, we used noninvasive methods to screen wild-living eastern chimpanzees in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Uganda, and Rwanda. We also screened bonobos (Pan paniscus) in the DRC, a species not previously tested for SIV in the wild. Fecal samples (n!3,108) were collected at 50 field sites, tested for species and subspecies origin, and screened for SIVcpz antibodies and nucleic acids. Of 2,565 samples from eastern chimpanzees, 323 were antibody positive and 92 contained viral RNA. The antibody-positive samples represented 76 individuals from 19 field sites, all sampled north of the Congo River in an area spanning 250,000 km2. In this region, SIVcpzPts was common and widespread, with seven field sites exhibiting infection rates of 30% or greater. The overall prevalence of SIVcpzPts infection was 13.4% (95% confidence interval, 10.7% to 16.5%). In contrast, none of the 543 bonobo samples from six sites was antibody positive. All newly identified SIVcpzPts strains clustered in strict accordance to their subspecies origin; however, they exhibited considerable genetic diversity, especially in protein domains known to be under strong host selection pressure. Thus, the absence of SIVcpzPts zoonoses cannot be explained by an insufficient primate reservoir. Instead, greater adaptive hurdles may have prevented the successful colonization of humans by P. t. schweinfurthii viruses.
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| 6. |
- Inogwabini, Bila-Isia
(författare)
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Elephant effect on forest physical structure and plant species composition in Salonga and Malebo (Lac Tumba landscape), Democratic Republic of Congo
- 2013
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Ingår i: Pachyderm. - 1026-2881. ; , s. 28-37
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Data on the ecology of forest elephants are difficult to find. Therefore studies of forest elephant ecology are needed to support the species' management. With that perspective in mind, data on forest understorey types and key plant species that elephants feed on were collected in Salonga National Park (1996-2002) and Malebo (2006-2010), Democratic Republic of Congo. The objective of the study was to document the physical effects of elephants on understorey species and the relationship between elephant trails and elephant-dispersed plant species. About 94% of the openness of the understorey in Salonga National Park positively related with elephant abundance. Elephant trails influenced the distribution of plant species that elephants feed on at Malebo. Plant species whose fruits are eaten (and therefore dispersed) by elephants declined within 20 m of the trail centre while those on whose leaves elephants browsed increased, creating opposed gradients. Three optimum points were described, suggesting that trails move over time within a given width. Projecting the trends given by the gradient equations, a fourth optimum point would be reached at 76 m from the centre at which both types of plant species would be zero. We concluded that 150 +/- 2 m distance would define the minimum width of corridors connecting disconnected large elephant habitats.
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| 7. |
- Inogwabini, Bila-Isia
(författare)
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Fish species occurrence, estimates and human activities on the islands of the Congo River, Central Africa
- 2013
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Ingår i: Environmental Biology of Fishes. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0378-1909 .- 1573-5133. ; 96, s. 1289-1299
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Human induced habitat destruction and modifications cause losses of aquatic and terrestrial biodiversity. The Congo and its islands constitute special ecosystems and have been used by humans for many purposes over centuries. However, little is known about the effects of these human activities on the fish species richness and distribution. This study is a preliminary assessment of island habitat types, fish species richness and effects of human activities on fish distribution. Islands were randomly selected to describe island habitats, to collect fish specimens using nets and to record human activities, including agriculture. Terra firma island habitats were mostly mixed mature forest with clay and muddy substrates. We captured 29 fish morphotypes (13 families). Clariidae and Cyprinidae were widely distributed whereas Alestidae, Chanidae, Malapteridae and Polypteridae were restricted in their distribution. Humans permanently settled 76 % of the islands and 70 % were cultivated. Permanent human settlements and agriculture were related to erosion on similar to 50 % of islands. For reasons that are difficult to explain at this stage, fish morphotype richness decreased with increasing field sizes, warranting further investigations.
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| 11. |
- Mputu, Adele, et al.
(författare)
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Fish populations and biomass in headwater streams of the Lake Tumba Landscape, DR Congo, 2007–2011
- 2022
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Ingår i: Acta Ichthyologica et Piscatoria. - : Pensoft Publishers. - 0137-1592 .- 1734-1515. ; 52, s. 195-208
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The fish biodiversity in the Congo River and its tributaries is extremely rich but the information on fish communities in the headwaters in terms of catch and biomass estimates is rare. Fishes in the running and stagnant waters in this region are of vital importance as a food resource for local residents. This study aimed to describe the fish community, catch, and biomass in the three headwater streams Bambou, Lebomo, and Bongo in the Lake Tumba Landscape (LTL) of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Such information is of vital impor- tance as a benchmark to understand the sustainability of the fish population for future generations of residents of the LTL. The field data were collected from 2007 through 2011, including dry and wet seasons. Here we present the results of this systematic, multi-annual study which was the first for fishes in streams of this region. In total, 50 species of 15 families were found in the nutrient-poor brown waters of these streams where high concentrations of humic acids cause a low pH. Among abundant species occurring in all three streams were the cyprinid Enteromius holotaenia (Boulenger, 1904), the mormyrid Marcusenius moorii (Günther, 1867), the alestids Clupeocharax schoutedeni Pellegrin, 1926 and Bryconaethiops boulengeri Pellegrin, 1900, and the clariid Clarias angolensis Steindachner, 1866. Bon- go Stream was distinguished from the others by a rich abundance of Alestopetersius compressus (Poll et Gosse, 1963). The presence of several species at low pH (between 5.0 and 5.5) is new information that lowers the bottom of the pH interval for these species compared to earlier reports. The maximum total length (TL) of some other species was by 5–20 percentage points higher than those reported earlier. The median weight per unit effort (WPUE) in the streams varied between 30 and 115 g per hour during the dry seasons and between 18 and 86 g per hour during the wet seasons. The fish biomass in the streams varied between 0.05 and 0.7 g ⸱ m–2 with a median 0.14 g ⸱ m–2. This relatively low value compared to other tropical headwaters may be a result of the low pH and dark color of these headwaters. The results of the study serve as a reference point to which future monitoring of fish fauna can be compared for sustainable management of the LTL
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