Studying some of the Congo Basin’s least-known ecosystems

Research and Biomonitoring

Listed as an Important Bird Area, as well as a Key Biodiversity Area, and a RAMSAR wetland of global importance, sitting on the world’s largest tropical peatland, the Lac Télé Community Reserve is a complex mosaic of biotopes, the study of which is crucial to understanding the richness and fragility of its ecosystems, and being able to protect them.

Wildlife

Over 10,000 photos of wildlife have been generated by camera traps deployed over the past two years

Monitoring

For 20 years, waterbird populations have been monitored along the Likouala and its tributaries, recording 379 species

Crocodile

A density of more than 300 crocodiles per sq km has been recorded in the Reserve, one of the highest densities in the world

OUR APPROACH

BIODIVERSITY SURVEYS

The Reserve boasts extraordinary biodiversity, plenty of which remains to be discovered and studied. Since its establishment, various scientific studies have been carried out, including an inventory of Likouala fish (2005), a herpetological inventory (2006), and a botanical study (2010). In 2024, two new surveys have been carried out, one on amphibians and reptiles, another one on fishes.

ECOLOGICAL MONITORING

  • Since 1997, the Reserve has been conducting an annual waterbird census along the Likouala-aux-herbes river and two tributaries. This represents the longest datatime series for birds in central Africa.
  • The Reserve is part of the five-yearly wildlife inventory of the Ndoki-Likouala landscape ongoing since 2006. Covering a total of 34,000 sq km, this inventory is crucial to inform conservation strategies.
  • A census of the Reserve’s small population of hippos is carried out every three years, soon to be followed by a regular census of dwarf crocodiles. Dwarf crocodiles, which are heavily hunted and very numerous in the Reserve, could be overexploited, given the declining weight of the individuals seized from poachers in recent years.

TOPIC-SPECIFIC RESEARCH PROJECT

The Reserve is a prime location for research projects on varied subjects including primatology studies, relationships between the local communities and their environment and analysis of climate change. In 2023, the Reserve received a team of researchers from the Ecology and Earth Science Institute of the Tartu University, Estonia to study the gas released by peatland forests. Because the Reserve harbours one of the highest density of gorillas in Africa, this ape has been the subject of numerous studies including feeding and nesting behavior, inter group communication and ranging behavior

CAPACITY-BUILDING

The Reserve’s ecological team, made up of trained community members, carry out several continuous ecological monitoring operations. Thanks to their extensive knowledge of the field, they are invaluable in collecting data and supporting research projects. They collaborate and learn from specialists coming from all over the world.

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