Souanké-Sembe Landscape

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Summary

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• Central chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes troglodytes) & Western lowland gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) are present in Souanké-Sembe Landscape.
• The population sizes are unknown.
• The great ape population trend is unknown.
• The site has a total size of 14,535 km².
• Key threats to great apes are logging, roads, mining, construction of a hydroelectric dam, and poaching.
• Conservation activities have focused on anti-poaching patrols and roadblocks.

Site characteristics

The Souanké-Sembe landscape is located in northwestern Congo, bordering Gabon to the west and Cameroon to the north. The landscape covers about 14,535 km², and includes the proposed protected area of Messok Dja (1,400 km²) and the 9,000 km² Djoua Ivindo Forest (IUCN 2014). The landscape has been identified as an important area for the conservation of chimpanzees and western lowland gorillas since the early 2000s. The area is characterized by a mix of swamp and terra firma forest with large stands of Gilbertiodendron dewevrei, and includes Congo’s highest mountain, Mont Nabemba, at 1,020 m asl. The site forms an important link between Nki National Park in Cameroon, Minkébé National Park in Gabon and Odzala-Kokoua National Park in Congo (IUCN 2014).

Table 1. Basic site information for Souanké-Sembe Landscape

Species	'Pan troglodytes troglodytes, Gorilla gorilla gorilla
Area	14,535 km²
Coordinates	Lat: 1.969855 , Lon: 13.936844
Type of site	Non-protected area
Habitat types	Subtropical/tropical moist lowland forest, Subtropical/tropical swamp forest
Type of governance

IUCN habitat categories Site designations

Ape status

Table 2. Ape population estimates reported for Souanké-Sembe Landscape

Species	Year	Occurrence	Encounter or vistation rate (nests/km; ind/day)	Density estimate [ind./ km²] (95% CI)	Abundance estimate (95% CI)	Survey area	Sampling method	Analytical framework	Source	Comments	A.P.E.S. database ID
Pan troglodytes troglodytes & Gorilla gorilla gorilla							Unknown

Threats

The Jua Ikié FMU (5,740 km²) and Tala Tala FMU (6,211 km²) were allocated to a Chinese company, SEFYD, and a Lebanese company, SIFCO, respectively (IUCN 2014). Both concessions overlap with the proposed Messok Dja protected area. In 2014, the Ministry of Forest Economy and Sustainable Development (MEFDD) created the Karagoua FMU (6,533 km²), that borders Minkébé NP and overlaps with the Djoua Ivindo Forest; possible attribution of this remote forest to a logging company poses a new threat (IUCN 2014). Three large iron-ore mining projects are planned in Djoua Ivindo. Other pressures on wildlife come from artisanal gold mining, and the proposed 600-MW Chollet hydroelectric dam on the Dja River (which would impact great apes in Nki and Messok Dja). Tarmacking of the Ouesso-Sembe-Souanké-Ntam road is facilitating access to the region, resulting in a booming bushmeat trade, linked to the markets of Ouesso and Brazzaville (IUCN 2014).

Table 3. Threats to apes reported for Souanké-Sembe Landscape

Category	Specific threats	Threat level	Description	Year of threat
10 Geological events		Absent
12 Other threat		Absent
4 Transportation & service corridors	4.1 Roads & railroads	High (more than 70% of population affected)	Tarmacking of a road that provides access to previously isolated areas (IUCN 2014).	Ongoing (2014)
5 Biological resource use	5.3 Logging & wood harvesting	High (more than 70% of population affected)	Logging concessions (IUCN 2014).	Ongoing (2014)
7 Natural system modifications	7.2 Dams & water management/use	High (more than 70% of population affected)	Development of the Chollet hydroelectric dam on the Dja River will affect great apes in Nki and Messok Dja (IUCN 2014).	Ongoing (2014)
3 Energy production & mining	3.2 Mining & quarrying	Present (unknown severity)	Artisanal gold mining (IUCN 2014).	Ongoing (2014)
5 Biological resource use	5.1 Hunting & collecting terrestrial animals	Present (unknown severity)	Improved access to the forest leading to higher bushmeat offtake (IUCN 2014).	Ongoing (2014)
1 Residential & commercial development		Unknown
2 Agriculture & aquaculture		Unknown
6 Human intrusions & disturbance		Unknown
8 Invasive & other problematic species, genes & diseases		Unknown
9 Pollution		Unknown
11 Climate change & severe weather		Unknown

IUCN Threats list

Conservation activities

Table 4. Conservation activities reported for Souanké-Sembe Landscape

Category	Specific activity	Description	Implementing organization(s)	Year of activity
2 Counter-wildlife crime	2.1 Implement road blocks to inspect cars for illegal ape bushmeat	Development and implementation of wildlife management plans by logging companies, including support for additional ecoguard units and roadblocks (IUCN 2014).		Ongoing (2014)
2 Counter-wildlife crime	2.3 Conduct regular anti-poaching patrols	Joint patrols are conducted with Cameroon (Messok Dja-Nki border) and Gabon (Minkébé border, Djoua River); establishment of ecoguard units in collaboration with mining companies in Djoua Ivindo (IUCN 2014).		Ongoing (2014)

Conservation activities list (Junker et al. 2017)

Challenges

Table 5. Challenges reported for Souanké-Sembe Landscape

Challenges	Specific challenges	Source	Year(s)
	Not reported

Enablers

Table 6. Enablers reported for Souanké-Sembe Landscape

Enablers	Specific enablers	Source	Year(s)
1 Site management
2 Resources and capacity
3 Engaged community
4 Institutional support
5 Ecological context
6 Safety and stability

Documented behaviours

Table 7. Behaviours documented for Souanké-Sembe Landscape

Behavior	Source
Not reported

References

IUCN (2014). Regional Action Plan for the Conservation of Western Lowland Gorillas and Central Chimpanzees 2015–2025. Gland, Switzerland: IUCN SSC Primate Specialist Group. 56 pp.

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