@article{e4c60f4e467a45249dfdf8063a34e1a2,
title = "Mapping peat thickness and carbon stocks of the central Congo Basin using field data",
abstract = "The world{\textquoteright}s largest tropical peatland complex is found in the central Congo Basin. However, there is a lack of in situ measurements to understand the peatland{\textquoteright}s distribution and the amount of carbon stored in it. So far, peat in this region has been sampled only in largely rain-fed interfluvial basins in the north of the Republic of the Congo. Here we present the first extensive field surveys of peat in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which covers two-thirds of the estimated peatland area, including from previously undocumented river-influenced settings. We use field data from both countries to compute the first spatial models of peat thickness (mean 1.7 ± 0.9 m; maximum 5.6 m) and peat carbon density (mean 1,712 ± 634 MgC ha−1; maximum 3,970 MgC ha−1) for the central Congo Basin. We show that the peatland complex covers 167,600 km2, 36% of the world{\textquoteright}s tropical peatland area, and that 29.0 PgC is stored below ground in peat across the region (95% confidence interval, 26.3–32.2 PgC). Our measurement-based constraints give high confidence of globally significant peat carbon stocks in the central Congo Basin, totalling approximately 28% of the world{\textquoteright}s tropical peat carbon. Only 8% of this peat carbon lies within nationally protected areas, suggesting its vulnerability to future land-use change.",
author = "Bart Crezee and Dargie, {Greta C.} and Ewango, {Corneille E. N.} and Mitchard, {Edward T. A.} and {Emba B.}, Ovide and {Kanyama T.}, Joseph and Pierre Bola and Ndjango, {Jean-bosco N.} and Girkin, {Nicholas T.} and Bocko, {Yannick E.} and Ifo, {Suspense A.} and Wannes Hubau and Dirk Seidensticker and Rodrigue Batumike and G{\'e}rard Imani and Aida Cun{\'i}-sanchez and Kiahtipes, {Christopher A.} and Judica{\"e}l Lebamba and Hans-peter Wotzka and Hollie Bean and Baker, {Timothy R.} and Baird, {Andy J.} and Arnoud Boom and Morris, {Paul J.} and Page, {Susan E.} and Lawson, {Ian T.} and Lewis, {Simon L.}",
note = "Funding Information: We sincerely thank the communities that hosted and assisted with our fieldwork in DRC: Lokolama, Bosukela, Mpama, Befale, Bonsole, Mweko, Mpeka, Bondamba, Bolengo, Boleke, Pombi, Boboka, Ipombo, Lobaka, Bolombo and Bonzembo. We thank the Groupe d{\textquoteright}action pour sauver l{\textquoteright}homme et son environnement (GASHE), especially J. Mathe, and Greenpeace Africa, especially R. Monsembula, for essential logistical support. We thank the government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Province of {\'E}quateur and the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development for assistance with our fieldwork. We thank B. Bongwemisa, J. Sando, J.-P. Lokila, P. Bosange, F. Mongonga and R. Kendewa for essential field support. D. Milodowski and A. Hastie provided modelling advice; R. Gasior, D. Ashley, M. Gilpin and D. Wilson provided laboratory assistance; and D. Hawthorne, G. Biddulph, S. Jenkins, S. Sj{\"o}gersten, G. Ziv and the CongoPeat network provided invaluable discussions and feedback. The work was funded by a NERC Large Grant to S.L.L. ({\textquoteleft}CongoPeat{\textquoteright}, NE/R016860/1), a NERC Doctoral Training Partnership award to B.C. ({\textquoteleft}SPHERES DTP{\textquoteright}, NE/L002574/1) and a Greenpeace Fund award to S.L.L. JAXA, NASA, METI, USGS, ESA, OSFAC and WWF are acknowledged for collecting and/or processing remote-sensing data. Funding Information: We sincerely thank the communities that hosted and assisted with our fieldwork in DRC: Lokolama, Bosukela, Mpama, Befale, Bonsole, Mweko, Mpeka, Bondamba, Bolengo, Boleke, Pombi, Boboka, Ipombo, Lobaka, Bolombo and Bonzembo. We thank the Groupe d{\textquoteright}action pour sauver l{\textquoteright}homme et son environnement (GASHE), especially J. Mathe, and Greenpeace Africa, especially R. Monsembula, for essential logistical support. We thank the government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Province of {\'E}quateur and the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development for assistance with our fieldwork. We thank B. Bongwemisa, J. Sando, J.-P. Lokila, P. Bosange, F. Mongonga and R. Kendewa for essential field support. D. Milodowski and A. Hastie provided modelling advice; R. Gasior, D. Ashley, M. Gilpin and D. Wilson provided laboratory assistance; and D. Hawthorne, G. Biddulph, S. Jenkins, S. Sj{\"o}gersten, G. Ziv and the CongoPeat network provided invaluable discussions and feedback. The work was funded by a NERC Large Grant to S.L.L. ({\textquoteleft}CongoPeat{\textquoteright}, NE/R016860/1), a NERC Doctoral Training Partnership award to B.C. ({\textquoteleft}SPHERES DTP{\textquoteright}, NE/L002574/1) and a Greenpeace Fund award to S.L.L. JAXA, NASA, METI, USGS, ESA, OSFAC and WWF are acknowledged for collecting and/or processing remote-sensing data. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2022, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Limited.",
year = "2022",
month = aug,
doi = "10.1038/s41561-022-00966-7",
language = "English",
volume = "15",
pages = "639--+",
journal = "Nature Geoscience",
issn = "1752-0894",
publisher = "Nature Publishing Group",
number = "8",
}