News

Mapping the Congo Basin Peatlands

In February 2019, Dr Ian Davenport and Dr Iain McNicol, postdoctoral researchers at the University of Edinburgh, travelled to the Republic of Congo as part of the first CongoPeat field campaign. The aim was to fly a large unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) over the Congo Basin to help determine how much carbon-rich peat exists below …

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Fieldwork in pictures: Global Ecosystem Monitoring sites, Likouala, RoC

Taking dendrometer readings on high point of measurement (POM) trees
Camp at Raphia palm swamp
Village chief and field assistants Risha & Tresor, Ekolongouma
Field assistants Risha, Gi, Tresor & Misho & Technician Dafydd at terra firme plot
Field assistant Tresor and PhD student Wen measuring palm fronds for biomass growth

Monitoring stations in the peatlands

The first boat went off this morning down the Ubango River, with all the kit to begin setting up three monitoring stations in the peatlands to track carbon flows from atmosphere to vegetation to peat and back again. This will allow us to calibrate and refine a model of peatland development, so that we can …

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Press Conference in Brazzaville

The first CongoPeat field campaign launched with a press conference in Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo, convened by the Congolese Minister for Environment and Tourism, Her Excellency Arlette Soudan-Nonault. Professor Simon Lewis (Chair in Global Change Science, University of Leeds/UCL) and Dr Yannick Bocko (Researcher, Marien Ngouabi University) explained the project to the public and …

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