GEOGRAPHER/METEOROLOGIST: KIANNA
LOCATION AND ENVIRONMENTAL INFORMATION |
The Congo Tropical Rainforest (also known as the Congo Basin) is the world's second largest rainforest. Within the rainforest contains the Congo River, Africa's second largest river, next to the Nile.
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CLIMATE
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Rainforests are important regulators* of the earth’s climate as they produce around 30% of the world’s oxygen. Congo's position on the equator* leads to a hot and humid climate. Temperatures do not vary much between seasons with the average temperature between day and night ranging between 20° and 27° C. However, some river areas cools to as low as 12° C. Humidity* averages around 80–90%. In a 2014 study, NASA recorded that the Congo Rainforest has undergone a large-scale decline in greenness over the past decade. The study shows that between 2000 and 2012, the decline affected much of the forest area. Researchers say that continuous drying may alter the structure of the Congo rainforest, affecting its biodiversity.
cities in the biome:
Mbandaka
Mbandaka is a city situated by the Congo River. Its latitude is 0.04692° N, and longitude is 18.26532° E. As the equator runs through the country, the temperatures are generally pretty heated averaging around 25 degrees Celsius. April is the hottest month of the year, averaging around 26.1 Celsius, and July is the coolest, with temperatures around 24.4 Celsius. In addition, Mbandaka also receives a lot of rainfall. Throughout the different months of the year, the difference in precipitation is 141 mm, with the highest level of precipitation being found in October, and the lowest in July. So while the temperatures may be at their lowest in this month, the precipitation is as well.
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kisangani
Kisangani is a city located in the Northern Democratic Republic of Congo. Its latitude is 0.5185° N and longitude is 25.2008° E, putting the city just barely above the equator. The lightest rainfall is around 78 mm of precipitation in January, the precipitation reaches its peak in October, with an average of 230 mm. Temperature wise, April is the hottest month, averaging at 26 celsius. Whereas July is the coolest, typically resting at 24.5 celsius.
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physical features
landscapeThe Congo Tropical Rainforest finds itself on six different countries: Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Congo, Central African Republic, Cameroon, Gabon, and Equatorial Guinea. Running through the rainforest the Congo river, Africa's second largest river, measuring 4700km.
Throughout the rainforest lay savanna, along with countless swamps and flooded forests. This flooding is due to the excess river water pooling. symbiosisokapis & the nematode wormOkapis are animals found exclusively in the Congo Tropical Rainforest. They are now an endangered species with scientists estimating there are only 25,000 okapis remaining in the wild. The nematode worm is responsible for a great deal of those deaths. Since they can adapt to many different environments, fresh water, soil or even polar regions, they have adapted to the river of the okapi. The worm enters the okapi’s body and lives inside the liver. When they feed on its blood, it causes liver failure, leaving the okapi to die. This is a parasitic relationship because the worms benefit and the host (the okapi) suffers.
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soilThe forest floor is made up of heavily coarse grained soils: with around 60% containing sand and gravel, and the lower areas holding a high level of iron and aluminum oxides. The soils are rich and heavy, due to the organic matter that decomposes rapidly because of the hot and humid climate. As well, topsoil is washed away regularly by rains, leaving behind heavy soil for a variety of plant life and organismes to thrive in.
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