Central Africa

The Congo Basin encompasses an enormous region of Central Africa. Up to the present day, the area has a more or less continuous forest cover and is rich in biodiversity. The lowland forest of the Congo Basin for instance, is the most species-rich forest in Africa. In particular species groups of the region, endemism is high.

This study makes use of extensive spatial datasets, not previously available, to provide for the first time a comprehensive assessment of the conservation status of biodiversity in the terrestrial tropics. The extent to which potential habitats and closed moist forests are represented in protected areas is assessed. Priorities for conservation action are identified on the basis of a country's relative importance for a given habitat and the extent to which it is protected.