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The rain forest in the early morning.
© Joel Cracraft |
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Plants of many varieties inhabit the Dzanga-Sangha rain forest.
© Joel Cracraft |
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Different rain forests within a region contain different species that group into areas of endemism--"a term that scientists use for species that are very narrowly restricted in their geographic distribution," explains Cracraft. Sometimes these areas overlap, and the Congo Basin contains two to three. Dzanga-Sangha lies on the northern edge of the Congo Basin, and ongoing research suggests that it may contain a new area of endemism.
Why Endemism Matters "Conservation organizations use areas of endemism--areas on the globe that have a high number of unique species--because it's those pockets of diversity that we want to place in protected areas in order to conserve them," explains Cracraft. "This is one of the reasons why the Dzanga-Sangha's national parks and the dense forest preserves may turn out to be even more important than was originally thought."
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