About the origin of the dry evergreen forest islets of the South Katanga | A propos de l'origine des ilots de foret dense seche zambezienne du Katanga meridional
1999
Dikumbwa, N. | Mbenza, M.
The paper discusses the controversial origin of the dense woody islets scattered into the Zambezian open forest of Upper Katanga. The authors look into the different resilience eventualities on xeric conditions regarding dry evergreen forests established in the area under cover of humid Quaternary climates. After having underlined the large adaptability, but also the extreme vulnerability of the present forestry islets, as recorded through the study of biogeochemical cycles of the muhulu of Luiswishi, the authors conclude that only a recent origin allows the conservation of the humid equatorial forests characteristics that they both possess today. In fact, they realise a step of a dense forest recovery, with the help of climate humidification, from the Zambezian forest, born itself from the adaptation of the humid holocene forest during the last arid episode, which took place, in this area, between 3000 and 4000 B.P.. Their restricted distribution, even their complete disappearance from certain areas is the result of a still heavier human pressure (urban as well as industrial injuries, deforestation for diverse needs, ...). In conclusion, the present study puts together arguments that support the climacic origin of the dry evergreen forests of Katanga, as suggested by DESENFANS and SCHMITZ, while it brings a different light on the role of soil factors regarding the edaphic hypothesis, supported especialy by DUVIGNEAUD.
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