KarunaNews Story

Most people probably think that the rainforest of central and west Africa, the second largest in the world, has been around for millions of years. But rainforest history records indicated the near-decimation of rainforests some 2,500 years ago in the Congo Basin and across a huge expanse stretching from modern-day Senegal to Rwanda after the dry season suddenly became longer. In the centuries that followed, the forests regenerated spontaneously. Species such as the oil palm, which thrives in open areas or in the gaps created in forests when the canopy opens up rather than in the dense center, often act as a “pioneer species” allowing the forest to regrow. But the oil palm’s large seeds need to be dispersed in the poo of animals such as chimpanzees, for whom the bright orange flesh can be an important part of the diet. This is how chimps and other seed-dispersers played a crucial role in regenerating Africa’s rainforests. Now, with climate change, deforestation and hunting are all heavily impacting those same forests, chimps and other seed-dispersing species must be better protected.