Research on mammals: cameras reveal 8 species outside their territory in the Congolese forest

Researchers from the Florida Atlantic University installed infrared cameras from the ground to the treetops in the Lomami National Park, Democratic Republic of the Congo. The goal was to observe how mammals are distributed at different levels of the forest and to build a three-dimensional view of biodiversity.

The method allowed for the identification of 47 taxa and the analysis of species richness, community composition, and space usage.

Main Results

• 32 taxa on the ground.
• 23 in the understory.
• 22 in the canopy.

The most striking finding was that 25% of arboreal mammals preferred the understory, an intermediate strip with an abundance of lianas and intertwined vegetation.

Additionally, 8 species were detected outside their known territory, expanding information about their geographical distribution.

Recorded Behaviors

The cameras captured thousands of videos revealing little-documented behaviors:

• Bats examining fruits in the canopy.
• Insectivores approaching other animals to feed on insects attracted by them.
• Interactions between birds and mammals, such as raptors hunting or hornbills following groups of monkeys.

At the Bartho sampling site, at least 10 species of primates were recorded, along with the first camera trap recording of the black-bellied pangolin.

Vertical Dimension of the Forest

The lead author, Daniel Alempijevic, explained that the cameras transformed an isolated point into a “vertical observation column.” This allowed them to simultaneously monitor what was happening on the ground, in the understory, and in the canopy.

The second study, led by Daniel Gorczynski, analyzed the 25 most frequent species and concluded that mammal occupancy increased with elevation, even in a minimal topographic variation of 43 meters.

Highlighted Species

Among the recorded groups are:

• Bonobos.
• Red-tailed monkeys.
• African palm civets.
• Red river hogs.
• Long-nosed mongooses.
• Rope squirrels.

The white-bellied pangolins showed an interesting pattern: they preferred the canopy in mature forests but approached the ground in agricultural areas, increasing their vulnerability to poaching.

Importance for Conservation

The study demonstrates that viewing the forest as a flat surface limits the understanding of its biodiversity.

The Congo Basin, one of the most intact tropical rainforests in the world, requires innovative methods to overcome information gaps caused by insecurity and lack of infrastructure.

Author Kate Detwiler emphasized that “the camera columns provide us with a scalable way to observe the forest as animals experience it, from the leaf litter to the canopy.”

The discovery of a layered biological community redefines the way tropical biodiversity is studied.

The three-dimensional methodology opens new possibilities for conservation and provides unprecedented data on species inhabiting the Congolese forest, some outside their known range.