Anthropogenic Disturbances in Northwestern Virunga Forest Amid Armed Conflict

Despite the presence of army camps within Virunga National Park, forest fragmentation did not significantly increase between 2016 and 2023. While some sites showed passive forest restoration due to reduced conversion of forest areas during periods of insecurity, nine anthropogenic factors—primarily cash crops (74.17%), food crops (72.50%), and trees cut for energy (61.61%)—continued to disturb the forest. A multiscalar approach, combining spatial analysis with field observations, revealed these disturbances, though their full extent requires further detailed study.

Musavandalo, C. M., Essouman, P. F. E., Ndjadi, S. S., Balandi, J. B., Nguba, T. B., Sodalo, C., Mweru, J.-P. M., Sambieni, K. R., & Bogaert, J. (2025). Anthropogenic Disturbances in Northwestern Virunga Forest Amid Armed Conflict. Land, 14(4), 732. https://doi.org/10.3390/land14040732