INTRODUCTION
This book contains photographs and descriptions of 25 of Congo's best native fruit trees. These trees provide food in a country where most of the 40,000,000 people live off the land. Congo, previously the Belgian Congo, more recently Zaire, is the third largest country in Africa, containing the largest expanse of tropical rainforest on the continent(400,000 mi). This massive collection of trees, centering around the equator, constitutes 10% of the world's total remaining rainforest. The world has yet to realize the potential of most of these tree species.
Most of the trees mentioned in this book are native to the northwest corner of Congo, the Ubangi region of the Equateur Province. The map below shows this exact location. The Ubangi is an area made up of a mixture of trees and grass, known as a rainforest/savanna transition zone. In this environment, temperatures range from 20C-34C(68F-90F) all year around; rainfall averages 1738mm(68") per year; a 3-month dry season(December-February) prevails; and the elevation is approximately 450m(approximately 1500 ft). The soils range from yellow sandy/clay types to those red, high in clay, better known as laterite(oxisols). This means most of the essential nutrients have been leached away, making it very infertile. Also contributing to the poor soil status is the high acidity level (pH 4.5) and the presence of toxic amounts of iron and aluminum oxides. These conditions make survival very difficult for the people in this region, contributing greatly to the poverty of the people. Food, firewood, arable soil, money, and medicines are continually becoming more scarce, making their situation look hopeless.
Just click to bring up a printable ORDER FORM. All of the authors profits will be contributed directly to the Loko Agroforestry Program.
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