Nurse Log in the Congo

Explanation: Ah, the hot humid "jungles" of central Africa!

Actually, the term "jungle" is not a particularly useful term, as it applies broadly to any dense, usually tropical, woodland or forest. It is also a rather pedestrian term that blurs many interesting ecological events. For example ...

... Look closely at this week's image. There is rather hefty fern-like plant sprouting from ... a log.

But this is not a fern. It is an African oil palm, a key source of oil used by people for cooking and even for industrial applications. It is important for nutrition and the regional economy. It is even being cultivated in some locations for biofuel.

And look at where it has sprouted from. It is growing from a nurse log -- which we have encountered in previous EPOW episodes in other contexts and locations. This particular nurse log is the remnant of a large tree known locally as mbaka, that grows in seasonally flooded forest conditions here along the edge of the Ubangi River in western Democratic Republic of Congo. Mbaka is a very durable "black wood" that lasts 20 years on the forest floor with only minimal decay and rot (Marcot and Alexander 2004) and has many uses.

Here, mbaka is serving as a key "nurse" substrate for the oil palm -- both species of which are highly important to local communities and villages for a wide variety of needs and uses.

So, the lesson here is to not just dismiss a dense tangle of greenery as a "jungle blur," but to look closely and find some surprise relationships. Have a happy and safe expedition!

Information:
Marcot, B. G., and R. Alexander. 2004. Exploratory trip to Democratic Republic of the Congo, August 20 - September 15, 2004. Trip report for International Programs Office, USDA Forest Service, Washington, D.C. 88 pp. In English or French.

EPOW - Ecology Picture of the Week