Impacts of bush fires on biodiversity of Sudanian and Zambezian savanna of the Democratic Republic of Congo – Case study on three protected areas: Upemba, Kundelungu and Garamba national parks, and Bombo-Lumene hunting domain from 2000 to 2014.

The Sudanian and Zambezian savanna of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) are subject to annual bush fires. These fires cause heavy erosion of biodiversity in these ecosystems, which are also under increasing pressure from poaching of wildlife. The combined effect of these two threats to bio-resources of the savanna ecosystem was analyzed in four protected areas: Upemba, Kundelungu and Garamba national parks, and BomboLumene hunting domain. A frequency of 59122, 38474, 25279 and 6509 fire points was registered respectively in the 4 protected areas from 2000 to 2014. The highest intensity of bushfires was observed during the long dry season, with a variation of its incidence depending on the latitude. The effects of bush fires on biodiversity have been explained through the loss of habitat for wildlife species, with an estimate of 22067 hectares of forest cover lost during 14 years. This study offers concrete solutions to prevent the spread of bushfires through thematic maps of bushfires hotspots detected in selected protected areas. Some strategies which recommend the use of bushfires as a sustainable management tool for natural resources management in DRC Sudan and Zambezian savannas are also proposed.