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Yellow-crested Helmetshrike
The yellow-crested helmetshrike (''Prionops alberti'') or King Albert's helmetshrike is a species of bird in the Vanga family Vangidae. This large, striking helmetshrike is unique in its black plumage and bright yellow crest. Though this species has been encountered broadly across the mountains of the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, there is still much to learn about this species. It is rarely reported due to the majority of its distribution occurring in relatively remote regions within the Albertine Rift, an area with ongoing armed conflict. Description Appearance Adults are generally all black with a bright yellow or gold crest (sometimes described as a "helmet"), with the yellow extending across the entire top half of the head above the eyeline and extending backwards behind the eye. The greenish-yellow irides are surrounded by an orange eye-wattle; the bill, like the plumage, is black, though the legs and feet are reported to be light red. Individuals can be qui ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Henri Schouteden
Henri Schouteden (9 July 1881, Brussels – 15 November 1972, Brussels) was a Belgian zoologist, ornithologist and entomologist who undertook numerous expeditions into the Congo, Rwanda, and Burundi. Works (All in French) *Schouteden, H. (1912). "Rhopaloceres recuillis dans l’Uelle par M.Castelain". ''Annales de la Société Entomologique de Belgique''. 55: 362–364. *Schouteden, H. (1912). "Rhopaloceres recuillis dans le Haut-Ituri par le Dr Bayer". ''Revue de Zoologie Africaine''. 1: 389–396. *Schouteden, H. (1919). "La faune des Acraides du Congo Belge". ''Revue de Zoologie Africaine''. 6: 145–162. *Schouteden, H. (1926). "Contribution a l’etude des Lepidopteres Rhopaloceres du Katanga (collections Overlaet, etc.)". ''Revue de Zoologie Africaine''. 14: 217–236. *Schouteden, H. (1927). "Contribution a l’etude des Lepidopteres Rhopaloceres du Katanga (collections Overlaet, etc.). 2me partie. Nymphalidae et Acraeidae". ''Revue de Zoologie Africaine''. 14: 283–309. *S ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mount Mikeno
Mount Mikeno is an extinct volcanic mountain located in the Democratic Republic of the Congo section of the Virunga Mountains along with Mount Nyiragongo, Mount Nyamuragira, Mount Karisimbi, Mount Bisoke and Mount Sabyinyo. At Mount Mikeno is the second highest peak in the Virunga Mountains after Karisimbi, and the 13th highest mountain of Africa. Mikeno means "poor" and is so named for its harsh slopes which preclude human habitation. Mount Mikeno lies completely within Virunga National Park and is known for the critically endangered mountain gorillas that live on its slopes. "About Virunga National Park" Virguna.org. Retrieved 2015-03-21. Expeditions to observe Mikeno's gorillas typically leave from the nearby Bukima Patrol Post. [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
North Kivu
North Kivu (french: link=no, Nord-Kivu) is a province bordering Lake Kivu in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. Its capital is Goma. North Kivu borders the provinces of Ituri to the north, Tshopo to the northwest, Maniema to the southwest, and South Kivu to the south. To the east, it borders the countries of Uganda and Rwanda. The province consists of three cities—Goma, Butembo and Beni—and six territories—Beni, Lubero, Masisi, Rutshuru, Nyiragongo and Walikale. It is home to the Virunga National Park, a World Heritage Site containing the endangered mountain gorillas. The region is politically unstable and since 1998 has been one of the flashpoints of the military conflicts in the region. North Kivu was the site of an Ebola epidemic, which was compounded by political instability in the region. History The frontiers of the Congo Free State were defined by the Neutrality Act during the 1885 Berlin Conference, in which the European powers staked out their ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Insectivore
A robber fly eating a hoverfly An insectivore is a carnivorous animal or plant that eats insects. An alternative term is entomophage, which can also refer to the human practice of eating insects. The first vertebrate insectivores were amphibians. When they evolved 400 million years ago, the first amphibians were piscivores, with numerous sharp conical teeth, much like a modern crocodile. The same tooth arrangement is however also suited for eating animals with exoskeletons, thus the ability to eat insects is an extension of piscivory. At one time, insectivorous mammals were scientifically classified in an order called Insectivora. This order is now abandoned, as not all insectivorous mammals are closely related. Most of the Insectivora taxa have been reclassified; those that have not yet been reclassified and found to be truly related to each other remain in the order Eulipotyphla. Although individually small, insects exist in enormous numbers. Insects make u ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Altitudinal Migration
Altitudinal migration is a short-distance animal migration from lower altitudes to higher altitudes and back. Altitudinal migrants change their elevation with the seasons making this form of animal migration seasonal. Altitudinal migration can be most commonly observed in species inhabiting temperate or tropical ecosystems. This behavior is commonly seen among avian species but can also be observed within other vertebrates and some invertebrates. It is commonly thought to happen in response to climate and food availability changes as well as increasingly due to anthropogenic influence. These migrations can occur both during reproductive and non-reproductive seasons. The patterns of altitudinal migration may be affected by climate change resulting in potentially life-threatening situations for some species. Deforestation can affect the migration corridors of altitudinal migrant and could lead to smaller areas for these species to migrate. Changes the environment of altitudinally mig ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mummy
A mummy is a dead human or an animal whose soft tissues and organs have been preserved by either intentional or accidental exposure to chemicals, extreme cold, very low humidity, or lack of air, so that the recovered body does not decay further if kept in cool and dry conditions. Some authorities restrict the use of the term to bodies deliberately embalmed with chemicals, but the use of the word to cover accidentally desiccated bodies goes back to at least 1615 AD (see the section Etymology and meaning). Mummies of humans and animals have been found on every continent, both as a result of natural preservation through unusual conditions, and as cultural artifacts. Over one million animal mummies have been found in Egypt, many of which are cats. Many of the Egyptian animal mummies are sacred ibis, and radiocarbon dating suggests the Egyptian Ibis mummies that have been analyzed were from time frame that falls between approximately 450 and 250 BC. In addition to the mummies ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mount Kahuzi
Mount Kahuzi is an extinct volcano in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is within the Kahuzi-Biéga National Park, a World Heritage Site. Location Mount Kahuzi was last active at the end of the Pleistocene. At it is the highest peak in the Mitumba Range, which runs along the west shore of Lake Kivu in the Albertine Rift. The eastern part of the Biega - Kahuzi National Park, a World Heritage Site, lies on the slopes of the mountain. The Zoological and Forest Reserve of Mount Kahuzi was created by decree on 27 July 1937, and extended in 1951 to include the Biega forest. It was gazetted as a national park in 1970. Flora Vegetation includes wet lowland rain forest, transitional rainforest and Afromontaine vegetation that is dominated by tree heathers. Hedythrsus thamnoideus and Disa erubescens grow on one summit of Mount Kahuzi. On its main summit, between and '' Erica spp.'' grows, as well as '' Senecio kahuzicus'', '' Helichrysum mildbraedii'', '' Huperzia saururus'', a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hagenia
''Hagenia'' is a monotypic genus of flowering plant with the sole species ''Hagenia abyssinica'', native to the high-elevation Afromontane regions of central and eastern Africa. It also has a disjunct distribution in the high mountains of East Africa from Sudan and Ethiopia in the north, through Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, and Tanzania, to Malawi and Zambia in the south. A member of the rose family, its closest relative is the Afromontane genus '' Leucosidea''. Nomenclature It is known in English as African redwood, East African rosewood, brayera, cusso, hagenia, or kousso, in Amharic as ''kosso'', and in Swahili as ''mdobore'' or ''mlozilozi''. Synonyms of the species include ''Banksia abyssinica'', ''Brayera anthelmintica'', ''Hagenia abyssinica'' var. ''viridifolia'' and ''Hagenia anthelmintica''. Description It is a tree up to 20 m in height, with a short trunk, thick branches, and thick, peeling bark. The leaves are up to 40 cm lo ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Albertine Rift Montane Forests
The Albertine Rift montane forests is a tropical moist broadleaf forest ecoregion in east-central Africa. The ecoregion covers the mountains of the northern Albertine Rift, and is home to distinct Afromontane forests with high biodiversity. Geography The high montane forests cover the western portions of Rwanda and Burundi, the eastern edge of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and portions of western Uganda and Tanzania. This area occupies the parallel Albertine Rift Mountains that enclose the western branch of the East African Rift. The mountain ranges include the Lendu Plateau of Uganda (the forest is almost completely cleared from here), and the Virunga Mountains and Rwenzori Mountains of Rwanda, Uganda, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. At the highest elevations of the Rwenzori and Virunga ranges (above 3000 meters), the forests transition to the Afroalpine Rwenzori–Virunga montane moorlands ecoregion, including the high peaks of Mount Stanley and Mount Karisi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Montane Forest
Montane ecosystems are found on the slopes of mountains. The alpine climate in these regions strongly affects the ecosystem because temperatures fall as elevation increases, causing the ecosystem to stratify. This stratification is a crucial factor in shaping plant community, biodiversity, metabolic processes and ecosystem dynamics for montane ecosystems. Dense montane forests are common at moderate elevations, due to moderate temperatures and high rainfall. At higher elevations, the climate is harsher, with lower temperatures and higher winds, preventing the growth of trees and causing the plant community to transition to montane grasslands, shrublands or alpine tundra. Due to the unique climate conditions of montane ecosystems, they contain increased numbers of endemic species. Montane ecosystems also exhibit variation in ecosystem services, which include carbon storage and water supply. Life zones As elevation increases, the climate becomes cooler, due to a decrease in a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Habitat
In ecology, the term habitat summarises the array of resources, physical and biotic factors that are present in an area, such as to support the survival and reproduction of a particular species. A species habitat can be seen as the physical manifestation of its ecological niche. Thus "habitat" is a species-specific term, fundamentally different from concepts such as environment or vegetation assemblages, for which the term "habitat-type" is more appropriate. The physical factors may include (for example): soil, moisture, range of temperature, and light intensity. Biotic factors will include the availability of food and the presence or absence of predators. Every species has particular habitat requirements, with habitat generalist species able to thrive in a wide array of environmental conditions while habitat specialist species requiring a very limited set of factors to survive. The habitat of a species is not necessarily found in a geographical area, it can be the interior ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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