The Northeast Congolian lowland forests cover the northeastern basin of the Congo River, spanning the northeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo and reaching into the southern Central African Republic, and include the well-known Ituri Rainforest. Vegetation is predominantly lowland moist forest, principally evergreen with semi-evergreen patches, and is notable for single-species stands of the legume tree Gilbertiodendron dewevrei alongside characteristic species such as Julbernardia seretii and Cynometra alexandri. The climate is humid and tropical, with annual rainfall generally between 1,500 and 2,000 mm that declines toward the east and a marked dry season from January to March. The region is exceptionally diverse, with around 1,500 plant species recorded from the Ituri area and sixteen endemic mammals, among them the okapi. For gardeners drawn to tropical foliage plants, the area is also home to the endemic cycad Encephalartos ituriensis.
Marker placed inside the RESOLVE 2017 polygon at 1.8°N, 25.1°E.
Climate snapshot for this ecoregion
°C
°F
Current zone range (2011–2040)
13b
Plotwright
CHELSA-derived typical winter month at this ecoregion's bbox grid.
Projected (2041–2070)
13b
Plotwright
Where the CHELSA models say the typical winter month is heading.
Average warming this ecoregion is on track for: +4.0°F by mid-century. SSP3-7.0 (current trajectory) · CHELSA v2.1 bio06 sampled across 10 of 10 points within this ecoregion's bounding box.
At a glance
Dominant biome
Tropical & Subtropical Moist Broadleaf Forests
Realm
Afrotropic
Approximate area
198,779 sq mi
Conservation tier
Nature Could Reach Half Protected (Dinerstein NNH 2)
About the tropical & subtropical moist broadleaf forests biome
Warm, wet, highly productive forests — including tropical rainforests — with closed canopies, near year-round growing seasons, and the richest terrestrial biodiversity on Earth. Low seasonality and high rainfall sustain dense, layered vegetation from canopy to forest floor.
Catalog plants suited to this ecoregion
No catalog plants intersect this ecoregion's zone range. As the catalog grows to cover this region's climate band, suggestions will surface here.
Collections for this ecoregion
No curated collection's plants all fit this ecoregion's zone range. We surface a collection only when every member would grow here — partial fits get filtered out rather than mislead. As the catalog and the curated set both grow, this section will fill in.
Related ecoregions
Other tropical & subtropical moist broadleaf forests ecoregions to explore: