Objective: This study was conducted in order to characterize the productive and reproductive system of local chicken in three agro-ecological zones of the South Kivu province from April to December 2017. Methodology and results: A cross-sectional survey was carried out by interviewing 360 chicken breeders from three agro-ecological zones mainly in the high, middle and lower altitude. The main results showed that this farming sector is led by men with a market-oriented goal (90.28%), having an average of 24.38 chickens reared in free range system (94.17%) without specific housing (81.11%). Chickens are supplemented with food (65.28%) and vitamin supplement (25.83%). The New castle is the most common disease (89.72%) affecting this sector due to absence of vaccination (96.67%) and traditional pharmacopoeia (77.5%) is the most used by breeders for the treatments of most of diseases. Furthermore, each chicken gives 13 eggs per spawning cycle for 2.96 cycles per year by which 70.37% of the eggs laid are incubated for a hatching rate of 84.50% and a weaning rate of 57.25%, occurring 2.52 months after hatching. Epidemics as well as predation are the main constraints hampering the local chicken production in addition to the lack of support by local government services. Conclusion and application of findings: Although this production system is secondary and based on the traditional production system, with less performances, it remains key in the economy of rural families and needs particular attention for its improvement. An adequate housing and a balanced diet would increase production and reduce the risk of loss of local chickens in the study region.

The recently created Lomami National Park has an extensive Buffer Zone where local communities are allowed to use forest products sustainably. However, the management of this Buffer Zone is hampered by inadequate understanding of the floristic composition and the impacts of harvesting certain plant products. To fill in this data gap, we established and sampled 30 vegetation plots of 40 × 40 m, and investigated the population structure of 11 useful tree species preferred by local communities.We found that the Buffer Zone is mostly composed of mixed-species undisturbed old growth forest. It contains nine tree species of international conservation concern (listed in the IUCN Red list and/or apart from the Red list, Gibourtia demeusei, not been assessed by IUCN Red list, is listed in CITES Appendix II since January 2017; UNEP-WCMC, Review of selected Dalbergia species and Guibourtia demeusei, UNEP-WCMC, 2017). The floristic diversity of the Buffer Zone, which requires further investigation as some species remained unidentified. Most preferred tree species (including Garcinia kola and Milicia excelsa) are abundant and showed a reverse-J size distribution, indicating a relatively stable population structure. For these species, current levels of exploitation seem sustainable. Further research is needed for two nonabundant species of conservation concern (Autranella congolensis and Michelsonia microphylla).Although timber/firewood commercial harvesting is currently limited in the study area, the management plan of the Buffer Zone should consider these risks given increasing commercial hunting. Surveys and permanent plots provide essential information to guide the management of newly formed protected areas.

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