title: Distribution and Numbers of Pygmies in Central African Forests.
abstract: Pygmy populations occupy a vast territory extending west-to-east along the central African belt from the Congo Basin to Lake Victoria. However, their numbers and actual distribution is not known precisely. Here, we undertake this task by using locational data and population sizes for an unprecedented number of known Pygmy camps and settlements (n = 654) in five of the nine countries where currently distributed. With these data we develop spatial distribution models based on the favourability function, which distinguish areas with favourable environmental conditions from those less suitable for Pygmy presence. Highly favourable areas were significantly explained by presence of tropical forests, and by lower human pressure variables. For documented Pygmy settlements, we use the relationship between observed population sizes and predicted favourability values to estimate the total Pygmy population throughout Central Africa. We estimate that around 920,000 Pygmies (over 60% in DRC) is possible within favourable forest areas in Central Africa. We argue that fragmentation of the existing Pygmy populations, alongside pressure from extractive industries and sometimes conflict with conservation areas, endanger their future. There is an urgent need to inform policies that can mitigate against future external threats to these indigenous peoples' culture and lifestyles.
authors.affiliation: Grupo de Biogeografía, Diversidad y Conservación, Departamento de Biología Animal, Universidad de Málaga, Facultad de Ciencias, Málaga, Spain.
authors.forename: Jesús
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Olivero
authors.affiliation: Division of Biology and Conservation Ecology, School of Science and the Environment, Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester, United Kingdom.|Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR), CIFOR Headquarters, Bogor, Indonesia.
authors.forename: Julia E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Fa
authors.affiliation: Grupo de Biogeografía, Diversidad y Conservación, Departamento de Biología Animal, Universidad de Málaga, Facultad de Ciencias, Málaga, Spain.
authors.forename: Miguel A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Farfán
authors.affiliation: Department of Anthropology, University College London, London, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Jerome
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lewis
authors.affiliation: Department of Anthropology, Washington State University, Vancouver, Washington, United States of America.
authors.forename: Barry
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hewlett
authors.affiliation: Global Conservation Program, Wildlife Conservation Society, Bronx, New York, United States of America.
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Breuer
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Scienze, Università Roma Tre, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Giuseppe M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Carpaneto
authors.affiliation: Asociación Zerca y Lejos, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: María
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fernández
authors.affiliation: 46 Elm Row, Edinburgh, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Germi
authors.affiliation: Faculty of International Studies, Tenri University, Tenri City, Nara, Japan.
authors.forename: Shiho
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hattori
authors.affiliation: Chameleon Strategy, London, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Josephine
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Head
authors.affiliation: 46 Yoshida-Shimoadachi, Sakyo, Kyoto, Japan.
authors.forename: Mitsuo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ichikawa
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Education, Yamaguchi University, Yoshida, Yamaguchi-shi Yamaguchi, Japan.
authors.forename: Koichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kitanaishi
authors.affiliation: Department of Anthropology, University College London, London, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Jessica
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Knights
authors.affiliation: Graduate School of Asian and African Area Studies, Kyoto University, Shimoadachi-cho, Yoshida, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, Japan.
authors.forename: Naoki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Matsuura
authors.affiliation: Department of Anthropology, University College London, London, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Migliano
authors.affiliation: COOPI-Cooperazione Internazionale ONG Onlus, Milano-I, Italy.
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Nese
authors.affiliation: Department of Geography, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, United States of America.
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Noss
authors.affiliation: Institut Santé et Société, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada.
authors.forename: Dieudonné Ongbwa
authors.initials: DO
authors.lastname: Ekoumou
authors.affiliation: DDL Lab. CNRS-Université Lumière Lyon 2, Lyon, France.
authors.forename: Pascale
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Paulin
authors.affiliation: Grupo de Biogeografía, Diversidad y Conservación, Departamento de Biología Animal, Universidad de Málaga, Facultad de Ciencias, Málaga, Spain.
authors.forename: Raimundo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Real
authors.affiliation: Bioclimate, Research and Development, Edinburgh, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Mike
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Riddell
authors.affiliation: Department of Anthropology, Durham University, Durham, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Edward G J
authors.initials: EG
authors.lastname: Stevenson
authors.affiliation: Graduate School of Asian and African Area Studies, Kyoto University, Shimoadachi-cho, Yoshida, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, Japan.
authors.forename: Mikako
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Toda
authors.affiliation: Grupo de Biogeografía, Diversidad y Conservación, Departamento de Biología Animal, Universidad de Málaga, Facultad de Ciencias, Málaga, Spain.
authors.forename: J Mario
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Vargas
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Humanity and Environment, Hosei University, Fujimi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Hirokazu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yasuoka
authors.affiliation: Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR), CIFOR Headquarters, Jalan CIFOR, Situ Gede, Bogor, Indonesia.
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Nasi
mesh_terms: D000350:Africa, Central; D065928:Forests; D063426:Human Migration; D006801:Humans; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D011156:Population Density