Dynamic and Anthropization of Edible Caterpillar Habitats in the Landscape of the Luki Biosphere Reserve, in the Democratic Republic of Congo

The Luki Biosphere Reserve landscape is located in the southwest of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Illicit anthropogenic activities in this landscape have contributed to the degradation of forest massifs, which are edible caterpillar habitats. Accordingly, based on five Landsat images covering the period from 2004 to 2024, we analysed the dynamics of edible caterpillar habitats in the Luki Biosphere Reserve, its periphery, and the landscape. The study was complemented by the calculation of class area, number of class patches, dominance, and disturbance index. The results show that fragmentation and attrition have caused forest areas to decline by 46.13%, 21.17%, and 23.54% in the Reserve, its periphery, and at the landscape level, respectively. The dynamics of caterpillar habitats are reflected in the replacement of forest and fallow land by savannah. Consequently, the level of disturbance has risen from 0.3 to 1.6 in the Reserve, from 2.5 to 13.9 in the periphery, and from 2.0 to 9.2 on a landscape scale. These results are mainly attributed to the expansion of agricultural land. Our observations imply an extent of disturbance in caterpillar habitats that might cause their scarcity, and strongly indicates the need for promoting effective strategies for preserving and restoring forest ecosystems in this landscape.