Anthropogenic Pressures on Gorillas: A Case of Grauer’s Gorillas in Maiko National Park, the Democratic Republic of Congo
Round 1
Reviewer 1 Report
Comments and Suggestions for AuthorsI suggest that an editor who is highly skilled in English editing be contracted to edit the paper. In the editing process, repetition should be deleted, and major statements of impacts expanded.
the paper needs a map.
photos of the forests, the Maiko park, forest destruction and misuse are needed. The authors must consider that very few readers will ever visit the Congo.
An important paper is in danger of being lost from a poor writing.
I am willing to referee a revised paper.
Comments on the Quality of English LanguageI stopped reading this paper at line 195. There is a pressing need to edit the English in this paper. I have made a series of suggested changes up to line 195. see below. When the changes are made this paper should be resubmitted, it is a most important paper, it needs to be read and understood worldwide. At the current stage of writing, it will not be widely read. My comments are:
Line 29. The first sentence does not mean anything useful here.
Line 43. It is confusing to have the common name of these gorillas in italics. Use normal font throughout the text.
Line 44 what is Maiko, a place? Spell out the geography, and use a map. It is clearly on line 75.
45. delete enough, replace with still.
45. you don’t predict the past, try estimated.
51. replace account for with put.
51 gorillas should be gorillas’
57 what is the relationship between ebola and protected habitats? How does a disease affect a habitat?
60. had to be should be replaced with was.
78. this is a confusing sentence, try ‘the pressure on the forests are the result of…. Then add a couple of sentences explaining what this means, what does poverty do, what does wealth do?
80 replace influenced by to result in.
90-124 this is not the Congo, delete, stay with the congo.
149. what is anarchic?
155-57. explain how human displacement affects the gorillas.
159. what forests shrank by 32%, all of the forests in the Congo, if local to the Maiko park, then say so?
184-85. this text on other species can be deleted, it does not fit here.
195. replace fair with essential.
I suggest that an editor who is highly skilled in English editing be contracted to edit the paper. I the editing process, repetition should be deleted, and major statements of impacts expanded.
the paper needs a map.
photos of the forests, the Maiko park, forest destruction and misuse are needed. The authors must consider that very few readers will ever visit the
Author Response
Thank you very much for taking the time to review our manuscript and making it suitable to the Diversity Journal and audiences. Please find the detailed responses attached on the word file and the corresponding revisions/corrections highlighted in red text in the re-submitted manuscript text file.
Author Response File: 
Author Response.pdf
Reviewer 2 Report
Comments and Suggestions for AuthorsComments and suggestions can be found in the attached document.
Comments for author File: Comments.pdf
Comments related to English are in the attached document.
Author Response
Thank you very much for taking the time to review our manuscript and making it suitable to the Diversity Journal and audiences. Please find the detailed responses in the attached word file and the corresponding revisions/corrections highlighted in red text in the re-submitted manuscript text file.
Author Response File: 
Author Response.docx
