GABON

Located in Central Africa, Gabon is botanically one of the richest countries in tropical Africa and yet one of the least explored. Covering an area of 267,000 square kilometers and with a sparse population of roughly 1.3 million, Gabon has one of the lowest population densities in Africa.

Gabon contains as many as 7,000 plant species, with an estimated plant endemism rate at a staggering 22%. Though much work has been done over the past 30 years in cataloging the composition and distribution of the country’s flora, an enormous task remains. Only about 65,000 collections have been made of the estimated 200,000 specimens needed to catalogue Gabon's biodiversity. Maps of historical botanical collections show large expanses of unexplored terrain, indicating that significant numbers of new taxa remain to be discovered.

Gabon took an historic step in August 2002, setting aside 11% of the land as an 8 million acre network of 13 national parks. Immediately following this declaration, the United States government committed significant financial resources to Gabon through its Congo Basin Forest Partnership, an initiative that promotes conservation and responsible management of the Basin's tropical forests. A portion of the CBFP funds supports Gabon's new national park system, with MBG as an active partner. MBG has been particularly active in the Plateaux Batéké National Park, recently completing a botanical inventory together with botanists from the Herbier National du Gabon (LBV).

Over the past 20 years, MBG and LBV have worked extensively throughout Gabon. Recent efforts have focused on collections within the new protected area system, including Lopé, Mayumba and Ivindo, and botanical investigations are planned in Waka and Monts de Cristal National Parks. The LBV herbarium, which is growing very rapidly, currently houses over 25,000 specimens. Due to intense research activities, a larger facility is currently under construction.

In early 2004, a consortion of institutions known as the Central Africa Biodiversity Network, or CABONET, was formed among five institutions (webpage). The goals of the program are to further explore and document the flora of Gabon, target specific areas for special conservation concern, build capacity among local scientific institutions, and provide training programs for the sustainable management of the park system. As part of the conservation initiative, CABONET will conduct further botanical expeditions in previously unexplored areas and compile a country-wide checklist.