Omanghana
Botanists in Gabon are working to identify and preserve the country’s rich plant life as urban expansion, deforestation and industrial development place growing pressure on natural habitats.
Archange Boupoya, director of the Sibang Botanical Garden in Libreville, says documenting this biodiversity is essential to protecting it. He estimates that Gabon hosts between 7,000 and 10,000 plant species, with roughly one in ten under threat. Botanical surveys uncover an average of ten new species annually.
International Research Partnership
Researchers spend weeks collecting forest specimens, which are dried and documented before identification. The work involves the Missouri Botanical Garden and specialists from Britain, France and Belgium.
A collection of approximately 100,000 preserved specimens, including material dating to 1880, provides a historical record of Gabon’s flora. It was relocated to the national parks agency after surviving a fire during post-election violence in 2016.
Turning Collections Into Conservation Evidence
The National Herbarium of Gabon also documents the importance of organizing and digitizing botanical collections. Its research program notes that accumulated specimens continue to yield species new to science.
Making these records accessible can help researchers identify plants and provide decision-makers with evidence about conservation priorities, local uses and commercial significance.
Funding Remains a Challenge
Inadequate facilities, limited funding and encroachment on the Sibang garden constrain conservation work. Researchers hope international support and potential financing through biodiversity credits will help sustain efforts to document and protect Gabon’s botanical heritage.
Source: Omanghana
