Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: http://hdl.handle.net/1893/19507
Appears in Collections:Biological and Environmental Sciences Journal Articles
Peer Review Status: Refereed
Title: Structural and floristic typology of the forests in the forest-savanna mosaic of the Lopé National Park, Gabon
Author(s): Palla, Florence
Picard, Nicolas
Abernethy, Katharine
Ukizintambara, Tharcisse
White, Elizabeth C
Riera, Bernard
Rudant, Jean-Paul
White, Lee
Contact Email: k.a.abernethy@stir.ac.uk
Keywords: abundance
canopy height
floristic groups
forest type
forest-savana mosaic
predominance
structural groups
Issue Date: Nov-2011
Date Deposited: 13-Mar-2014
Citation: Palla F, Picard N, Abernethy K, Ukizintambara T, White EC, Riera B, Rudant J & White L (2011) Structural and floristic typology of the forests in the forest-savanna mosaic of the Lopé National Park, Gabon. Plant Ecology and Evolution, 144 (3), pp. 255-266. https://doi.org/10.5091/plecevo.2011.478
Abstract: Background and aims - The Lopé National Park in Gabon, recently added to the UNESCO world heritage list, presents a mosaic of forest and savanna that dynamically changes. Conserving this landscape requires an understanding of the forest dynamics. This study aims at defining a forest typology at Lopé in relation with its dynamics. Methods - Floristic and structural characteristics for 265 tree species belonging to 55 families were measured in 258 sampling plots in the Lopé National Park. Multivariate analysis of these data was used to partition the sampling plots into groups on the basis of their floristic or structural characteristics. Key results - Five structural forest types and six floristic forest types were identified. This typology showed that the forests in the forest-savanna mosaic of Lopé organize themselves along a gradient of forest recovery, from young forests to mature forests. Typical pioneer species are associated with the youngest forest stages. The gradient on the species also corresponds to a geographical gradient on the sampling plots, associated with features like altitude, rocks, or hydrography. Conclusions - Five forest types were defined on the basis of species abundances. The snapshot of forest types characterizes a dynamic process of forest regeneration.
DOI Link: 10.5091/plecevo.2011.478
Rights: The publisher does not allow this work to be made publicly available in this Repository. Please use the Request a Copy feature at the foot of the Repository record to request a copy directly from the author. You can only request a copy if you wish to use this work for your own research or private study.
Licence URL(s): http://www.rioxx.net/licenses/under-embargo-all-rights-reserved

Files in This Item:
File Description SizeFormat 
Plant Eco and Evo 2011.pdfFulltext - Published Version1.34 MBAdobe PDFUnder Permanent Embargo    Request a copy

Note: If any of the files in this item are currently embargoed, you can request a copy directly from the author by clicking the padlock icon above. However, this facility is dependent on the depositor still being contactable at their original email address.



This item is protected by original copyright



Items in the Repository are protected by copyright, with all rights reserved, unless otherwise indicated.

The metadata of the records in the Repository are available under the CC0 public domain dedication: No Rights Reserved https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/

If you believe that any material held in STORRE infringes copyright, please contact library@stir.ac.uk providing details and we will remove the Work from public display in STORRE and investigate your claim.