Vegetation assessment and forest dynamic study of various areas in Gabon from 2000 to 2018

Nestor Laurier Engone Obiang1, Nestor Laurier ENGONE OBIANG1, Alfred Ngomanda2, David Kenfack3, David Kenfack4

1 Herbier National du Gabon, BP 1156, Libreville, Gabon; 2 IRET, BP 13354, Libreville, Gabon; 3 ForestGEO | Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, 10th & Constitution Avenue NW, DC 20560-0166, Washington, United States; 4 Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, 10th & Constitution Avenue NW, DC 20013-7012, Washington DC, United States

Corresponding author(s): Nestor Laurier Engone Obiang (engoneobiangnestor@gmail.com), Alfred Ngomanda (ngomanda@yahoo.fr), David Kenfack (KenfackD@si.edu)

Received {date}; Revised {date}; Accepted {date}; Published {date}

Citation: Combination of authors, year of data paper publication (in parentheses), Title, Journal Name, Volume, Issue number (in parentheses), and doi of the data paper.

Resource Citation

Engone Obiang N L (2019): Vegetation assessment and forest dynamic study of various areas in Gabon from 2000 to 2018. v1.4. Herbier National du Gabon. Dataset/Samplingevent. http://ipt-gabon.gbif.fr/resource?r=vegetationforest&v=1.4

Abstract

Data are provided by Institut de Recherche en Ecologie Tropicale (IRET), Herbier National du Gabon and the Smithsonian Institution via the Rabi plot. Trees with diameter at breast height (dbh) ≥ 1cm or 10 cm was measured according the study site. The dbh is measured with a diametric tape at approximately 1.3 m from ground, avoiding lianas growing on the trunk or above buttresses and stilt roots.

Keywords: Samplingevent, forest plots, tree identification, Gabon

Project details

Project title: Support for data collection of plant biodiversity in Gabon
Personnel: Nestor Laurier Engone Obiang
Funding: BID-AF2015-0038-NAC funded the data mobilization whereas field collect data were funded by CARPE, Aires-Sud project number 7148, Smithsonain project number #1548 of the Gabon Biodiversity Program, IRET and Herbier National du Gabon.
Study area descriptions/descriptor: The project activities were implemented in Gabon. Covering an area of 267,660 km² where forest occupies 88% of the national territory. Gabon is home to an estimated 6,000-10,000 plant species (Breteler, 1989).
Design description: The data were generated in order to study vegetation assesssment and forest dynamic in various areas of Gabon.

Data published through GBIF: http://ipt-gabon.gbif.fr/resource?r=vegetationforest

Taxonomic coverage

General taxonomic coverage description: These data are inventory data from 414 plots that contain 224191 trees including 722 species, 339 genera and 74 families.
Taxonomic ranks
Family: Achariaceae, Anacardiaceae, Anisophylleaceae, Annonaceae, Apocynaceae, Aptandraceae, Araliaceae, Arecaceae, Asparagaceae, Asteraceae, Bignoniaceae, Burseraceae, Calophyllaceae, Cannabaceae, Cardiopteridaceae, Centroplacaceae, Chrysobalanaceae, Clusiaceae, Combretaceae, Connaraceae, Coulaceae, Ctenolophonaceae, Cucurbitaceae, Dichapetalaceae, Dipterocarpaceae, Ebenaceae, Erythropalaceae, Erythroxylaceae, Euphorbiaceae, Fabaceae, Gentianaceae, Huaceae, Humiriaceae, Hypericaceae, Icacinaceae, Irvingiaceae, Ixonanthaceae, Lamiaceae, Lauraceae, Lecythidaceae, Loganiaceae, Malvaceae, Melastomataceae, Meliaceae, Moraceae, Myristicaceae, Myrtaceae, Ochnaceae, Octoknemaceae, Pandaceae, Passifloraceae, Peraceae, Peridiscaceae, Phyllanthaceae, Picrodendraceae, Polygalaceae, Primulaceae, Putranjivaceae, Rhamnaceae, Rhizophoraceae, Rubiaceae, Rutaceae, Salicaceae, Santalaceae, Sapindaceae, Sapotaceae, Simaroubaceae, Stemonuraceae, Strombosiaceae, Thomandersiaceae, Urticaceae, Violaceae, Vochysiaceae

Spatial coverage

General spatial coverage: Data were collected in the following areas of Gabon:
Monts de Cristal, Sibang (Estuaire); Bagombé, Kouma, Leke, Okouma (Haut Ogooué); Haut Abanga (Moyen Ogooué), Dango, Dibwangui, Dondon-Mobi, Mandji, Mouila, Ndendé, Ovala, Waka, Yombi (Ngounié) ; Ipassa, Ivindo, Koungou, Zadié (Ogooué Ivindo); Rabi (Ogooué Maritime); Bitam (Woleu-Ntem) and Lastourville (Ogooué Lolo).
Coordinates: 3°51'51.32''S and 2°24'58.59''N Latitude; 8°55'15.23''E and 14°30'7.03''E Longitude 

Methods

Method step description: Different steps were described in the following papers:
-	Condit (1998)
-	Sunderland et al (2004)
-	Balinga et al (2006)
-	Picard et Gourlet-Fleury 2008)
-	Anderson-Teixeira et al. (2015)
-	Memiaghe et al. (2016)
Study extent description: Data were collected from different projects related to vegetation assessment and forest dynamic studies of various areas in Gabon. Those areas were: Monts de Cristal, Sibang (Estuaire); Bagombé, Kouma, Leke, Okouma (Haut Ogooué) ; Haut Abanga (Moyen Ogooué), Dango, Dibwangui, Dondon-Mobi, Mandji, Mouila, Ndendé, Ovala, Waka, Yombi (Ngounié) ; Ipassa, Ivindo, Koungou, Zadié (Ogooué Ivindo) ; Rabi (Ogooué Maritime); Bitam (Woleu-Ntem) and Lastourville (Ogooué Lolo).
Sampling description: The presented data come from either permanent or non-permanent plots. 
•	The 1 ha permanent plots from the National parks of Monts de Cristal and Waka were established according to the standardized methodology describe in Sunderland et al (2004) and Balinga et al (2006).
•	The 1 ha-plots of the IRET had been divided into 100 quadrats of 10m x 10m (see Picard and Gourlet-Fleury 2008).
•	The 25 ha-plot of Smithsonian in Rabi was subdivided into 625 quadrats of 20 m × 20 m, with elevation recorded at the 676 grid corners. Plot establishment followed the Smithsonian-ForestGEO standard methods (Condit 1998; Anderson-Teixeira et al. 2015; Memiaghe et al. 2016).
•	In the non-permanent rectangular or circular plots, trees were not tagged or located. Identification of trees were done directly on the trees with dbh ≥10 cm.
Quality control description: BRAHMS, XAMPP were used for quality control. These data were of high quality because they were subject of numerous scientific publications.

Datasets

Dataset description
Object name: Darwin Core Archive Vegetation assessment and forest dynamic study of various areas in Gabon from 2000 to 2018
Character encoding: UTF-8
Format name: Darwin Core Archive format
Format version: 1.0
Distribution: http://ipt-gabon.gbif.fr/archive.do?r=vegetationforest
Publication date of data: 2019-03-20
Language: English
Licences of use: Creative Commons Attribution (CC-BY) 4.0 License

Metadata language: English
Date of metadata creation: 2019-03-20
Hierarchy level: Dataset

References
- Balinga, M., Sunderland, T., Walters, G., Issembe, Y., Asaha, S., & Fombod, E. 2006. A vegetation assessment of the Waka national park, Gabon. CARPE report
- Engone Obiang, N.L., Ngomanda, A., White, L., Jeffery, K.J., Chézeaux, E., & Picard, N. 2012. A growth model for azobé, Lophira alata in Gabon. Bois et Forêts des Tropiques 65–72.
- Memiaghe, H.R., Lutz, J.A., Korte, L., Alonso, A., & Kenfack, D. 2016. Ecological Importance of Small-Diameter Trees to the Structure, Diversity and Biomass of a Tropical Evergreen Forest at Rabi, Gabon. PLOS ONE 11: e0154988.
- Obiang, N.L.E., Ngomanda, A., Hymas, O., Chézeauxl, É., & Picard, N. 2014. Diagnosing the demographic balance of two light-demanding tree species populations in central Africa from their diameter distribution. Forest Ecology and Management 313: 55–62.
- Obiang, N.L.E., Ngomanda, A., Mboma, R., Nzabi, T., Ngoye, A., Atsima, L., Ndjélé, L., Mate, J.-P., Lomba, C., & Picard, N. 2010. Spatial pattern of central African rainforests can be predicted from average tree size. Oikos 119: 1643–1653.
- Obiang, N.L.E., Ngomanda, A., White, L.J., Jeffery, K.J., Chézeaux, É., & Picard, N. 2013. Disentangling the effect of size and competition: a growth model for Aucoumea klaineana. Annals of forest science 70: 241–249.
- Picard, N., & Gourlet-Fleury, S. 2008. Manuel de référence pour l’installation de dispositifs permanents en forêt de production dans le Bassin du Congo. COMIFAC.
- Sunderland, T., Walters, G., & Issembe, Y. 2004. Étude préliminaire de la végétation du parc national de Mbé, Monts de Cristal, Gabon. Herbier National du Gabon, Limbe Botanical & Zoological Gardens, Missouri Botanical Garden, Forests Resources and People, Smithsonian National Zoological Park, Libreville, Gabon, Carpe report.