Gabon: botanists explore little-known biodiversity

At the Sibang Botanical Garden in Libreville, director Archange Boupoya and his team are cataloguing Gabon’s flora and preserving records of rare or threatened species. Gabon may be home to between 7,000 and 10,000 plant species, and expeditions discover an average of about ten new species each year. Nearly 90% of the country is covered by tropical forests, some of which remain difficult to access and little studied. These forests help absorb carbon dioxide but face threats including urbanisation.