Ecological Diversity, Structure and Exploitation of Rattan Stands According to a Disturbance Gradient Around the Nkoltang Forest, Estuary Province of Gabon

This study was carried out in three areas of the peri-urban forest of the locality of Nkoltang, located 30 km from Libreville in Gabon. The purpose was to assess the abundance, species distribution, regeneration, and exploitation status of the different rattan species in three areas of the Nkoltang forest. The diversity and floristic abundance of rattan stands were determined from the botanical identification of the individuals. The enumeration of the different stages of development and the mortality rates made it possible to understand the structure of the stands and the state of regeneration of the resource. The abundance of cut stems made it possible to characterize the operating pressure. The results reveal that 683 rattan stems belonging to 7 species and 3 genera of rattan were inventoried in the study area. The distribution of specific abundances does not vary across forest areas. The structure of the stands shows a widespread abundance of green and vigorous stems and a low presence of mature stems. The moderately disturbed forest area supports the most diverse and abundant regeneration of rattan stands. Mining intensity is higher in the low-disturbance environment and lower in the high-disturbance environment. However, the results obtained reveal that artisanal exploitation of peri-urban forests does not seem to have any adverse effects on the abundance, structuring, and regeneration of rattan stands. Local populations seem to have a low impact on the resource.