Rain Forests and Gorillas in Gabon

Gabon has the largest percentage forest cover of any African country: 70-85% of its total area is covered with forest. A low overall human population density of 5-6 people/km² (large areas in central Gabon are actually completely unpopulated) and difficulties of access are the main reasons why these forests have not yet been destroyed. About 20 species of primates occur in these forests, among them approximately 30,000 lowland gorillas and 60,000 chimpanzees. In addition, recent estimates give an approximate population of 60,000 elephants in Gabon.
Gorillas occur in almost all of the country's forests, excepting only those in areas with a high human population density and forest islands surrounded by savannah. In the western part of the country, the forests have been logged intensively since the beginning of the 20th century. Today, there are hardly any virgin forests left in this region. In 1987, Central Gabon was opened up by the completion of a railway linking the capital Libreville with Franceville and thereby traversing almost the whole country from the northwest to the southeast. The railway made timber transport much easier and thus promoted exploitation which, until then, had been generally uneconomical for most timber companies. When work on the railway line started in 1970, logging permits in Central Gabon were issued to assist the financing of the railway line construction. The whole area has now been parcelled up between large (mainly foreign) logging companies. In all, approximately 50 companies are currently working in the country. All operating companies practise selective logging.

Cheap Plywood from Okoumé

From 1987 to 1991 approximately 68% of harvested trees were okoumé, (Aucoumea klaineana), which is mainly used for plywood. One to three trees of this species are extracted per hectare (1.5 on average). According to estimates, by 1988 46% of Gabon's forests had been selectively logged at least once. Every year another 2,500 km² of primary forest are exploited. Between 5 and 30% of the canopy is destroyed during this selective logging. Only the eastern forests, where okoum, does not occur, have not yet been exploited. Prior to the discovery of rich off-shore oil reserves in the 1950s, revenues from selected logging represented 90% of Gabon's income. In 1985, it only amounted to 6%. Since the oil price dropped in 1987, timber's share in Gabon's revenues have increased again to 12%.
In 1990, the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources) reported that there was no evidence that selective logging as currently practised in Gabon is sustainable. Detailed studies were recommended. Creating an alternative timber source by planting okoum, trees in plantations has not been successful. However, this species is a pioneer, and it grows well in clearings in logged forest and can be ready for harvesting after 35-40 years. Currently, okoum, is planted only on 10 km² per year in Gabon, which is equivalent to the area affected by selective logging in a single day. In the 1980s, almost 1 million m³ of okoumé were produced each year. To supply additional revenue, the Government required the production of more than twice this volume of timber. As additional stocks of okoumé were not available, companies were forced to exploit additional commercial tree species, which increased the damage levels in the forest. This procedure certainly can not be called sustainable use.

Consequences of Development

As in all other countries, logging in Gabon directly affects the rain forests through the disturbance of ecosystems and the construction of roads. There is also an indirect effect as logged forests are more easily accessible to hunters and settlers. The employees of the logging companies hunt in the forest using guns and snares. This practice is even continued long after logging. Primates including gorillas and chimpanzees are especially sought after.
The population density of gorillas decreases by 17% under only slight hunting pressure. Under severe hunting pressure, the decrease may amount to 72%. Professional hunting has a disastrous effect on populations of duikers and primates. Professional hunters operate mainly in easily accessible forest areas and supply urban areas with bushmeat. Professional hunting poses the greatest threat for Gabon's apes; in some areas they have already been hunted out.

Nature Conservation with Limitations

Gabon has gazetted 10 protected areas, but none of them has the status of a national park and all but the smallest one have been selectively logged. Since 1990, WWF has been developing a conservation management plan for the Gamba complex, which consists of several adjoining protected areas on the south coast. At the same time, WWF has been initiating community development projects, with financial support from the German BMZ (Ministry for Economic Cooperation) and Shell Gabon. Since 1993, WWF has also been supporting the establishment of another large protected area in the northeast of the country.

Research on Apes at Lopé

Lopé is a protected area of 5,000 km² in central Gabon. In 1980, Caroline E. G. Tutin and Michel Fernandez started their work on Gabon's apes with a country-wide survey. With many other scientists, they have been working on gorilla and chimpanzee ecology and behaviour in this area since 1983. This project has been and is supported by numerous organisations, mainly CIRMF (Centre International de Recherches Medicales de Franceville), WWF, the L. S. B. Leakey Foundation, WSPA (World Society for the Protection of Animals) and the National Geographic Society.
The observation of gorillas turned out to be much more difficult than in the Virunga Volcanoes. At the end of the 1980s, the researchers had habituated three groups which they called Porthos, St. Exupéry and Petit Prince. These groups tolerated the presence of humans, but only at a distance of at least 25 m. This distance decreased to 20 m some years later. However, the old leader of the best habituated group, Porthos, died in April 1993 after an altercation with another silverback. The group subsequently dissolved.
The valley of the river Ogooué, one of the borders of the Lopé Reserve, has been settled for about 400,000 years. Before agriculture was established, people obtained a great part of their food from the rain forest and they therefore competed with the resident apes.
Slash and burn cultivation has been practised for 1,500 years in the Lopé area. This has led to large areas on the middle course of the Ogooué, being covered by savannas. The forest will reclaim these areas, however, if the grass is no longer burned. Today, mainly manioc and bananas, which are not indigenous to this region, are cultivated in the fields. These crops were introduced into Gabon in the 15th century at the earliest. Occasionally, gorillas and chimpanzees raid plantations, which contributes to the conflict between people and apes.
Although Lopé is not a national park, the animals there are protected quite well. There is hardly any poaching at present. But even here two logging companies are harvesting timber, although law decrees that all plants and animals are completely protected. From 1990 to 1992, Lee White conducted a study on the impact of logging on large mammals. He observed that the population density of gorillas was not affected by the activities of logging companies. Chimpanzees, on the other hand, tend to leave logged areas. It may take 15-25 years before the animals re-settle these areas.
The EU program ECOFAC (Conservation et Utilisation Rationnelle des Ecosystemes Forestiers en Afrique Centrale - Reasonable Conservation and Use of Forest Ecosystems in Central Africa) started a project in Lopé in 1992. The project's leader, Michel Fernandez, has been training rangers and tourist guides. Since December 1994, tourists can visit the forest, savannahs and archeological sites in groups of 4 to 6 persons. To see a gorilla is a rare event, however. For this reason, tourism will never be as succesful in Gabon's rain forest as it is in the Virunga Volcanoes. It does not represent a viable economic alternative to logging. Caroline Tutin and Michel Fernandez thus consider international aid for Gabon as the only way to protect Gabon's virgin forests.

The Fight for the Bee Forest

It was not until 1984 that Mike Harrison discovered a new guenon species (Cercopithecus solatus) in the unpopulated Forêt des Abeilles (Bee Forest), which is an unprotected area adjacent to the Lopé in the east. This monkey has only a small distribution area which extends up to a part of the Lopé Reserve.
Shortly after this discovery, logging started in the Bee Forest. The Bee Forest is one of the last large areas of virgin forest in Gabon and especially rich in biodiversity. The start of logging activities represents a probable threat to the new guenon species. Despite its protected status, granted by the Gabonese Government in 1994, effective protection of the guenon could only have been achieved if the Bee Forest was also totally protected. IUCN had been working towards this goal for several years. Unfortunately, the entire forest has now been partitioned up in logging concessions.
Isoroy, a subsidiary of the German company Glunz AG, is licensed to utilize 2,980 km² in this area on a 17 year lease. It takes out expensive advertisements for its logging activities in the Bee Forest and is applying to receive the "Eurokoumé" certificate in 1996. Through this certification, the company hopes to convince consumers that its timber production is based on sustainable use. However, it is not evident from their brochures how their logging policy differs from those of their competitors. Isoroy (which is called Leroy-Gabon in Gabon) intends to utilize only primary forest, because the quality of timber from secondary forest is apparently not as good. This may in itself indicate that the company does not use the forest in a sustainable way.

Sustainable Use?

From 1990 to 1994, François Lasserre and Annie Gautier-Hion conducted a study on behalf of Isoroy on the impact of the company's activities in one of its concessions in the Bee Forest. They calculated that about 2% of the area is cleared completely for construction of roads, loading areas etc. For every extracted okoumé log, an average of 8.5 trees with a DBH (diameter at breast height) of 10 cm or more will be destroyed, amounting to 6% of all trees in the area. This does not include trees that are damaged and may die later.
In all, about 20% of the rain forest is destroyed through logging activities. The canopy of 14% of the area will remain open two years after logging, and 6% of the ground is left completely bare. From their study, the researchers concluded that, although the degree of damage done to the forest is considerably smaller than commonly occurs in South American and in Southeast Asian forests, this does not mean that the biodiversity is conserved or that the exploitation is sustainable.
The French biologists Annie Gautier-Hion and Jean-Pierre Gautier have been working in various regions of Gabon since the 1960s. Since 1993 they have been working together with an international team of scientists in the research station at Makand, in the Bee Forest. The station is funded mainly by the EU and the French Ministry for the Environment and led by the institute BIOFAC (Biodiversité Forestiere en Afrique Centrale - Forest Biodiversity in Central Africa). Scientists at the station are to continue the research on various species of forest animals and plants and the impact of logging activities.

Angela Meder

Dr. Angela Meder observed the behaviour and development of captive lowland gorillas for 10 years. A major aim of her various studies was the improvement of the management, rearing and housing of gorillas in zoos. Today she works as a book editor. Since 1992 she has been part of the Board of Directors of Berggorilla & Regenwald Direkthilfe.

Western gorilla overview

Homepage