@jasperdoest

Edmond Dimoto, assisted by Lisa-Laure Ndindiwe Malata, surveys the flowers, fruits, and leaves of a tree in Lopé. For 25 years, he has hiked in the forest nearly every month to help create the longest continuous study of tropical trees in Africa. From 1986 to the present, scientists @stirlingunifc and @parcsgabon have monitored tree species that are important to the diet of gorillas, chimpanzees, and elephants. Once a month, tree crowns are observed from the ground (via binoculars), and the proportions of each canopy that are covered with flowers, fruit, and leaves are recorded. The researchers used these data to quantify changes in the probability of encountering flowers, unripe fruit, and ripe fruit for 73 species over a 32-year period (1986–2018). They found that trees at Lopé are reproducing less often and that the probability of encountering flowers and fruit has declined significantly over time, which could have major consequences for the megafauna of the Central African rainforest. Edmond still sees room for hope: “When I look at Lopé NP, I see two different landscapes; the savanna landscape and the forest. Together they form a mosaic that is constantly in motion, which gives the forest the opportunity to gain ground. The forest can still expand. There’s room for change,” he says. Despite these hopeful words, it seems like the animals in the forest are facing a major challenge as it is likely that climate changes experienced at the site have contributed to this shift in reproduction—a problem that won’t be solved overnight. Photo @jasperdoest #onassignment @natgeo in #Gabon. The story was recently published in the May edition of the magazine, which is a special issue dedicated to the state of the world’s forests.