Lopé National Park
Summary
- Central chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes troglodytes) & Western lowland gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) are present in Lopé National Park.
- The population sizes are unknown.
- The population trends are unknown.
- The site has a total size of 4,910 km².
- The site is part of the Ecosystem and Relic Cultural Landscape of Lopé-Okanda, a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Site characteristics
Situated in central Gabon, Lopé National Park is part of the Ecosystem and Relic Cultural Landscape of Lopé-Okanda, a UNESCO World Heritage site. The site contains a special interface between dense tropical rainforest and relict savanna. The diversity of habitat types present at the park has contributed to the high floral diversity; over 1,550 plant species have been documented, including 40 never recorded before in Gabon. It is thought that, with the completion of all the floristic surveys and research, the number of plant species could reach over 3,000 (UNESCO). Well-preserved rock carvings and evidence of iron-working have been discovered in the area; these and other archaeological findings reflect a major migration route of Bantu and other peoples along the River Ogooué valley (UNESCO).
Table 1. Basic site information for Lopé National Park
| Area | 4,910 km² |
| Coordinates | -0.442447 S, 11.524291 E |
| Designation | National Park |
| Habitat types | Subtropical/tropical dry forest, savanna |
Ape status
Table 2. Ape population estimates in Lopé National Park
| Species | Year | Abundance estimate (95% CI) | Density estimate [ind./ km²] (95% CI) | Encounter rate (nests/km) | Area | Method | Source | Comments | A.P.E.S. database ID |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gorilla gorilla gorilla | |||||||||
| Pan troglodytes troglodytes |
Threats
Table 3. Threats to apes in Lopé National Park
| Category | Specific threats | Threat level | Quantified severity | Description | Year of threat |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Residential & commercial development | Unknown | ||||
| 2. Agriculture & aquaculture | Unknown | ||||
| 3. Energy production & mining | Unknown | ||||
| 4. Transportation & service corridors | Unknown | ||||
| 5. Biological resource use | Unknown | ||||
| 6. Human intrusion & disturbance | Unknown | ||||
| 7. Natural system modifications | Unknown | ||||
| 8. Invasive & other problematic species, genes, diseases | Unknown | ||||
| 9. Pollution | Unknown | ||||
| 10. Geological Events | Absent | ||||
| 11. Climate change & severe weather | 11.5 Other impacts | Present, but threat severity is unknown | 81% decline in fruiting over a 32-year period in Lopé National Park (Bush et al. 2020). | Less fruits in the ecosystem due to climate change will affect gorilla and chimpanzee populations (Bush et al. 2020). | Ongoing (2020) |
| 12. Other options | Absent |
Conservation activities
Table 4. Conservation activities in Lopé National Park
| Category | Specific activity | Description | Year of activity |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Residential & commercial development | Not reported | ||
| 2. Agriculture & aquaculture | Not reported | ||
| 3. Energy production & mining | Not reported | ||
| 4. Transportation & service corridors | Not reported | ||
| 5. Biological resource use | Not reported | ||
| 6. Human intrusion & disturbance | Not reported | ||
| 7. Natural system modifications | 7.1. Use prescribed burning within the context of home range size and use | Fire management programme to maintain the diversity of forest/savanna habitats in the park (Jeffrey et al. 2014). | Ongoing (2014) |
| 8. Invasive & other problematic species, genes, diseases | Not reported | ||
| 9. Pollution | Not reported | ||
| 10. Education & Awareness | Not reported | ||
| 11. Habitat Protection | Not reported | ||
| 12. Species Management | Not reported | ||
| 13. Livelihood; Economic & Other Incentives | Not reported |
Challenges
Table 5. Challenges reported for Lopé National Park
| Challenge | Source |
|---|---|
| Not reported |
Research activities
The Station d’Etudes des Gorilles et Chimpanzes (SEGC) was established in 1983. In collaboration with the University of Stirling and Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), the field site has developed one of the most valuable long-term ecological databases in the region. SEGC also supports the park management and guides conservation policy.The WCS also has a long-term project at the park doing mandrill research.
Documented behaviours
Table 6. Ape behaviors reported for Lopé National Park
| Behavior | Source |
|---|---|
| Ant fishing | University of Stirling 2020 |
| Honey extraction with tools | University of Stirling 2020 |
External links
Station d’Etudes des Gorilles et Chimpanzes
Lopé National Park WCS
Foraging profiles of sympatric lowland gorillas and chimpanzees in the Lopé Reserve, Gabon
No Evidence for Transmission of Antibiotic-Resistant Escherichia coli Strains from Humans to Wild Western Lowland Gorillas in Lopé National Park, Gabo
Relevant datasets
References
Bush, E. R., Whytock, R. C., Bahaa-el-din, L., Bourgeois, S., Bunnefeld, N., Cardoso, A. W., Dikangadissi, J. T., Dimbonda, P., Dimoto, E., Edzang Ndong, J., Jeffery, K. J., Lehmann, D., Makaga, L., Momboua, B., Momont, L. R. W., Tutin, C. E. G., White, L. J. T., Whittaker, A., & Abernethy, K. (2020). Long-term collapse in fruit availability threatens Central African forest megafauna. Science, eabc7791. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.abc7791
Jeffery, K. J., Korte, L., Palla, F., Walters, G., White, L. J. T., & Abernethy, K. A. (2014). Fire management in a changing landscape: A case study from Lopé National Park, Gabon. PARKS, 20(1), 39-52. https://doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.CH.2014.PARKS-20-1.KJJ.en
University of Stirling. (2020). Stirling expert informs new study on chimpanzee behaviour. Retrieved from: https://www.stir.ac.uk/news/2020/09/stirling-expert-informs-new-study-on-chimpanzee-behaviour/
UNESCO. (n.d.). Ecosystem and Relict Cultural Landscape of Lopé-Okanda. Retrieved from: https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1147/
Page completed by: A.P.E.S. Wiki Team Date: 05/12/2020