Research on lowland gorillas (Gorilla g. gorilla) and chimpanzees (Pan t. troglodytes) began at the 'Station d'Etudes des Gorilles et Chimpanzes’ in the Lopé Reserve, central Gabon, in 1983 and is on-going. This paper lists 676 species of plants belonging to 91 families that occur in the 50 sq. km study area. Data on trees with diameters of 10 cm or more were collected systematically along line transects and opportunistic collections of fertile plants were made. For each plant species, the life-form, habitat preference and density (for trees recorded on transects) are listed. For plants that provide food for gorillas and chimpanzees, the part eaten is given. The plant species list is not complete but shows the flora of the SEGC study area to be diverse. The seven habitat types described range from Savanna to Closed Canopy Forest but the study area is dominated by Marantaceae Forest. Gorillas and chimpanzees at Lope have diverse diets and obtain food from plants in all of the habitat types. Some minor (in terms of area) habitats provide large amounts of food in particular seasons. Comparison of ape diets in different parts of Africa can only advance if vegetation inventories for each study site are compiled and published.

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This paper lists plant species collected and identified in the Nouabale-Ndoki Forest in northern Congo in the period from 1988 to 1992. It describes also the vegetation types and parts observed of plant foods eaten by gorillas and chimpanzees. The plant species composition led to grouping three vegetation types in the forest: mixed species forest, swamp forest, and monodominant forest of Gilbertiodendron dewevrei. Another two vegetation types, secondary forest and riverine forest, exist in the outer fringes of the study site. Collected plants contained 417 species (278 genera, 86 families), of which 400 were totally identified. Seven plant species were added to the flora of Congo.

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The identified plants, which were collected during the study of eastern lowland gorillas (Gorilla gorilla graueri) and chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes schweinjurthii) in Kahuzi-Biega National Park, Zaire, from 1987 to 1991, are listed. Kahuzi-Biega National Park includes lowland forest and montane forest, both of which are inhibited by gorillas and chimpanzees. This paper lists 329 species belonging to 83 families that occurred in a two study areas. 118 species were collected in the Kahuzi region (at an altitude of 1,800 to 2,600 m ) and 220 species in the Itebero region (at an altitude of 600 to 1,300 m). Only 9 species were collected in both regions. The food plants of gorillas and chimpanzees (200 species belonging to 69 families), and trees with diameters of 10 cm at breast height or more were collected intensively. For each plant species, the life form, vernacular name (kirega or mashi) and whether apes and/or elephants utilized it as foods, are given. This list is highly biased towards food plants of primates, but provides a preliminary inventory of plants to compare with other study sites of great apes.

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This paper lists 510 species of plants belonging to 93 families that occur within the 60km² Wamba forest, a bonobo (Pan paniscus) study site since 1974. Most plant specimens were collected by ad libitum basis, but bonobo food species were collected as often as possible. Regarding food plants for bonobos, the part eaten is listed. The list incompletely represents floral diversity at Wamba, but is useful ecological background for comparisons of food plants at Wamba and those at other sites. Some differences in feeding habits between bonobos at Wamba and Lomako were detected by using this list. Data on trees with a diameter of breast height (DBH) of 5cm or more, collected systematically along line transects of 4m width and 4150m total length, are also presented. Bonobo food trees constituted the majority of trees recorded in each of the major 3 forest types; primary, secondary and swamp forest, in terms of both total basal area and density of stems. This and additional information on the abundance of terrestrial herbaceous vegetation (THV) and the Apocynaceae vines, suggest that food resources are rich and stable, and sustain the large party sizes ofbonobos at Wamba.

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The Tongwe East Forest Reserve, known to primatologists as Ugalla. is one of the driest habitats in which chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes schweirifurthii) are known to live. As such the site is an important one for understanding the climatic and vegetation factors limiting the distribution of chimpanzees. This contribution presents a preliminary listing of plant species reported from the Ugalla area.

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