Thirteen years of change in trees and lianas in a Gabonese rainforest

Inventories of trees and lianas were performed at a 13-year interval (1979-1992) in an evergreen forest in north-east Gabon. The number of trees decreased while their basal area and species richness increased. In contrast, both the richness and density of lianas decreased. Lianas with active climbing mechanisms were the main types to disappear.