Mangrove forests are found in the Congo delta and in the lagoons along the Atlantic coast. The most common species are Avicennia africana (syn A. nitida), Conocarpus erectus and Rhizophora racemosa.
FAO, UNEP. 1981. Tropical forest resources assessment project. Forest resources of tropical Africa. Part II: Country Briefs. Rome. 586 pp.
Year |
Area |
Source |
Trend |
Methodology/Comments |
1954 |
50 000 |
Lebrun, J and Gilbert, G. 1954. Une classification écologique des forêts du Congo Publications de l'INEAC. Série scientifique No. 63 - Bruxelles |
Cited in: FAO, UNEP, 1981. Tropical Forest Resources Assessment Project, Forest Resources of Tropical Africa. Part II: Country Briefs FAO, UNEP 586pp. Rough estimate. | |
1980 |
53 000 |
Library of Congress, Science and Technology Division. 1980. Phase I Environmental Profile of the Republic of Zaire. AID Contract No. SA/TOA 1-77 with U.S. MAB Secretariat, Washinghton, D.C. |
Cited in: Fisher, P and Spalding, M.D. 1993. Protected areas with mangrove habitat. Draft Report World Conservation Centre, Cambridge, UK. 60pp. There is no information on the date or methods used. | |
1982 |
55 557 |
SPIAF. 1989. Carte synthèse forestière du Zaire. |
X |
Original data. Map analysis |
1983 |
20 000 |
Saenger, P., Hegerl E.J. and J.D.S., Davie. 1983. Global status of mangrove ecosystems. Commission on Ecology Papers No.3. IUCN. Gland, Switzerland. 88 pp. |
Secondary reference, no primary source provided. The "Year" is the publication year. | |
1983 |
37 400 |
Spalding, M.D., Blasco, F. and Field, C.D. eds. 1997. World Mangrove Atlas. The International Society for Mangrove Ecosystems, Okinawa, Japan. 178 pp. |
Map analysis. Scale 1:5 000 000 | |
1995 |
22 600 |
Saenger, P. and Bellan, M.F. 1995. The Mangrove vegetation of the Atlantic coast of Africa. Universitè de Toulouse Press, Toulouse 96 pp. |
X |
Secondary reference, no primary source provided. The "Year" is the publication year. |
The estimate for 2000 has been calculated applying FRA 2000 (FA0, 2001) annual forest change rate for 1990-2000 (-0.4 percent) to the most recent, reliable figure.