Assessing the State of Botanical Knowledge in from Biological Collection Databases in Côte d'Ivoire

The forests of the tropical world are characterized by particular community structures and specific floristic compositions. The floristic richness of tropical forests has been highlighted by numerous studies. The aim of this present study is to summarize the current state of research on the flora of the Côte d’Ivoire from the SIG IVOIRE database to better direct future collection efforts. The database of herbarium specimens for Côte d'Ivoire has been developed at the Conservatory and Botanical Gardens of Geneva and summarizes the Ivoirian specimen holdings of herbaria in Abidjan (CNF), Geneva (CJGB), Natural History Museum of Paris, and University of Wageningen (WUR). As each record in the database contains geographic coordinates, it is related to maps through a geographic information system (GIS) called SIG IVOIRE. Herbarium specimen data used for this study covered the period from 1894 to 2000 and were assembled by 226 collectors. This database comprises 15,228 samples, grouped into 3621 species, 1371 genera, and 198 families. A grid system was used to cover the Ivorian territory at a spatial resolution of 0.75° x 0.75°. Indices of evenness and completeness were calculated to characterize sampling and identify floristically well-known regions. The exploration of the Ivorian territory is far from uniform, such that some areas were more densely surveyed, but others partially or not at all. The regions of Grands Ponts, Agnéby- Tiassa, Loh-Djiboua, part of Gbèkè, Boukani, San Pedro and Cavally were floristically well known; environmentally, the largest gaps in coverage were in the mountains in western Côte d'Ivoire.

So, after more than a century of botanical research in Côte d'Ivoire, much effort is still needed. Certainly, the work of several prominent researchers has produced a view of the basic dimensions and characteristics of the flora and vegetation of Côte d’Ivoire. However, many regions of Côte d'Ivoire are not known floristically or remain only partially documented. This study provides detailed analyses and mapping efforts that should guide new botanical investigations in Côte d'Ivoire. This study also underlines the importance of continued systematic study of plant diversity as a priority in botanical gardens, universities, and other research organizations.