West Central Africa Research Articles

Precipitation and Mesoscale Convective Systems: Explicit versus Parameterized Convection over Northern Africa

Abstract Precipitating systems are analyzed during a dust event from 9 to 14 June 2006 over northern Africa. A common analysis is applied to satellite observations and two Meso-NH simulations: one convection permitting (grid spacing x = 2.5 km) and the other with parameterized convection (x = 20 km). The precipitating systems are identified as cloud objects and classified as deep convective clouds (DCCs) or other clouds according to their infrared signature. Large DCCs [hereafter named mesoscale convective systems (MCSs)] are tracked, characterized in terms of precipitation and thermodynamic profiles, and analyzed in southern West Africa (SWA), central Africa, and Ethiopia. Precipitation is mostly observed along 0°–15°N, with 71% of the total precipitation produced by all DCCs and 55% by long-lived MCSs. It shows a marked diurnal cycle with a peak in the evening, mainly due to long-lived MCSs, which are characterized by an increase in size, zonal speed, and duration from east to west, with the largest, fastest, and longest-lived ones found over SWA. This is due to an enhanced African easterly jet (AEJ) and monsoon flow leading to stronger shear and greater conditional instability. The simulation with parameterized convection fails to distribute precipitation correctly. The convection-permitting simulation captures most of the observed precipitation features, but lacks the increase in organization of the long-lived MCSs over SWA. Excess moisture in a too zonal AEJ flow suggests that the long-lived MCSs in SWA are poorly located with respect to African easterly waves. The convection-permitting model improves the representation of precipitation but without fully resolving the long-lived MCSs.

Upper Triassic mafic dykes of Lake Nyos, Cameroon (West Africa) I: K-Ar age evidence within the context of Cameroon Line magmatism, and the tectonic significance

The hydrodynamic fragmentation that formed Lake Nyos in northwest Cameroon did not only make it the most unpopular lake in the world from a gas disaster perspective, it also opened a rare and formidable window through which much of the geology of Cameroon can be studied in a single locality. The Cambrian quartz monzonite cliff excavated by the maar-forming explosion and exposed in its northeastern shore is intruded by mafic dykes, two of which we dated. Even though close to one another, the dykes are different in composition. The alkaline dyke yields a slightly older (Carnian) K-Ar fedspar age of 231.1 ± 4.8 Ma, while the sub alkaline dyke yields an age of 224.8 ± 4.7 Ma (Norian). Based on radioisotopic age data available over the last 48 years (347 data) for the Cameroon Line magmatism comprising eruptives and volcano-plutonic complexes, the Nyos dykes are way older than the Cameroon Line, and even pre-date the Lower Cretaceous initiation of west Gondwana fragmentation in Equatorial Atlantic domain. They would therefore not have been directly linked to the formation of the Cameroon Line. Alternatively, they might be associated with the development of intra-continental rift systems in West Central Africa that pre-dated west Gondwana breakup to form the Atlantic Ocean.

An African Slaving Port and the Atlantic World: Benguela and its Hinterland by Mariana P. Candido, and: The Atlantic Slave Trade from West Central Africa, 1780–1867 by Daniel B. Domingues da Silva

An African Slaving Port and the Atlantic World: Benguela and its Hinterland by Mariana P. Candido, and: The Atlantic Slave Trade from West Central Africa, 1780–1867 by Daniel B. Domingues da Silva

Can the Provision of Alternative Livelihoods Reduce the Impact of Wild Meat Hunting in West and Central Africa?

As threats to the world's ecosystems continue to escalate, the demand for evidence-based conservation approaches from conservation scientists, practitioners, policy-makers and donors is growing. Wild meat hunting represents one of the biggest threats to tropical forest ecosystems and various conservation strategies have been employed with the aim of reducing hunting impacts. Alternative livelihood projects have been implemented at the community level to reduce hunting through the provision of protein and income substitutes to wild meat. However, there is scant evidence of these projects' impact on hunting practices and wildlife populations. This study addresses this knowledge gap, focusing on alternative livelihood projects in West Africa and Central Africa. A comprehensive literature review and call for information identified 155 past and current projects, of which 19 were analysed in detail through key informant interviews. The study found that a range of different livelihood alternatives are being offered. Most projects are run by local and national non-governmental organisations, and project managers acknowledged the importance of involving communities in project decision-making; however, many projects are funded through small, short-term grants and struggle to meet their objectives with the available time, funding and capacity. Given these constraints, few projects monitor their outcomes and impacts. Projects also seldom implement conditionalities and sanctions, which may lead to the alternatives offered becoming additional rather than substitutional activities. Applying currently available best-practice guidelines for Integrated Conservation and Development Project design and implementation, including the use of simple monitoring methods for evaluating outcomes and impact, would greatly increase the chances of success for alternative livelihood projects, along with a restructuring of current funding models.

Did Global Warming and Climate Change Cause the Degradation of Lake Chad, Africa's Most Important 'Ecological Catastrophe'?

This paper explores six hypotheses/theories on Lake Chad’s degradation: i) natural climate variation; ii) anthropogenic climate change compounded the effects of the Sahel drought; iii) unregulated exploitation of Lake Chad’s hydrologic system overdrew the regenerative potential of the lake system; iv) high rates of deforestation in the tropical rain forest belt of West-Central Africa shifted the rain belt Southwards; v) pressure from rapidly expanding human and livestock populations exceeded the carrying potential of the Lake Chad ecosystem; and vi) anthropogenic aerosol emissions in the northern hemisphere shifted the tropical rain-belt southwards. The evidence shows that there is no single-cause explanation for Lake Chad’s degradation; rather the influence of global warming and climate change compounded those from pre-existing drought conditions and non-climate factors e.g unregulated exploitation of Lake Chad’s hydrologic system to degrade the lake.

How many species and under what names? Using DNA barcoding and GenBank data for west Central African amphibian conservation.

Development projects in west Central Africa are proceeding at an unprecedented rate, often with little concern for their effects on biodiversity. In an attempt to better understand potential impacts of a road development project on the anuran amphibian community, we conducted a biodiversity assessment employing multiple methodologies (visual encounter transects, auditory surveys, leaf litter plots and pitfall traps) to inventory species prior to construction of a new road within the buffer zone of Moukalaba-Doudou National Park, Gabon. Because of difficulties in morphological identification and taxonomic uncertainty of amphibian species observed in the area, we integrated a DNA barcoding analysis into the project to improve the overall quality and accuracy of the species inventory. Based on morphology alone, 48 species were recognized in the field and voucher specimens of each were collected. We used tissue samples from specimens collected at our field site, material available from amphibians collected in other parts of Gabon and the Republic of Congo to initiate a DNA barcode library for west Central African amphibians. We then compared our sequences with material in GenBank for the genera recorded at the study site to assist in identifications. The resulting COI and 16S barcode library allowed us to update the number of species documented at the study site to 28, thereby providing a more accurate assessment of diversity and distributions. We caution that because sequence data maintained in GenBank are often poorly curated by the original submitters and cannot be amended by third-parties, these data have limited utility for identification purposes. Nevertheless, the use of DNA barcoding is likely to benefit biodiversity inventories and long-term monitoring, particularly for taxa that can be difficult to identify based on morphology alone; likewise, inventory and monitoring programs can contribute invaluable data to the DNA barcode library and the taxonomy of complex groups. Our methods provide an example of how non-taxonomists and parataxonomists working in understudied parts of the world with limited geographic sampling and comparative morphological material can use DNA barcoding and publicly available sequence data (GenBank) to rapidly identify the number of species and assign tentative names to aid in urgent conservation management actions and contribute to taxonomic resolution.

Genome-wide Ancestry and Demographic History of African-Descendant Maroon Communities from French Guiana and Suriname

The transatlantic slave trade was the largest forced migration in world history. However, the origins of the enslaved Africans and their admixture dynamics remain unclear. To investigate the demographic history of African-descendant Marron populations, we generated genome-wide data (4.3 million markers) from 107 individuals from three African-descendant populations in South America, as well as 124 individuals from six west African populations. Throughout the Americas, thousands of enslaved Africans managed to escape captivity and establish lasting communities, such as the Noir Marron. We find that this population has the highest proportion of African ancestry (∼98%) of any African-descendant population analyzed to date, presumably because of centuries of genetic isolation. By contrast, African-descendant populations in Brazil and Colombia harbor substantially more European and Native American ancestry as a result of their complex admixture histories. Using ancestry tract-length analysis, we detect different dates for the European admixture events in the African-Colombian (1749 CE; confidence interval [CI]: 1737-1764) and African-Brazilian (1796 CE; CI: 1789-1804) populations in our dataset, consistent with the historically attested earlier influx of Africans into Colombia. Furthermore, we find evidence for sex-specific admixture patterns, resulting from predominantly European paternal gene flow. Finally, we detect strong genetic links between the African-descendant populations and specific source populations in Africa on the basis of haplotype sharing patterns. Although the Noir Marron and African-Colombians show stronger affinities with African populations from the Bight of Benin and the Gold Coast, the African-Brazilian population from Rio de Janeiro has greater genetic affinity with Bantu-speaking populations from the Bight of Biafra and west central Africa.

Identification of a Hypervirulent Pathotype of Rice yellow mottle virus: A Threat to Genetic Resistance Deployment in West-Central Africa.

Rice yellow mottle virus (RYMV) causes high losses to rice production in Africa. Several sources of varietal high resistance are available but the emergence of virulent pathotypes that are able to overcome one or two resistance alleles can sometimes occur. Both resistance spectra and viral adaptability have to be taken into account to develop sustainable rice breeding strategies against RYMV. In this study, we extended previous resistance spectrum analyses by testing the rymv1-4 and rymv1-5 alleles that are carried by the rice accessions Tog5438 and Tog5674, respectively, against isolates that are representative of RYMV genetic and pathogenic diversity. Our study revealed a hypervirulent pathotype, named thereafter pathotype T', that is able to overcome all known sources of high resistance. This pathotype, which is spatially localized in West-Central Africa, appears to be more abundant than previously suspected. To better understand the adaptive processes of pathotype T', molecular determinants of resistance breakdown were identified via Sanger sequencing and validated through directed mutagenesis of an infectious clone. These analyses confirmed the key role of convergent nonsynonymous substitutions in the central part of the viral genome-linked protein to overcome RYMV1-mediated resistance. In addition, deep-sequencing analyses revealed that resistance breakdown does not always coincide with fixed mutations. Actually, virulence mutations that are present in a small proportion of the virus population can be sufficient for resistance breakdown. Considering the spatial distribution of RYMV strains in Africa and their ability to overcome the RYMV resistance genes and alleles, we established a resistance-breaking risk map to optimize strategies for the deployment of sustainable and resistant rice lines in Africa.

On the Detection of Hail Using Satellite Passive Microwave Radiometers and Precipitation Radar

AbstractIn previous studies, remote sensing properties of hailstorms have been discussed using various spaceborne sensors. Relationships between hail occurrence and strong passive microwave brightness temperature depressions have been established. Using a 16-yr precipitation-feature database derived from the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) satellite, the performance of the TRMM Precipitation Radar and TRMM Microwave Imager is further investigated for hail detection. Detection criteria for hail larger than 19 mm are separately developed from Ku-band radar reflectivity and microwave brightness temperature properties of precipitation features that are collocated with surface hail reports over the southeastern and south-central United States. A threshold of 44 dBZ at −22°C is found to have the highest critical success index and Heidke skill score. The threshold of 230 K at 37 GHz yields the best scores among passive microwave properties. Using these two thresholds, global distributions of possible hail events are generated over 65°S–65°N using two years of observations from the Global Precipitation Measurement Core Observatory satellite. Differences in the derived hail geographical distributions are found between radar and passive microwave methods over tropical South America, the “Maritime Continent,” west-central Africa, Argentina, and South Africa. These discrepancies result from different vertical structures of the maximum radar reflectivity profiles over these regions relative to the southeastern and south-central United States, where the thresholds were established. Those differences generally led to overestimates in the tropics from the passive microwave methods, relative to the radar-based methods.

Evaluating the role of Pleistocene refugia, rivers and environmental variation in the diversification of central African duikers (genera Cephalophus and Philantomba)

BackgroundThis study aims to assess the role that Pleistocene refugia, rivers and local habitat conditions may have played in the evolutionary diversification of three central African duiker species (Cephalophus dorsalis, C. callipygus and Philantomba monticola). Genetic data from geo-referenced feces were collected from a wide range of sites across Central Africa. Historical patterns of population genetic structure were assessed using a ~ 650 bp fragment of the mitochondrial control region and contemporary patterns of genetic differentiation were evaluated using 12 polymorphic microsatellite loci.ResultsMitochondrial analyses revealed that populations of C. callipygus and P. monticola in the Gulf of Guinea refugium are distinct from other populations in west central Africa. All three species exhibit signatures of past population expansion across much of the study area consistent with a history of postglacial expansion. There was no strong evidence for a riverine barrier effect in any of the three species, suggesting that duikers can readily cross major rivers. Generalized dissimilarity models (GDM) showed that environmental variation explains most of the nuclear genetic differentiation in both C. callipygus and P. monticola. The forest-savanna transition across central Cameroon and the Plateaux Batéké region in southeastern Gabon show the highest environmentally-associated turnover in genetic variability. A pattern of genetic differentiation was also evident between the coast and forest interior that may reflect differences in precipitation and/or vegetation.ConclusionsFindings from this study highlight the historical impact of Pleistocene fragmentation and current influence of environmental variation on genetic structure in duikers. Conservation efforts should therefore target areas that harbor as much environmentally-associated genetic variation as possible in order to maximize species’ capacity to adapt to environmental change.

Characterization of some archaeological ceramics and clay samples from Zamala - Far-northern part of Cameroon (West Central Africa)

Abstract Seventeen ceramics samples (515±95 BP, about 580 years old) and two clay raw materials from Zamala (Far-northern, Cameroon) were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermal analysis (DTA/TG) and X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy. The aim of the work was the deduction of the production technology and provenance of these ceramics. With the exception of one sample the analysed ceramics formed a homogeneous chemical and mineralogical group. The observed mineralogical phases were quartz, mica (biotite), potassium feldspar (microcline) and plagioclase (albite and oligoclase). The XRD study of two local clays yielded the presence of quartz, kaolinite, mica, feldspar and plagioclase. The presence of the broad endothermic peak in the DTA/TG curves of the clays and its absence in the curves of the ceramics indicated that the firing temperature of the ceramics was above 550-600 °C, which is the temperature of the kaolinite-metakaolinite transformation. The firing experiments of the clay between 400-1200 °C in oxidizing atmosphere showed that mica disappeared above 900 °C. Therefore, the firing temperature of the sherds should have been between 600-900 °C. The chemical correlation between ceramics and local clay materials pointed out to a local production of these ceramics.

Gifts from Our Elders: African Artsand Visionary Art History

Gifts from Our Elders: African Arts<i>and Visionary Art History</i>

Molecular characterization of bovine tuberculosis strains in two slaughterhouses in Morocco

BackgroundBovine tuberculosis (BTB) is caused by Mycobacterium bovis, which belongs to the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex. Mycobacterium bovis have been described to be responsible of most cases of bovine tuberculosis. Although M. tuberculosis, M. africanum and non-complex mycobacteria were isolated from cattle.In Morocco, so far, no molecular studies were conducted to characterize the strains responsible of BTB. The present study aims to characterize M. bovis in Morocco.The present study was conducted in slaughterhouses in Rabat and El Jadida. Samples were collected from 327 slaughtered animals with visible lesions suggesting BTB.ResultsA total of 225 isolates yielded cultures, 95% (n = 215) of them were acid-fast (AF). Sixty eight per cent of the AF positive samples were confirmed as tuberculous mycobacteria (n = 147), 99% of these (n = 146) having RD9 and among the latter, 98% (n = 143) positive while 2% (n = 3) negative for RD4A total of 134 samples were analyzed by spoligotyping of which 14 were in cluster and with 41 different spoligotypes, ten of them were new patterns (23%). The most prevalent spoligotypes were SB0121, SB0265, and SB0120, and were already identified in many other countries, such as Algeria, Spain, Tunisia, the United States and Argentina.ConclusionThe shared borders between Algeria and Morocco, in addition to the previous importation of cattle from Europe and the US could explain the similarities found in M. bovis spoligotypes. On the other hand, the desert of Morocco could be considered as an efficient barrier preventing the introduction of BTB to Morocco from West Central and East Africa. Our findings suggest a low level endemic transmission of BTB similar to other African countries. However, more research is needed for further knowledge about the transmission patterns of BTB in Morocco.

National laboratory policies and plans in sub-Saharan African countries: gaps and opportunities.

BackgroundThe 2008 Maputo Declaration calls for the development of dedicated national laboratory policies and strategic plans supporting the enhancement of laboratory services in response to the long-lasting relegation of medical laboratory systems in sub-Saharan Africa.ObjectivesThis study describes the extent to which laboratories are addressed in the national health policies and plans created directly following the 2008 momentum for laboratory strengthening.MethodNational health policies and plans from 39 sub-Saharan African countries, valid throughout and beyond 31 December 2010 were collected in March 2012 and analysed during 2013.ResultsLaboratories were addressed by all countries. Human resources were the most addressed topic (38/39) and finances and budget were the least addressed (< 5/39). Countries lagging behind in national laboratory strategic planning at the end of 2013 (17/39) were more likely to be francophone countries located in West-Central Africa (13/17) and have historically low HIV prevalence. The most common gaps anticipated to compromise the implementation of the policies and plans were the disconnect between policies and plans, under-developed finance sections and monitoring and evaluating frameworks, absence of points of reference to define gaps and shortages, and inappropriate governance structure.ConclusionThe availability of laboratory policy and plan implementation can be improved by strictly applying a more standardised methodology for policy development, using harmonised norms to set targets for improvement and intensifying the establishment of directorates of laboratory services directly under the authority of Ministries of Health. Horizontal programmes such as the Global Health Security Agenda could provide the necessary impulse to take the least advanced countries on board.

Managing mangroves for coastal ecosystems change: A decade and beyond of conservation experiences and lessons for and from west-central Africa

Unsustainable human activities and climate change are threatening the sustainability of coastal ecosystems in countries of West-Central Africa. This paper advocates that focusing on mangrove ecosystem management can potentially mitigate these threats by pointing out clues on management orientations and opportunities for other coastal systems. This article elucidates this point by using evidence from informal interviews with stakeholders and expert-led literature reviews to assess mangrove conservation interventions implemented between 2000 and 2014 across countries of West Africa and Cameroon. Results show that many institutions are taking actions in countries of West Africa and Cameroon to conserve and restore mangroves. These interventions may be slowing down the rate of mangrove forest loss across West-Central Africa. However, this recovery does not appear to be benefiting other coastal ecosystems. This unequal distribution may be linked to the increasing challenges plaguing coastal ecosystems management, and hence the effectiveness of mangrove conservation efforts in this region. These problems are both internal and external to institutions, undertaking targeted interventions. External challenges are beyond the control of implementing organizations and synergize with internal institutional deficiencies to impede overall coastal ecosystem sustainability. Improving overall coastal ecosystems sustainability in this region will, therefore, require a coordinated approach between all stakeholders that are directly or indirectly influencing coastal ecosystems. In this regard, practitioners need to improve the effectiveness of traditional conservation practices, expand conservation efforts and funding mechanisms as well as develop integrated strategies that encompass all activities that affect coastal ecosystems, in a vertical and horizontal manner. Key words: Mangroves, coastal ecosystems, conservation effort, conservation challenges, ecosystem services.

Peripheral Urbanism in Africa: Border Towns and Twin Towns in Africa

ABSTRACTThere has been a proliferation of research on Africa’s borderlands over the past decade, which reflects their centrality in regional systems of trade and the rapid growth of border settlements. The development of twin towns/cities at the border, which has attracted the interest of scholars in other regions of the world, has been a distinctive feature of Africa as well. This paper examines some of the particularities of peripheral urbanism in Africa, whilst seeking to avoid a resort to continental exceptionalism. It begins by tracing some broad patterns before homing in on two sets of case-studies along the Uganda/Kenya and Ghana/Togo borders. The paper argues, firstly, for the enduring importance of colonial infrastructural investments and the policy choices that were made after independence. Secondly, it highlights the markedly different variations of scale, ranging from the border capitals of Kinshasa and Brazzaville at one end of the spectrum, through growing towns like Busia-Uganda and Busia- Kenya, to a multiplicity of smaller border settlements at the other end. Thirdly, the paper argues that administrative logics and trade dynamics have been the main drivers in the expansion of twin cities/towns, although the flight of populations from insecurity have also played a significant role in the Great Lakes region and in West-Central Africa. Finally, the paper points to a feature that has been identified in other regions as well, notably the often marked asymmetries between border settlements, which reflects the influence of deeper historical trajectories and contemporary patterns of trade and population movement alike.

Land cover change and fertility in West-Central Africa: rural livelihoods and the vicious circle model.

The vicious circle argument, rooted in a neo-Malthusian tradition, states that resource scarcity increases the demand for child labor and leads to higher fertility. The rural livelihood framework, on the other hand, contends that households employ multiple strategies, only one of which involves adjusting their fertility levels as a response to environmental pressures. This study provides a unique test of both theories by examining the relationship between land cover change and fertility across hundreds of rural communities in four West-Central African countries. The findings reveal a complex relationship between natural capital and fertility. In communities where natural capital was initially low, a further decline in that capital is associated with both higher fertility preferences and levels. However, we find that fertility preferences and behavior are often discordant, with notable within-community differences in response to decline in natural capital across levels of household wealth.

A new species of Trachylepis (Squamata: Scincidae) from Central Africa and a key to the Trachylepis of West and Central Africa

A new species of skink, Trachylepis gonwouoi sp. nov. is described from Cameroon and the Republic of the Congo. It differs from all other species of Trachylepis in Central-West Africa by a combination of number of keels on dorsal scales (3-5); moderate SVL (maximum size of 80 mm); number of scale rows at midbody (28-34); number of supracilliaries (6-10); a well defined lateral white stripe, bordered by black, extending from under the eye to the insertion of the hind limb; and a ventral color in life of bright blue-green. Trachylepis gonwouoi sp. nov. was found in association with disturbed forest at elevations from 50 to 1050m. This species is syntopic with T. affinis and T. maculilabris. In order to aid in the identification of Trachylepis in West and Central Africa with the addition of T. gonwouoi sp. nov., we provide an updated key to the Trachylepis found from Mauritania through the Democratic Republic of the Congo. This key combines previous literature that treated Western and Central African taxa separately and represents the most comprehensive key for Trachylepis in West-Central Africa to date.

Single motherhood and marasmus among under-five children in Sub-Saharan Africa: a regional analysis of prevalence and correlates

Despite efforts aimed at improving child health status globally, marasmus remains a health burden in sub-Sahara Africa (SSA) and an important risk factor for illnesses and death, especially among young children. Using pooled data from the latest (2010-2014) demographic and health surveys of 21-SSA countries, we examined the relationship between single motherhood and marasmus among under-fives in SSA. Multivariate logistic regression was fitted on a representative sample of 59,013 under-fives who were either marasmic or physically healthy. Contrary to some studies, we found no evidence that single-motherhood was associated with the risk of marasmus in SSA and its sub-regions regions. Results from the regression analysis revealed that the risk of marasmus was lower for under-fives of single mothers in West Africa (OR=0.72 CI:0.508-1.016), East Africa (OR=0.55 CI:0.230-1.299), Central Africa (OR=0.88 CI:0.522-1.487) and SSA (OR=0.87 CI:0.699-1.070) but higher in Southern Africa (OR=1.32 CI:0.899-1.946) all compared to under-fives of married mothers.

&lt;i&gt;Garcinia lucida&lt;/i&gt; Vesque (Clusiaceae): from traditional uses to pharmacopeic monograph for an emerging local plant-based drug development

Objectives: This paper seeks to assess information on the identity, traditional uses, safety and efficacy of Garcinia lucida Vesque (Essok in Boulou and Ewondo local language), in order to highlight it potential as species to be registered in medicinal plant list and formularies needed for the development of monographs leading to local production of phytomedicines. Methodology and Results: Ethnobotanical survey was carried in the Bipindi-Akom II region (South Cameroon) with the help of interviews based on standardised questionnaires addressed to key-informants. Bark and seeds were the major parts used, highly appreciated due to its properties in preventing consumers from poison, diarrhoea and headaches. The most important therapeutic indications were additive to palm wine, antidote to poisoning, gastritis and snake bite. Other uses in treating included gynaecological pains and infections, sexual diseases and cancers. The bark was also believed by local people to act on the stability of chemical antibiotic drugs in pharmacy, while leaves were used as insect repellent against mosquitoes and cockroaches. Conclusions and application of findings: As an additive in palm wine processing, poisoning antidote, aphrodisiac and medicines, bark and seeds are widely used in the Bipindi-Lolodorf-Akom II area, in the Centre and South regions of Cameroon, in Gabon and Equatorial Guinea, in Central Africa and West Africa. This similarity of use across many regions is considered as important biological activity marker tools guiding plant parts or species selection in drug discovery and development using ethnopharmacological approach. Through the ethnobotanical and biological tests, assessed, accurate information is provided to substantiate safety and efficacy of G. lucida and to satisfy the requirements of official compendia such as pharmacopoeia. Further studies are needed to understand the effects of bark and seeds as additive to palm wine, as well as the interaction between bark and chemical antibiotic drugs. Keywords: Garcinia lucida , traditional uses, medicinal plant list, monograph, pharmacopoeia, phytomedicine production