FOREST DIVERSITY, DISTRIBUTION, AND DYNAMIQUE IN THE ITOMBWE MOUNTAINS, SOUTH-KIVU, CONGO DEMOCRATIC-REPUBLIC

The diversity and extent of forest in the Itombwe Mountains, eastern C ongo Democratic Republic (formerly Zaire), are among the most signific ance in continental Africa. Despite some human impact, this area still harbors a wide range of vegetation types, including forests and grass lands, drylands and wetlands, and mid-altitude to upper-montane habita ts. Forests extend from mid-altitude through sub-montane and montane t o alpine zones. These first results provide a general description of t he Itombwe Mountains as a basis for more detailed investigations. Cert ain priorities in conservation-development actions are suggested, base d mainly on tree species knowledge; this information could influence f urther decision-making processes and management guidelines for the con servation and sustainable use of Itombwe's natural resources.