Floristic, Ecological and Phytogeographic Study of the Wamba Valley Massif Forest in Kwango in DRC

Objective: The Wamba valley is one of the rare forest areas of Kwango and Bagata. This research aims to understand the phytodiversity of this area in order to have a database necessary for the rational management of this area's natural resources. It means also to characterize the floristic, ecological, and phytogeiographic parameters of the study area. Materials and Methods: The botanical samples collected in the study area represent the biological material that was used for identification species of the forest under study. To achieve the objectives pursued, we carried out floristic inventories, supported by the systematic sampling technique. The progress of this study is as follows: field visits and choice of study sites; collection of samples and identification of the material collected; ecological study and phytogeographic spectra of the identified species. Results: The floristic inventory noted the presence of 192 species grouped into 160 genera and 58 families. This flora is rich and diverse. The recognized species of this forest area belong more to the family of Fabaceae, and Rubiaceae. The morphological structure of the species reveals the abundance of phanerophyte species while the chorological aspect remains dominated by Guinean-Congolese elements. Conclusion: The study environment is part of the Guinean-Congolese-Zambezian transition zone. This area is characterized by the mixture of species from the Guineo-Congolese regional center of endemism and Zambezian species. This study contributed to the knowledge of the phytodiversity of the area. Keywords: Flora, ecology, phytogeography, massif forest, Wamba valley