title: Volume, value and floristic diversity of Gabon׳s medicinal plant markets.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  African medicinal plant markets offer insight into commercially important species, salient health concerns in the region, and possible conservation priorities. Still, little quantitative data is available on the trade in herbal medicine in Central Africa. The aim of this study was to identify the species, volume, and value of medicinal plant products sold on the major domestic markets in Gabon, Central Africa.
  
  
  METHODS
  We surveyed 21 herbal market stalls across 14 of the major herbal medicine markets in Gabon, collected vouchers of medicinal plants and documented uses, vernacular names, prices, weight, vendor information and weekly sales. From these quantitative data, we extrapolated volumes and values for the entire herbal medicine market.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We encountered 263 medicinal plant products corresponding with at least 217 species. Thirteen species were encountered on one-third of the surveyed stalls and 18 species made up almost 50% of the total volume of products available daily, including the fruits of Tetrapleura tetraptera and seeds of Monodora myristica. Although bark comprised the majority of the floristic diversity (22%) and the highest percentage of daily stock (30%), the resin of IUCN red-listed species Aucoumea klaineana represented 20% of the estimated daily volume of the entire herbal market. Plants sold at the market were mainly used for ritual purposes (32%), followed by women׳s health (13%), and childcare (10%). The presence of migrant herbal vendors selling imported species, especially from Benin, was a prominent feature of the Gabonese markets.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  An estimated volume of 27 t of medicinal plant products worth US$ 1.5 million is sold annually on the main Gabonese markets. Aucoumea klaineana and Garcinia kola are highlighted as frequently sold species with conservation priorities. The herbal market in Gabon is slightly higher in species diversity but lower in volume and value than recently surveyed sub-Saharan African markets.
authors.affiliation: Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Leiden University, Darwinweg 4, P.O. Box 9517, 2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands. Electronic address: alexandra.towns@naturalis.nl.
authors.forename: Alexandra M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Towns
authors.affiliation: Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Leiden University, Darwinweg 4, P.O. Box 9517, 2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands; Biosystematics Group, Wageningen University, P.O. Box 6700 AP, Wageningen, The Netherlands. Electronic address: diana.quiroz@wur.nl.
authors.forename: Diana
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Quiroz
authors.affiliation: Utrecht University, P.O. Box 80125, 3508 TC Utrecht, The Netherlands. Electronic address: liekeguinee@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Lieke
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Guinee
authors.affiliation: Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Leiden University, Darwinweg 4, P.O. Box 9517, 2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands; Department of Organismal Biology, Uppsala University, Norbyvägen 18 D, SE-752 36 Uppsala, Sweden; The Natural History Museum, University of Oslo, P.O. Box 1172 Blindern, NO-0318 Oslo, Norway. Electronic address: hugo.deboer@naturalis.nl.
authors.forename: Hugo
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: de Boer
authors.affiliation: Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Leiden University, Darwinweg 4, P.O. Box 9517, 2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands. Electronic address: tinde.vanandel@naturalis.nl.
authors.forename: Tinde
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: van Andel
mesh_terms: D044383:Black People / Q000523:psychology; D002562:Ceremonial Behavior; D003132:Commerce / Q000191:economics*; D003247:Conservation of Natural Resources; D003625:Data Collection; D020834:Ethnopharmacology / Q000191:economics*; D005681:Gabon; D015438:Health Behavior / Q000208:ethnology; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice / Q000208:ethnology; D006801:Humans; D016488:Medicine, African Traditional / Q000191:economics*; D008517:Phytotherapy / Q000191:economics*; D028321:Plant Preparations / Q000145:classification / Q000191:economics* / Q000600:supply & distribution / Q000627:therapeutic use; D010946:Plants, Medicinal / Q000145:classification; D016387:Women's Health / Q000191:economics
chemical_list: D028321:Plant Preparations
keywords: Central Africa; Herbal medicine; Informal economy; Non-timber forest products (NTFPs); Plant conservation; Trade