In line with our previous expedition in the region (to Laos) and for the period 2015-2020, we address the major scientific question: ‘What is the pertinence of the study of tropical canopies for the conservation of biodiversity?’

Classic inventories based on transects often take into account only a fraction of biodiversity. They focus on trees with a trunk diameter of more than 10 cm and neglect a large proportion of biodiversity, whether this is on the ground, in the soil or in the canopy. We propose to reposition canopy biodiversity in an integrated context, making it possible to quantify biodiversity at all the ‘strata’ of the tropical forest ecosystem: the canopy itself and the lower ‘intermediate’ strata, finishing at ground level.

The project will also make it possible to ascertain whether the reputation of certain plant groups for being undetectable in traditional inventories is true. These plants—with orchids being the emblematic example—are all covered by conservation measures. Accurate evaluation of their detectability is a crucial point in any conservation policy for a given region.