Valere Ibalansamba

Inventory of plant species in the gutters of Kinshasa Valere Ibalansamba

It should be noted that ruderal plants occupy the land that man leaves open but does not cultivate (roadsides, trampled land, wastelands, railway tracks, etc.). They follow man and colonize disturbed soils, rich in nitrogen and phosphorus. Gutters are structures built to ensure the evacuation of rainwater. They are supposed to be cleaned to allow the passage of rainwater without obstacles. But in the city of Kinshasa, very often, if the gutters are not blocked, one finds there important quantities of sediments which constitute a favourable ground for the growth of certain plants. For some of these plants can be of environmental or ornamental interest; or serve as a place of life for certain animal species (mosquitoes).