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Biodiversity of epiphytes, forest structure and light regime of an equatorial rain forest in Gabon, Central Africa Stefan Engwald Botanisches Institut der Universit?t Bonn Abt. Systematik und Biodiversit?t Meckenheimer Allee 170 53115 Bonn engwald@uni-bonn.de J?rg Szarzynski Geographisches Institut der Universit?t Mannheim Geb?ude L9, 1-2 68131 Mannheim Oleg Panfyorov Institut für Bioklimatologie der Universit?t G?ttingen Büsgenweg 2 37077 G?ttingen opanfyo@gwdg.de Introduction Interdisciplinary approaches combining data of biodiversity with abiotic factors (e.g. climate and forest structure) gain increasing attention against the backround of global change research. Usually, this goal is not already implemented in the experimental design and the execution of field work, as it was the case in the study presented here. The scientific focus of our study within the “Operation Canopée” in Gabon was four-fold: 1. Provide an inventory of vascular epiphytes and describe their spatial distribution. 2. Document forest structure and its optical properties at a given site. 3. Characterise forest microclimate, especially its vertical stratification. 4. Determine the three-dimensional distribution of photosynthetically active radiation, as well as the spectral composition of radiation within and above the forest. Solar radiation is the major energy source for all biological and physical processes in any plant stand (e.g. photosynthesis, etc.). Within forests the light regime is characterised by its complex and heterogeneous structure, expressed by numerous spatial and temporal variations. Intensity and distribution of radiation plays a crucial role within microclimate of vegetation stands (Chazdon Fetcher 1984; Kira Yoda 1989; Smith et al. 1992). Furthermore, the spectral composition of light has a great impact on many physiological, biochemical and morphogenetical aspects of flora and fauna (Carter 1993; Endler 1993, Lee 1987, Sá et al. 1998). Therefore registra