A lowland Guineo-Congolese rainforest dominates the biosphere reserve together with savanna vegetation.

[1] Many migrants from neighboring regions, Angola and the Democratic Republic of the Congo have settled within the biosphere reserve.

Their main activities are subsistence agriculture, hunting, fishing and gold extraction.

[1] The "Mayombe Project" aimed at improving the communication between local stakeholders, managers and scientists.

In 1991, a survey was issued to determine perceptions and expectations of the biosphere reserve inhabitants.