Korup National Park, along the western border of Cameroon, contains one of Africa's richest rainforests -- an evergreen forest in a region of high, strongly seasonal rainfall (about 5.5m/yr). BioResources Development and Conservation Programme - Cameroon and CTFS/STRI initiated a Forest Dynamics Plot in Korup in 1996, in conjunction with a medical drug discovery and biodiversity conservation project of the International Cooperative Biodiversity Group. This project applies information learned about forest dynamics and demographics to the discovery and development of potential new medicines from rainforest plants, with a focus on finding cures to malaria, leishmaniasis, HIV, and various other diseases with tropical origin. Tree density in the Forest Dynamics Plot is very high, and often exceeds 7,500 trees per hectare. Such density is remarkable compared to the Panama FDP which has 4,880 trees/ha, the Peninsular Malaysian FDP which has 6,700 trees/ha, and the Ecuadorian FDP which has 6,000 trees/ha. The species diversity at Korup FDP compares favorably to other Forest Dynamics Plots around the world, with approximately 600 different species expected in the 50-ha plot. The plot's high species diversity bodes well for the drug discovery program at the plot, and the species demographics information obtained from recensuses will provide necessary information for sustainable harvest and conservation of medicinal plants.