Discovering Africa’s forest wonders and the threats they face

Africa’s forests are some of the natural wonders of the world. As someone who has spent decades studying the ecology and management of tropical forests, I’m constantly amazed by the unique forest ecosystems on the continent.

Some of them are most likely unknown to the public at large, yet so fascinating and important to face our world’s current biodiversity and climate challenges. Starting in the north-west and ending in the south-east, I’d like to share the ones that are special to me. This is a personal decision. Other people may have chosen different African forests. But how long?

Like many other forests, African forests are under threat from over-exploitation, conversion of other land uses, and climate change. Many will be lost or degraded to the point where they are no longer viable.

I hope this trip to Africa will inspire others and help them understand the importance of these unique ecosystems.

Morocco’s argan trees

The argan tree can be found not far from Agadir on the Moroccan Atlantic Coast.Argania spinosa). It is the only member in the large Sapotaceae Family that grows in the northern hemisphere. It is also the only species of its Genus and endemic to an area approximately 800,000 hectares.

It’s been exploited and managed by humans for more than 3,000 years for argan oil. Argan oil can be used to make a variety of products. Most expensive oilAll over the world Costs up toUS$300 per litre in a market of US$500 millions. Argan oil is used most often as a moisturizer and is often found as a component of lotions, soaps, and hair conditioners.

Argan trees are a source of oil and wood for fencing, charcoal, fodder, and goats. It’s a true multipurpose tree, critical especially for women’s livelihoods.

Despite its status of a “safe” area, UNESCO biosphere reserveThe argan forest is rapidly dying due to over-grazing and climate change. This unique forest ecosystem can be saved and restored with the help of the argan oil boom.

Congo Basin rainforest

We fly south-east, passing the Sahara Desert and Sahelian Savannas, to reach the Congo Basin rainforest.

The Congo Basin rainforest is home to second largestThe second largest rainforest in the world, after the Amazon. It’s home to many forest giants, trees like the Sipo or Moabi. These giants, as well as other giants, are important sources of valuable timber and important resources for local people such food and medicines. It’s also home to animals like forest elephants, buffaloes, and lowland gorillas.

The Congo Basin forests are home to the largest peat swamp forest in the world, located deep within the heart of the Congo Basin forests. Only recently “discovered”Science has made this area known to the Aka community as the location where roamed Mokele Mbembe. This mythical monster, which resembles a dinosaur, was the size of an Elephant.

We have all seen it, but we now know that this peatland wood contains more than what we thought. 30 billion tonnescarbon. These carbon atoms can be released by clearing the forest to the atmosphere. This will unleash a much more dangerous monster than the Mokele Mbembe.

Despite its remoteness, and difficult access, the Congo Basin peatland Complex has been natural protected up to now. However, oil exploration could threaten it soon if we don’t pay attention.

East Africa’s Afromontane forests

The Ruwenzori Mountains can be found at the eastern border to the Congo Basin. The last Afromontane forest can be found on the mountain slopes.

These forests are home the tallest tree in Africa, which stands at 81.5 metres high. Entandrophragma excelsumHidden in a remote valley on Mount Kilimanjaro.

These forests harbour a high level of endemism – meaning many of the trees can only be found here – and biodiversity. They also act like water towers, providing water for the lowlands as well as their inhabitants.

Continue reading:
African tropical mountain forests store far more carbon than previously thought – new research

These Afromontane forest stores More carbon per hectareThe Amazon rainforest is more than any other. Unfortunately, over the past 20 years, 0.8million hectares of mountain forest have been lost to agriculture. This is mostly in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (UGG) and Ethiopia. This has resulted to more than 450,000,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide being released into the atmosphere.

Miombo woodlands

We soon reach the enormous Miombo forest area as we continue our southward journey. They span an estimated total area of around 2.7 million km² from Angola in the west to Tanzania in the east, and down to the northern edge of South Africa.

Over 65 million peopleThese ecosystems provide their livelihoods. They use resources such as wood, charcoal, fruits, honey and medicinal plants.

Only one tree species makes the canopy. Colophospermum mopane.

They are an important ecosystem that supports large mammal biodiversity and biomass in southern Africa. They include some of the largest remaining populations of elephant, black rhinoceros and white rhinoceros.

The forest is also home to a lesser-known but still very important animal, the mopaneworm. Gonimbrasia belinaThe Latin name for this season is “Little Red” and it is very important. Source of proteinFor those who live near mopane woods.

Unfortunately, the decrease in mopane trees density, lower-than average precipitation, higher-than-normal temperatures and lower-than usual temperatures have all contributed to a significant drop in their numbers. AffectedMopane worm availability, and outbreak events, threaten the already fragile livelihoods of local residents.

Madagascar’s Spiny Forest

We cross the Mozambique Channel to reach Madagascar. On the south-west of the “Grande Ile” grows the Spiny Forest. It’s a place like nowhere else on Earth, where endemic oddities like the octopus tree (Didierea madagascariensis) and other strange members of the Didieraceae family grow mixed with swollen baobabs (Adansonia rubrostipa) and other bottle trees (Pachypodium geayi).

The Spiny Forest is home to even more bizarre animals, including ghostly white lemurs that are immune to thorns, birds singing together, and a chameleon who spends most of its time as an egg.

The Spiny Forest, like other African forest wonders, is under-exploited for charcoal production. Local farmersThe more and more unpredictable climate has forced them out of business and they have few other options in the poor and dry Madagascar south west.

We have reached the conclusion of our Africa trip. Although our choices were subjective and we could have shown other forest wonders, we hope that this will convince you of the importance and threat to these ecosystems due to us, humans. These ecosystems are vital to our survival and we should protect them.