Species Inventory in Forest Fragments of the Most Biodiverse Sites in the Upper Guinea Region, West Africa: Priorities for Conservation
Abstract
This study addresses deforestation by focusing on the Togolese hotspot to quantify vascular plant species richness, characterize rare species within the Upper Guinean forests, and evaluate long-term species persistence. By examining these dynamics, this research aims to test and refine existing ecological and conservation theories in highly fragmented forest refuge tropical ecosystems.To ensure comprehensive sampling, contemporary vascular plant species data were gathered between 2003 and 2023 across this mega-hotspot using plot-based, itinerant, and richness estimation methods. For the rarity analysis, several established methodologies were evaluated, while historical floristic records (1884–1994) were utilized to assess long-term species persistence.Comprehensive sampling recorded 1,002 species, including 74 newly recorded for Togo. Of these, 74% are classified as rare, and the overall persistence rate is estimated at 72% over a 139-year period. The Jack2 estimator proved to be the most accurate model for estimating total species richness (projecting 1,014 species), validating its robustness for assessing survey completeness. Meanwhile, Leroy’s index emerged as the most effective for characterizing species rarity.These findings reveal apparent contradictions with certain major ecological theories, emphasizing the importance of considering historical context, local environmental conditions, and human impact when interpreting biodiversity trends and selecting conservation strategies. As human activities are the primary drivers of species loss in these critical ecosystems, effective conservation frameworks must explicitly integrate these activities into forest management, with a particular emphasis on small forest fragments.
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BibTeX
@misc{adjossou2026species,
title = {{Species Inventory in Forest Fragments of the Most Biodiverse Sites in the Upper Guinea Region, West Africa: Priorities for Conservation}},
author = {Kossi Adjossou and Kokou Kouami and Marc Deconchat},
howpublished = {SSRN : Social Science Research Network},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.2139/ssrn.7024343},
url = {https://hal.inrae.fr/hal-05834065v1},
note = {CC BY-NC-ND 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - UNPB
TI - Species Inventory in Forest Fragments of the Most Biodiverse Sites in the Upper Guinea Region, West Africa: Priorities for Conservation
AU - Kossi Adjossou
AU - Kokou Kouami
AU - Marc Deconchat
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/22
PB - SSRN : Social Science Research Network
DO - 10.2139/ssrn.7024343
UR - https://hal.inrae.fr/hal-05834065v1
AB - This study addresses deforestation by focusing on the Togolese hotspot to quantify vascular plant species richness, characterize rare species within the Upper Guinean forests, and evaluate long-term species persistence. By examining these dynamics, this research aims to test and refine existing ecological and conservation theories in highly fragmented forest refuge tropical ecosystems.To ensure comprehensive sampling, contemporary vascular plant species data were gathered between 2003 and 2023 across this mega-hotspot using plot-based, itinerant, and richness estimation methods. For the rarity analysis, several established methodologies were evaluated, while historical floristic records (1884–1994) were utilized to assess long-term species persistence.Comprehensive sampling recorded 1,002 species, including 74 newly recorded for Togo. Of these, 74% are classified as rare, and the overall persistence rate is estimated at 72% over a 139-year period. The Jack2 estimator proved to be the most accurate model for estimating total species richness (projecting 1,014 species), validating its robustness for assessing survey completeness. Meanwhile, Leroy’s index emerged as the most effective for characterizing species rarity.These findings reveal apparent contradictions with certain major ecological theories, emphasizing the importance of considering historical context, local environmental conditions, and human impact when interpreting biodiversity trends and selecting conservation strategies. As human activities are the primary drivers of species loss in these critical ecosystems, effective conservation frameworks must explicitly integrate these activities into forest management, with a particular emphasis on small forest fragments.
SN - 1556-5068
ER -