Flora, Fauna and Conservation
Because of its history of glacial epochs, and also the strong seasonality of rainfall, the West African forest zone is not nearly so rich in plant species as other tropical forest areas. There are, however, many species unique to the area, and numerous valuable plants native to the region, including such timber trees as iroko (Chlorophora excelsa).
The fauna includes many endemic mammal species, most of which are now highly endangered because of deforestation. The most famous is the pygmy hippopotamus (Hexaprotodon liberiensis), whilst the royal antelope (Neotragus pygmaeus) is one of the smallest hoofed mammals in the world and is remarkable for its ability to leap up to ten times its body size.
Though many national parks and strict nature reserves exist to protect what remains of the forests in this region, most of them exist only on paper because of lack of finance. Thus, the future of the forests of this region is in grave doubt.
Read more about this topic: Forest Zone
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