Cross–Niger transition forests: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 11:33, 3 July 2023

Revision as of 11:40, 3 July 2023

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==Location and description==

The ecoregion extends across the Nigerian states of [[Abia State|Abia]], [[Akwa Ibom]], [[Anambra]], [[Ebonyi]], and [[Imo State|Imo]], covering an area of {{convert|20,700|km2|sqmi|sp=us}}. The Niger River separates the Cross–Niger transition forests from the [[Nigerian lowland forests]] to the west, which probably resembles most closely the original environment of the Cross–Niger ecoregion.<ref>https://fortuneofafrica.com/cross-niger-transition-forests/</ref> To the south and south-west lies the [[Niger Delta swamp forests]]. To the north, the Cross–Niger transition forests yield to the [[Guinean forest-savanna mosaic]] of the drier interior.<ref>https://opiliones.fandom.com/wiki/Cross-Niger_transition_forests_(AT0106)</ref>

The climate is wet, becoming drier further inland, with a dry season from December to February.<ref>https://en-academic.com/dic.nsf/enwiki/2252683</ref>

==Flora==

The traditional flora and fauna of the ecoregion is "transitional", blending elements from the [[Upper Guinean forests]] of West Africa and the Lower Guinean-Congolian forests of Central Africa, which constitute the largest blocks of tropical moist forest on the African continent.<ref>https://www.academia.edu/5156528/Forest_transition_in_an_ecologically_important_region_Patterns_and_causes_for_landscape_dynamics_in_the_Niger_Delta</ref> Trees in the area include [[Afzelia]], which is cultivated for timber, and the [[Borassus aethiopum]] palm.

==Fauna==

Small areas of protected forest do remain within the grassland and these are home to animals such as [[Sclater's guenon]] and [[crested chameleon]] (''Trioceros cristatus''). The [[Niger River]] has always been a substantial barrier to movement of wildlife in and out of the region.<ref>https://www.researchgate.net/publication/354748053_Identification_and_modelling_of_forest_fire_severity_and_risk_zones_in_the_Cross_-_Niger_transition_forest_with_remotely_sensed_satellite_data</ref> Large mammals have been depleted in the area since the 1940s and there is now so little wildlife remaining in the area that even bats and frogs are now trapped and eaten.

==Threats==

The ecoregion has sustained a dense human population for centuries, and much of the original forest cover has been cleared for agriculture, forest plantations, and urban developments such as the oil refineries of [[Port Harcourt]].<ref>https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Forest-transition-maps-of-protected-areas-across-Cross-River-A-and-B-and-Delta-states_fig5_283213346</ref> The few remaining enclaves of native forest include the [[Stubbs Creek Forest Reserve]] in [[Akwa Ibom]] together with some enclaves of sacred forest, which are continually disappearing as village life is eroded, and patches of riverine forest. There are forest reserves in [[Anambra]] and elsewhere but these last are mostly for the purpose of cultivating timber rather than preserving the original environment.

== References ==