Conservation of Biodiversity in Lama Forest - Role of Forest Plantations for the Viability of Natural Forests

The Lama forest in Benin is one of the last remnants of the forest/savannah mosaic – known as the Da-homey gap – between the West African and West-central African lowland rainforests. It is composed of natural forest (2,500 ha), degraded forest/savannah (4,759 ha) and forest plantations of exotic species such as teak and Australian acacias (9,000 ha). Lama forest has the protection status of a "classified forest". It is home to several endangered wildlife species and rare plants and is, therefore, of primary concern in national biodiversity conservation programmes. However, species inventories conducted so far largely ignored invertebrates and other biota. Moreover, the focus was on the natural forest, whereas the surrounding forest plantations and the degraded forest/savannah landscape have received little attention as yet, despite their larger size. This project is based on the assumption that conservation and forest management strategies must be founded on an understanding of spatial, structural and functional relationships between these different forest landscape elements. Thus, the project aims to elucidate the role of anthropogenic forests as buffer zones, migration corridors and surrogate habitats for the flora and fauna of Lama. Selected biota are inventoried and monitored in all major habitats, with emphasis on biota which have not been considered in previous studies, in particular understorey plants as well as detritivorous (litter-feeding) and xylophagous (wood-feeding) invertebrates. Functional aspects such as decomposition of organic matter and nutrient-cycling in relation to forest type and forest management are also being investigated. Based on these findings, the project will draft management recommendations to improve the conservation of Lama forest biodiversity resources. The project is executed in close co-operation with the Office National du Bois (ONAB) and the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture. The approach pursued is considered a case-study for the management and conservation of isolated biodiversity resources in Benin and other African countries. The project will also provide new evidence on evolutionary trends within the lowland forest-forest/savannah mosaic of the Dahomey gap.

The field work in Lama forest (project acronym: BIOLAMA) started in March 2001. Nine different forest types are being investigated, including primary, secondary and degraded forest in the centre of the depression (the so-called noyeau central), young and mature teak and firewood plantations, as well as isolated forest patches in the periphery of Lama forest (presumed “stepping stones”). Thus, all major forest types are included in the study. Several hundred invertebrate species have been collected already, but the inventory continues into the rainy season 2002 (April). Preliminary analyses suggest that invertebrate biodiversity is lowest in young teak and firewood plantations, but relatively high in mature teak plantations with dense undergrowth. Besides, a new vegetation and land-use map has been produced of the project area, based on satellite images from December 2000 and April 2001.

Contact in Benin
Prof. Dr. B. Sinsin
Faculté des Sciences Agronomiques
Université d’Abomey-Calavi
B.P. 526 Cotonou
Phone/Fax: 00209 30 3084
E-mail: bsinsin@syfed.bj.refer.org

S. Attignon and T. Lachat (PhD students)
Address and Fax as above
Phone: 00229 31 79 93
E-mail: biolama@intnet.bj

Contact in Switzerland
Prof. Dr. P. Nagel
Institut für Natur-, Landschafts- und Umweltschutz (NLU) – Biogeographie
Universität Basel
St. Johanns-Vorstadt 10
4056 Basel
Phone: 0041 61 267 0802
Fax: 0041 61 267 0801
E-mail: peter.nagel@unibas.ch

Dr. R. Peveling
Institut für Natur-, Landschafts- und Umweltschutz (NLU) – Biogeographie
Address and Fax as above
Phone: 0041 61 267 0810
E-mail: ralf.peveling@unibas.ch