Africa, with 36% of African savannas currently occurring where rainfall is sufficient
for forest canopy closure. Consequently, these mesic savannas occurring in areas of
annual rainfall between 1000 and 2500 mm have often been mistakenly considered
as degraded forests.
However, forests and savannas in central Africa have experienced a long history
of climate events and human activity that have both triggered important contractions
and expansions in the Congo Basin, as well as modifications in forest floristic
composition. During the past century, new threats have emerged for these biomes,
as we have entered the Anthropocene. Apart from climate change, the alarming rates
of land use change related to cropland expansion, logging concessions, and
misplaced forest plantations may represent an even more substantial threat to forest
and savanna structure, composition, and ultimately ecosystem services provision.
As a conclusion, we urge academics and practitioners to develop integrated
management frameworks for both forest and savanna ecosystems, to avoid further
ecosystem degradation. Furthermore, we point the need to restore the importance of
savannas in biodiversity conservation efforts. We advice taking into account knowledge from the long-term history of these ecosystems to build more sustainable
management plans that can guide ecosystem restoration, protected area expansion,
and the design of sustainable forest management approaches in the region, and
beyond.
References
Abel N, Blaikie P (1989) Land degradation, stocking rates and conservation policies in the
communal rangelands of Botswana and Zimbabwe. Land Degrad Dev 1:101–123
Abernethy K, Coad L, Taylor G, Lee M, Maisels F (2013) Extent and ecological consequences of
hunting in Central African rainforests in the twenty-first century. Philos Trans R Soc B
368:20120303
Abernethy K, Maisels F, White LJ (2016) Environmental issues in central Africa. Annu Rev
Environ Resour 41:1–33
Achard F, Beuchle R, Mayaux P, Stibig HJ, Bodart C, Brink A, Carboni S, Desclée B, Donnay F,
Eva HD (2014) Determination of tropical deforestation rates and related carbon losses from
1990 to 2010. Glob Chang Biol 20:2540–2554
Aleman JC, Staver AC (2018) Spatial patterns in the global distributions of savanna and forest.
Glob Ecol Biogeogr 27:792–803
Aleman JC, Blarquez O, Bentaleb I, Bonté P, Brossier B, Carcaillet C, Gond V, Gourlet-Fleury S,
Kpolita A, Lefèvre I, Oslisly R, Power MJ, Yongo O, Bremond L, Favier C (2013) Tracking
land-cover changes with sedimentary charcoal in the Afrotropics. The Holocene 23:1853–1862
Aleman JC, Blarquez O, Staver CA (2016) Land-use change outweighs projected effects of
changing rainfall on tree cover in sub-Saharan Africa. Glob Chang Biol 22:3013–3025
Aleman JC, Blarquez O, Gourlet-Fleury S, Bremond L, Favier C (2017) Tree cover in Central
Africa: determinants and sensitivity under contrasted scenarios of global change. Sci Rep
7:41393
Aleman JC, Jarzyna MA, Staver AC (2018) Forest extent and deforestation in tropical Africa since
1900. Nat Ecol Evol 2:26
Alexandratos N, Bruinsma J (2012) World agriculture towards 2030/2050: the 2012 revision. ESA
Working Paper 3
306
J. C. Aleman and A. Fayolle
for forest canopy closure. Consequently, these mesic savannas occurring in areas of
annual rainfall between 1000 and 2500 mm have often been mistakenly considered
as degraded forests.
However, forests and savannas in central Africa have experienced a long history
of climate events and human activity that have both triggered important contractions
and expansions in the Congo Basin, as well as modifications in forest floristic
composition. During the past century, new threats have emerged for these biomes,
as we have entered the Anthropocene. Apart from climate change, the alarming rates
of land use change related to cropland expansion, logging concessions, and
misplaced forest plantations may represent an even more substantial threat to forest
and savanna structure, composition, and ultimately ecosystem services provision.
As a conclusion, we urge academics and practitioners to develop integrated
management frameworks for both forest and savanna ecosystems, to avoid further
ecosystem degradation. Furthermore, we point the need to restore the importance of
savannas in biodiversity conservation efforts. We advice taking into account knowledge from the long-term history of these ecosystems to build more sustainable
management plans that can guide ecosystem restoration, protected area expansion,
and the design of sustainable forest management approaches in the region, and
beyond.
References
Abel N, Blaikie P (1989) Land degradation, stocking rates and conservation policies in the
communal rangelands of Botswana and Zimbabwe. Land Degrad Dev 1:101–123
Abernethy K, Coad L, Taylor G, Lee M, Maisels F (2013) Extent and ecological consequences of
hunting in Central African rainforests in the twenty-first century. Philos Trans R Soc B
368:20120303
Abernethy K, Maisels F, White LJ (2016) Environmental issues in central Africa. Annu Rev
Environ Resour 41:1–33
Achard F, Beuchle R, Mayaux P, Stibig HJ, Bodart C, Brink A, Carboni S, Desclée B, Donnay F,
Eva HD (2014) Determination of tropical deforestation rates and related carbon losses from
1990 to 2010. Glob Chang Biol 20:2540–2554
Aleman JC, Staver AC (2018) Spatial patterns in the global distributions of savanna and forest.
Glob Ecol Biogeogr 27:792–803
Aleman JC, Blarquez O, Bentaleb I, Bonté P, Brossier B, Carcaillet C, Gond V, Gourlet-Fleury S,
Kpolita A, Lefèvre I, Oslisly R, Power MJ, Yongo O, Bremond L, Favier C (2013) Tracking
land-cover changes with sedimentary charcoal in the Afrotropics. The Holocene 23:1853–1862
Aleman JC, Blarquez O, Staver CA (2016) Land-use change outweighs projected effects of
changing rainfall on tree cover in sub-Saharan Africa. Glob Chang Biol 22:3013–3025
Aleman JC, Blarquez O, Gourlet-Fleury S, Bremond L, Favier C (2017) Tree cover in Central
Africa: determinants and sensitivity under contrasted scenarios of global change. Sci Rep
7:41393
Aleman JC, Jarzyna MA, Staver AC (2018) Forest extent and deforestation in tropical Africa since
1900. Nat Ecol Evol 2:26
Alexandratos N, Bruinsma J (2012) World agriculture towards 2030/2050: the 2012 revision. ESA
Working Paper 3
306
J. C. Aleman and A. Fayolle