Spatio-Temporal Distribution of Southeastern Community Forests in Togo (West Africa)

The present study aimed to provide the basics needed to reconcile the fight against poverty with the need of a good management of community resources in the context of local and sustainable development. It focused on the identification of geographic location and spatio-temporal dynamics of these resources in the southeastern part of Togo. The methodological approach was based on the spatial analysis of the area for the years 1988, 2000 and 2018 by combining optical imagery from Landsat TM, ETM+ and Sentinel-2A MSI satellites with radar imagery from Sentinel-1A IW/GRDH. Spatial analysis showed a fragmented spatial structure undergoing major changes for the period 1988-2018. Plantations, riparian formations, agglomerations, water bodies and wetlands increased respectively by 4.61%, 2.09%, 1.07%, 0.43% and 0.35% annually, while forests, savannahs, crops and fallow lands decreased annually by 0.71%, 5.87% and 1.97%. For the “forests” class, seven community forests geographically organized in three sub-groups were identified and mapped. The analysis of their areas pointed to the fact that out of 667 ha of community forests in 1988, only 415 ha remain in 2018, which means a loss of 37.78% in forest areas over the 30 years, or an annual deforestation rate of 1.64%. The different spatial changes observed could be attributed to several unsustainable human activities. The land use maps for the years 1988, 2000 and 2018 will contribute to resource localization and protection in sensitive areas or, in other words, to the integrated and rational management of these resources. The different identified and mapped community forests could serve as management units for managers in developing their management plans.

Monitoring of Residual Forest Ecosystems Dynamics in the Mono Biosphere Reserve (Southeast Togo)

The forest ecosystems of the Lacs 2 commune (South-East, Togo) are undergoing severe degradation, which has not yet been documented. This study is carried out in order to assess and quantify the spatio-temporal dynamics of residual forests and to identify the determinants of deforestation in South East Togo. The methodological approach is based on the use of historical aerial photographs from 1976 and drone images from 2019 in addition to field investigations. Several spatial structure indices were also calculated in order to quantify the fragmentation of classes and of the forest landscape. The results show that the forest landscape is changing. The classes of forests, plantations and palm groves show an annual rate of decline of 7.5%, 0.8% and 9.4% respectively while the classes of savannahs, agglomerations, surface water and swamps increased by 16.4%, 0.4%, 0.7% and 0.1%. The results also reveal a high fragmentation within the forest, plantation, surface water and swamp class and moderate fragmentation for the savannah and palm trees classes. At the landscape level, the savannah class is dominant by more than 70%, thus making the landscape little diversified from an ecological point of view. The main driver of deforestation in the study area remains shifting slash-and-burn agriculture. It is accentuated by the establishment of perennial oil palm crops, which has influenced the annual deforestation rate by 0.72%.

Contribution of NTFPs to cash income of the War Khasi community of southern Meghalaya,North-East India

Ever since their emergence on this planet, human beings have depended on forest resources for their requirements, ranging from food, fuel to shelter. Sustainable extraction of forest resources has been promoted by conservationists and development agencies as a feasible strategy for forest dwellers, which does not diminish the resource base. Yet surveys of actual resource use suggest that for poorer resource-dependent communities without access to markets, non-timber forest products （NTFPs） can only act as a safety- net and a supplementary income source. In southern Meghalaya of India, NTFPs and medicinal and aromatic plants （MAPs） have become an important source of cash and subsistence income for poor people living in or near forests. People in this region have tradi- tionally been collecting different forest products from private forests as well as community conserved forests, The study reveals that NTFPs contribute significantly towards the annual cash income of the local population. The contribution of NTFPs to their income was highest in the case of poor families （9.89%）, followed by middle income families （3.34%） and the least for the higher income families （1.34%）. Our household survey revealed that 100% of the population is directly or indirectly dependent on NTFPs. House- hold response indicates diversity in both the types and uses of products collected.

Annotated checklist and fisheries interactions of cetaceans in Togo, with evidence of Antarctic minke whale in the Gulf of Guinea

Based on strandings and captures,9 cetacean species,including 6 odontocetes and 3 mysticetes,are document-ed(photos and specimens)in Togo’s coastal waters(newly-recorded species marked with an asterisk):Antarc-tic minke whale(Balaenoptera bonaerensis*),Bryde’s whale(Balaenoptera brydei or B.edeni),humpback whale(Megaptera novaeangliae),sperm whale(Physeter macrocephalus),pygmy sperm whale(Kogia brevi-ceps*),short-finned pilot whale(Globicephala macrorhynchus*),pantropical spotted dolphin(Stenella attenu-ata*),common bottlenose dolphin(Tursiops truncatus)and common dolphin Delphinus sp.An anecdotal sight-ing record for killer whale(Orcinus orca)is considered reliable.The lack of Sousa teuszii records in Togo is consistent with its apparent contemporaneous absence in Ghana.The B.bonaerensis specimen,entangled in a purse seine set on small pelagics,is a first record for the Gulf of Guinea.The occurrence of this Southern Ocean species north of the equator underscores the severe gaps in our understanding of cetacean distribution off west-ern Africa.The majority of artisanal fishermen operating in Togolese coastal waters are of Ghanaian origin and are thought to promote trade and consumption of cetacean bushmeat.Because captures are illegal,enforced with some success in the main fishing centers,covert landings of cetaceans are exceedingly difficult to moni-tor,quantify or sample.Concern is expressed about pollution of Togo’s coastal waters with heavy metals due to phosphorite mining and export from the coastal basin near Hahotoéand Kpogamé.