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TOGO
Togo Forest Figures
Forest CoverTotal forest area: 386,000 ha % of land area: 7.1%
Primary forest cover: n/a % of land area: 0.0% % total forest area: n/a
Deforestation Rates, 2000-2005Annual change in forest cover: -20,000 ha Annual deforestation rate: -4.5% Change in defor. rate since '90s: 41.7% Total forest loss since 1990: -299,000 ha Total forest loss since 1990:-43.6%
Primary or "Old-growth" forests Annual loss of primary forests: n/a Annual deforestation rate: n/a Change in deforestation rate since '90s: n/a Primary forest loss since 1990: n/a Primary forest loss since 1990:n/a
Forest ClassificationPublic: 27% Private: 73% Other: n/a Use Production: 68% Protection: 16% Conservation: 16% Social services: n/a Multiple purpose: n/a None or unknown: n/a
Forest Area BreakdownTotal area: 386,000 ha Primary: n/a Modified natural: 348,000 ha Semi-natural: n/a Production plantation: 30,000 ha Production plantation: 8,000 ha
PlantationsPlantations, 2005: 38,000 ha % of total forest cover: 9.8% Annual change rate (00-05): 800,000 ha
Carbon storageAbove-ground biomass: n/a M t Below-ground biomass: n/a M t
Area annually affected byFire: n/a Insects: n/a Diseases: n/a
Number of tree species in IUCN red listNumber of native tree species: 1,451 Critically endangered: 0 Endangered: 0 Vulnerable: 10
Togo has very little rainforest cover, but what remains is highly degraded and fragmented—there is no primary rainforest left in Togo. Most of Togo's tropical forest areas are used for subsistence slash-and-burn agriculture and fuelwood cutting. The mining industry causes environmental degradation as well.
Because Togo extends through six distinct geographic regions, the country's climate varies from tropical to savanna. At one time this variation meant Togo possessed high biodiversity, including 3,085 species of plants, 565 birds, 196 mammals, and 117 reptiles, according to the World Resources Institute. On paper 11.3 percent of the country is protected.
Between 2000 and 2005 Togo had one of the highest deforestation rates in the world, and since 1990, 43.6 percent of its forests have been lost.
According to the CIA World Factbook, water and air pollution are an increasing problem in Togo.
Large numbers of reptiles are exported for the pet trade, while poaching is a problem throughout the country.
