Unique Biodiversity

In relation to the rest of Africa, the forests of the Nigeria-Cameroon border area have high endemism and high biodiversity. Where did this species richness come from?

It is likely that the forests in this area persisted during arid periods of the Quaternary (the last ice age, when the changing climate may have reduced forests in Africa by as much as 84%).  A number of extinction events occurred during this period.  The remaining forests provided refuge for forest-dwelling species.  The areas of forest refugia in Nigeria and Cameroon consisted of both lowland and montane forest types and, combined with water barriers to gene flow (i.e. large rivers), may have produced the high endemism and biodiversity found in this region.

Primate diversity is particularly high here, with nine endemic primate species found in Nigeria-Cameroon forests.  Species such as the drill monkey and the Nigeria-Cameroon chimpanzee evolved here and live nowhere else in the world.  Other species which have high diversity here include birds, reptiles, amphibians, butterflies, dragonflies, freshwater fishes, and plants.

Biodiversity is being lost every day via climate change, pollution, the introduction of invasive species, over-hunting, and the destruction and fragmentation of habitats.  Read more about these threats here.