Vincent Logah, J. Azeez, H. Compaore, S. Mesele, C. M. Ocansey, A. Bougma, E. N. Tetteh, E. Veenendaal, Jonathan Lloyd
{"title":"探索西非森林岛屿现象:获得的科学见解、取得的成功和加强的能力","authors":"Vincent Logah, J. Azeez, H. Compaore, S. Mesele, C. M. Ocansey, A. Bougma, E. N. Tetteh, E. Veenendaal, Jonathan Lloyd","doi":"10.1098/rsfs.2023.0078","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"Anthropogenic activities around local villages in mesic savanna landscapes of West Africa have resulted in soil improvement and forest establishment outside their climatic zones. Such unique ‘forest islands’ have been reported to provide ecosystem services including biodiversity conservation. However, the science underpinning their formations is limitedly studied. In 2015 and with funding support from the Royal Society-DFID (now FCDO), we set out to investigate the biogeochemistry of the forest islands in comparison with adjacent natural savanna and farmlands across 11 locations in Burkina Faso, Ghana and Nigeria. Our results showed that the forest islands do not differ significantly from the adjoining ecosystems in soil mineralogy implying that their formation was anthropogenically driven. We observed greater soil organic carbon and nutrient distributions in the forest islands, which also had more stable macro (>500 μm) and meso-aggregates (500–250 μm) than the adjoining agricultural lands. We found that soil micro-aggregate (250–53 μm) stability was climate (precipitation) driven in the West African ecosystems while meso- and macro-aggregate stability was land-use driven. In one of the unique forest islands we studied in the Mole National Park of Ghana, we found its mineral-associated organic carbon over 40% greater than the adjoining natural savanna with potential implications for the achievement of the global initiative of the ‘4p1000’ in West Africa. We conclude that the North–South–South research collaboration has established clearly, the science underlying the age-long West African forest island phenomenon and has, among many successes, led to capacity building of young scientists driving cutting-edge research in climate change adaptation and food systems transformation in the sub-region.","PeriodicalId":13795,"journal":{"name":"Interface Focus","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.6000,"publicationDate":"2024-08-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"1","resultStr":"{\"title\":\"Exploring the West African forest island phenomenon: scientific insights gained, successes achieved and capacities strengthened\",\"authors\":\"Vincent Logah, J. Azeez, H. Compaore, S. Mesele, C. M. Ocansey, A. Bougma, E. N. Tetteh, E. 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We observed greater soil organic carbon and nutrient distributions in the forest islands, which also had more stable macro (>500 μm) and meso-aggregates (500–250 μm) than the adjoining agricultural lands. We found that soil micro-aggregate (250–53 μm) stability was climate (precipitation) driven in the West African ecosystems while meso- and macro-aggregate stability was land-use driven. In one of the unique forest islands we studied in the Mole National Park of Ghana, we found its mineral-associated organic carbon over 40% greater than the adjoining natural savanna with potential implications for the achievement of the global initiative of the ‘4p1000’ in West Africa. 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Exploring the West African forest island phenomenon: scientific insights gained, successes achieved and capacities strengthened
Anthropogenic activities around local villages in mesic savanna landscapes of West Africa have resulted in soil improvement and forest establishment outside their climatic zones. Such unique ‘forest islands’ have been reported to provide ecosystem services including biodiversity conservation. However, the science underpinning their formations is limitedly studied. In 2015 and with funding support from the Royal Society-DFID (now FCDO), we set out to investigate the biogeochemistry of the forest islands in comparison with adjacent natural savanna and farmlands across 11 locations in Burkina Faso, Ghana and Nigeria. Our results showed that the forest islands do not differ significantly from the adjoining ecosystems in soil mineralogy implying that their formation was anthropogenically driven. We observed greater soil organic carbon and nutrient distributions in the forest islands, which also had more stable macro (>500 μm) and meso-aggregates (500–250 μm) than the adjoining agricultural lands. We found that soil micro-aggregate (250–53 μm) stability was climate (precipitation) driven in the West African ecosystems while meso- and macro-aggregate stability was land-use driven. In one of the unique forest islands we studied in the Mole National Park of Ghana, we found its mineral-associated organic carbon over 40% greater than the adjoining natural savanna with potential implications for the achievement of the global initiative of the ‘4p1000’ in West Africa. We conclude that the North–South–South research collaboration has established clearly, the science underlying the age-long West African forest island phenomenon and has, among many successes, led to capacity building of young scientists driving cutting-edge research in climate change adaptation and food systems transformation in the sub-region.
期刊介绍:
Each Interface Focus themed issue is devoted to a particular subject at the interface of the physical and life sciences. Formed of high-quality articles, they aim to facilitate cross-disciplinary research across this traditional divide by acting as a forum accessible to all. Topics may be newly emerging areas of research or dynamic aspects of more established fields. Organisers of each Interface Focus are strongly encouraged to contextualise the journal within their chosen subject.