Forest fallows

A mosaic of cultivated and fallow areas succeeding semi-deciduous forest on basaltic soil, belonging to the lowland "dry coastal" eco-floristic zone. Situated in the far south of the country, it has the lowest rainfall (770 to 1 100 mm), with very marked annual variation, and its soils belong to the terre de barre group. Altitude ranges from 30 to 120 m. The plateau slopes gently towards the south and is crossed by the Lama depression, which stretches from the region south of Tove towards the north-east (Tabligbo). Since this land has been intensively cultivated for centuries, the climax vegetation has been almost totally replaced by fallow and cropped land. The most important feature of these man-made landscapes today is without doubt the oil palm, Elaeis guineense. The offshore bars along the coast contain groves of coconut palms, Cocos nucifera. Together with natural or man-made palm stands, the intricate patchwork of fallow lands is the dominant feature of the southern Togolese landscape. Practically every intermediate stage between semi-deciduous forest and cultivated fields can be found in these fallow areas. As soon as fallow land is abandoned, closed thickets are the first stage to follow, with the most common species including Dialium guineense, Drypetes floribunda, Vernonia colorata, Lecaniodiscus cupanioides, Morinda lucida, Albizia zygia, Fagara xanthoxyloides and Malacantha warnecki. After being left for several years, these thickets are cut down and the land is turned into fields. Almost the whole coastal region is under this system of rotation between shrubby thickets and crops, especially in view of the very high population in this part of the country. An unusual feature is the presence of the baobab, Adansonia digitata, in most places.

last updated: Wednesday, October 6, 2004