This paper describes the forest-savanna boundary in West Africa at different spatial scales, and how its location has shifted in the past as influenced by palaeoclimatic changes. The main environmental factors, such as climate, substrate, fire, animals (e.g. pollinators, herbivores and soil fauna) and human activity, that explain the present distribution of the two vegetation types in West Africa are discussed. Finally, the present trend in vegetation dynamics under natural conditions and under the growing influence of man is described.

No abstract

The total number of forest climbers in Ghana has been recorded as 604 but this number has increased to 634 following further research and taxonomic revisions as the taxa become better known. The focus of this paper is on woody climbers (lianes), and the variation in liana biology and ecology is described for the commoner Ghanaian species. These features are related to their distribution and the forest environment across the country.

In the Haut-Sassandra forest in the southwest of Côte d'Ivoire, climbing plants have been inventoried and comprised 30% of the species found. The present study aimed to characterise the climbers of the Haut-Sassandra forests, describing those present, linking them with the different environments present, and their biomorphological characteristics were described in relation to the various biotopes explored.