To download a painting in large format, please enter the number
found below the painting image (such as "Painting 0001")
Cause for Concern in Africa
Afrotropics
•
Tropical and Subtropical Moist Broadleaf Forests
Mount Cameroon and Bioko montane forests
As the human population grows in this region, more and more people are seeking new land for agriculture and other uses. As a result, forest loss is a major threat. Overgrazing, fire damage, unsustainable exploitation of firewood, and agricultural encroachment all put pressure on this ecoregion's wild forestlands. In some areas of Mount Cameroon, up to half the forest cover has already been lost. While there are some areas of protected forest in Bioko, Mount Cameroon is very poorly protected.
Afrotropics
•
Tropical and Subtropical Moist Broadleaf Forests
Niger Delta swamp forests
Large areas of swamp forest remain in the Niger Delta, with heavy fragmentation occurring on the fringes due to oil palm plantations, commercial rice farming, and wood gathering. "Bushmeat" hunting takes a toll on large mammals, particularly primates, and the rivers are heavily fished. But the greatest threat to the region is oil extraction by multinational corporations, which threatens the welfare of people and of wildlife that live here. There are no protected areas in this ecoregion.
Afrotropics
•
Tropical and Subtropical Moist Broadleaf Forests
Nigerian lowland forests
Agriculture, timber extraction, and urbanization by Nigeria's large human population have all reduced the extent of lowland forest in the region. In addition, overhunting of some species is resulting in serious population declines. For example, many primates and antelopes are being over-hunted for the bushmeat trade. If current rates of deforestation and bushmeat hunting continue, Nigeria will likely lose most of its antelope species in the next few decades. This bleak prediction could be reversed, however, with adequate protection and conservation.
Afrotropics
•
Tropical and Subtropical Moist Broadleaf Forests
Northeastern Congolian lowland forests
Right now, areas that are strictly protected from logging are small and insufficient. And in areas that have been logged, forest regeneration will not take place if too many people move in and convert that land to agriculture. What's more, poaching is decimating some animal populations, including elephants.
Afrotropics
•
Tropical and Subtropical Moist Broadleaf Forests
Northern Zanzibar-Inhambane coastal forest mosaic
People are cutting down many of the trees in this ecoregion for firewood, building materials, and to make room for agriculture. People are also extracting woody materials from this region for products such as charcoal and rope. Although some of the small forest patches are protected reserves and burial groves, many are poorly managed due to a lack of Forestry Department resources.
Afrotropics
•
Tropical and Subtropical Dry Broadleaf Forests
Cape Verde Islands dry forests
Over the past 500 years, humans have destroyed nearly all of the native vegetation of this ecoregion. A combination of poor agricultural practices and the introduction of goats and alien plants have had a devastating effect on the islands. Many of the original plant and animal species are probably extinct, and it is hard to tell what existed here before human settlement. Seabirds that breed on these islands have been particularly hard hit by the combined effects of habitat loss, predation from introduced animals such as cats, rats, and green monkeys, and the demand for their eggs and nestlings as food by some islanders.
Afrotropics
•
Tropical and Subtropical Dry Broadleaf Forests
Madagascar dry deciduous forests
Primary dry deciduous forests once covered this ecoregion. However, much of the area is now secondary grassland as a result of human-set fires. People have cleared a large portion of the land for cattle and agriculture, and the forests that remain are under significant pressure from logging. This deforestation has caused soil erosion, which has in turn threatened the river, wetland, and lake systems with siltation. Rice cultivation, overfishing, and invasive species are also destroying lake and wetland habitats.
Afrotropics
•
Tropical and Subtropical Grasslands, Savannas, and Shrublands
Angolan Mopane woodlands
The main threats facing this region are overgrazing, depletion of trees for construction materials and firewood, and clearing of land for cultivation. Elephants are particularly attractive to poachers because of their ivory, and black rhinos are targeted for their horns. Angola has also been embroiled in civil war for the past 25 years, with disastrous effects on vegetation and wildlife. But Etosha National Park in Namibia is one of the last strongholds for the cheetah and has significant populations of black-faced impalas and black rhinos.
Afrotropics
•
Tropical and Subtropical Grasslands, Savannas, and Shrublands
Ascension scrub and grasslands
Introductions of plants and animals to the island by humans threaten the native vegetation and bird life. Cats, which were introduced to help control introduced rats, have had an especially serious impact on bird populations.
Afrotropics
•
Tropical and Subtropical Dry Broadleaf Forests
Zambezian Cryptosepalum dry forests
Because these forests lack surface water, people have not tried to settle here and most of the habitat is still in a natural, undisturbed state. Southern parts of the forests are used for gathering timber and fuelwood. Poaching is common in some places. Only one protected areaWest Lunga National Park--provides some official protection for wild species.
