Continuing and Proposed Studies on the Management and Conservation of Biodiversity and Soil Carbon in Western Africa

At the farm level, a study developed to carry out a conservation project in Tami, Togo, showed a low organic matter content in soils, often around 1% and rarely up to 10 %. The highest values were found in a sacred forest within the farm, but most soils, occupied by a woody savannah with a marked agricultural influence, showed different degrees of erosion, low fertility and very low organic carbon content. In a survey of pastures, grazed fallows and abandoned farmland, pastures showed the highest organic matter content. In addition to grazing, plant species richness, measured as the number of species per sample, showed a positive relationship with soil organic matter, significant near the 90% level. The results indicate a strong influence of human activity on soil formation and distribution, and also on plant diversity. In addition, the soil properties under the permanent forest suggest a high potential of the soils of the region for improvement of both agricultural yields and as a carbon sink in the frame of global change policies. Further research in northern Togo and in the greater region will assist the development of quantitative models on ecosystem service indicators, relating biodiversity, carbon, land use, and climate on multiple scales to best inform policy and adaptation strategies. Toward this end, new research is proposed to support ecosystem modeling, management, and policy initiatives such as the clean development mechanism of the Kyoto Protocol.