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2. Introduction to Sub-Saharan Africa W Conservation Biology in ILSON Conservation Biology Sub-Saharan Africa JOHN W. WILSON AND RICHARD B. PRIMACK in Sub-Saharan Africa AND This textbook – the fi rst Open Access conservati on biology textbook for Africa – is unique in its opti mal use of examples of conservati on eff orts in the conti nent, and brilliant descripti on of the interdisciplinary nature of conservati on biology. P Temitope Borokini, President, Africa sec� on of the Society for Conserva� on Biology (2019–2022) RIMACK We fi nally have a textbook to teach our students conservati on biology in an African context. Its comprehensive chapters are supplemented with real-world case-studies, writt en by researchers and practi ti oners across the region. Dr Bruktawit Abdu Mahamued, Biology Department, Kotebe Metropolitan University This book comprehensively explores the challenges and poten� al solu� ons to key conserva� on issues in Sub-Saharan Africa. Easy to read, this lucid and accessible textbook includes fi � een chapters that cover a full range of conserva� on topics, including threats to biodiversity, environmental laws, and protected areas management, as well as related topics such as sustainability, poverty, and human-wildlife confl ict. This rich resource also includes a C background discussion of what conserva� on biology is, a wide range of theore� cal approaches to the subject, ONSERVATION and concrete examples of conserva� on prac� ce in specifi c African contexts. Strategies are outlined to protect S biodiversity whilst promo� ng economic development, and scien� sts who live and work throughout the region are featured in each chapter. UB Conservati on Biology in Sub-Saharan Africa provides the most up-to-date study in the fi eld. It is an essen� al -S resource for undergraduate and graduate students, as well as a handy guide for professionals working to stop the rapid loss of biodiversity in Sub-Saharan Africa and elsewhere. This book is available on-line without AHARAN charge at https://doi.org/10.11647/OBP.0177. This edi� on includes: • Glossary • Thema� c boxes B A • Topics for discussion • Study ques� ons IOLOGY • Suggested readings • Online image por� olio FRICA Cover photo and design by Anna Gatti IN book eebook and OA edi� ons also available OPEN ACCESS www.openbookpublishers.com OBP JOHN W. WILSON AND RICHARD B. PRIMACK https://www.openbookpublishers.com © 2019 John W. Wilson and Richard B. Primack This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license (CC BY 4.0). This license allows you to share, copy, distribute and transmit the text; to adapt the text and to make commercial use of the text providing attribution is made to the authors (but not in any way that suggests that they endorse you or your use of the work). Attribution should include the following information: John W. Wilson and Richard B. Primack, Conservation Biology in Sub-Saharan Africa. Cambridge, UK: Open Book Publishers, 2019, https://doi.org/10.11647/OBP.0177 In order to access detailed and updated information on the license, please visit, https://doi.org/10.11647/ OBP.0177#copyright Further details about CC BY licenses are available at, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ All external links were active at the time of publication unless otherwise stated and have been archived via the Internet Archive Wayback Machine at https://archive.org/web Updated digital material and resources associated with this volume are available at https://doi.org/10.11647/ OBP.0177#resources Licencing for images obtained online, many of which underwent minor stylistic adjustments, were correct at the time of publication. Every effort has been made to identify and contact copyright holders and any omission or error will be corrected if notification is made to the publisher. The Lounsbery Foundation has generously contributed to the publication of this volume. ISBN Paperback: 978-1-78374-750-4 ISBN Hardback: 978-1-78374-751-1 ISBN Digital (PDF): 978-1-78374-752-8 ISBN Digital ebook (epub): 978-1-78374-753-5 ISBN Digital ebook (mobi): 978-1-78374-754-2 ISBN XML: 978-1-78374-755-9 DOI: 10.11647/ OBP.0177 Cover photo and design by Anna Gatti. 2. Introduction to Sub-Saharan Africa 2.1 Sub-SaharanAfrica’sNatural p. 24 Environment 2.5 Conclusion p. 53 2.2 HistoryofConservationinSub-Saharan p. 29 2.6 Summary p. 53 Africa 2.7 TopicsforDiscussion p. 54 2.3 ConservationinSub-SaharanAfrica p. 37 2.8 SuggestedReadings p. 54 Today Bibliography p. 55 2.4 OngoingConservationChallenges p. 44 The forested hills of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Uganda, are home to Africa’s iconic mountain gorillas andover350birdspecies.Thepark,aWorldHeritageSite,issituatedintheAlbertineRift,aBiodiversityHotspot. PhotographbyJasonHouston/USAID,https://www.flickr.com/photos/usaid-biodiversity-forestry/25422552517, CC0. © 2019 J.W. Wilson and R.B. Primack, CC BY 4.0 https://doi.org/10.11647/OBP.0177.02 24 Conservation Biology in Sub-Saharan Africa Not only is Africa the second most-populous continent in the world, its human population is also incredibly diverse. Consider, for example, that over 2,000 native languages are spoken across the continent (Lewis et al., 2014). (Interestingly, there are strong positive correlations between linguistic diversity and biodiversity, as well as between the loss of species and languages; Gorenflo et al., 2012). Africa is also economically diverse; the continent contains some of the poorest nations in the world but also some of the fastest growing economies (World Bank, 2017). Herein also lies a major challenge: Africa’s diverse human population—already over 1 billion people—is expected to double over the next 25 years (World Bank, 2019). To stimulate economic growth and provide resources for a growing and upwardly mobile human population, once unending wildernesses are constantly being cleared for agriculture, timber, expanding cities, and other human activities. In the process, the remaining natural areas are being polluted, overharvested, and fragmented, particularly in areas of outstanding conservation value (Balmford et al., 2011). This environmental destruction we are witnessing across Africa holds negative consequences for all people on the continent. Among the most vulnerable are traditional peoples who rely on natural products such as firewood, wild animals, and wild edible fruits and roots to maintain their way of life. The destruction of the environment also makes it more challenging for city dwellers to access basic needs such as clean drinking water, clean air, and wilderness areas where they can fulfil their spiritual and emotional needs. With Africa’s human population and consumption expected to grow substantially for many years to come, there is an urgent need to find ways to ensure that the region’s unique environmental treasures are preserved, for the benefit of current and future generations. 2.1 Sub-Saharan Africa’s Natural Environment Much of the African continent encompasses the Afrotropical ecoregion, which is separated from other ecoregions by the Indian Ocean to the East, the Atlantic Ocean to the West, and the Saharan Desert to the North. These major geographic features have acted as barriers to movement since the African continent first took its current shape, enabling species and ecosystems characteristic of the region to evolve in relative isolation from those of other ecoregions. The Afrotropical ecoregion can be further subdivided into eight terrestrial biomes (Figure 2.1), each with its own distinct climate, geology, and biota (Burgess et al., 2004): • Tropical and subtropical savannahs and grasslands: Sub-Saharan Africa’s largest biome is a mosaic of grasslands, woodlands, bushlands, thickets, and semi- arid drylands that are maintained by fire and grazing. East and Southern Africa’s miombo and mopane savannah-woodland ecosystems are included in this ecosystem. Chapter 2 | Introduction to Sub-Saharan Africa 25 Figure 2.1 Simplified map of Sub-Saharan Africa’s eight terrestrial biomes. The region’s topographic com- plexity, the diversity of biomes, and the multiple ecological transition zones between the different biomes have given rise to a rich biodiversity. After Olson et al., 2001. Map by Johnny Wilson, CC BY 4.0. • Deserts and arid scrublands: A biome of areas where evaporation exceeds precipitation, generally with rainfall < 250 mm/year. Generally associated with searing daytime temperatures and wind-swept sand dunes, this biome contains scrub deserts rich in succulent plants, rocky mountain deserts, and arid grassland-savannah mosaics, such as the Sahel region located just south of the Sahara. • Tropical moist forests: Lowland broadleaf ecosystems with near-continuous canopies that run as a broad band across equatorial Africa. This biome is characterised by high rainfall (> 2 m/year), low variability in temperatures, and very high species diversity. • Montane grasslands and scrublands: A patchily distributed biome that occurs at altitudes > 800 m and has enough rainfall that a variety of grasses can thrive. Generally lacking trees except along some rivers and streams, it includes high altitude heathlands and other Afro-alpine areas. • Mediterranean scrub: A scrubland ecosystem of limited extent, better known as the Fynbos or Cape Floristic Region, that is situated at Africa’s southwestern tip. Characterised by hot dry summers and cool moist winters, it contains one of Earth’s richest concentrations of endemic plant species. • Flooded grasslands and savannahs: Grasslands, marshes, and shallow lakes that are periodically flooded by water that can be fresh, brackish, or hypersaline. 26 Conservation Biology in Sub-Saharan Africa When flooded, these areas host some of the largest water bird congregations in the region. • Tropical dry forests: A highly restricted forest type that can be found in western Zambia and adjacent Angola, as well as on Cabo Verde. While these areas may receive high rainfall, they are characterised by seasonal droughts that can last several months. • Mangroves: Coastal wetlands of tropical climates characterised by distinctive woody plants with aerial roots that can tolerate saltwater.
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