ABSTRACT

The exploitation of biodiversity of Togo presents enormous opportunities that several socioprofessional groups use for various purposes; it occupies an important place in the national economy. Mangroves in Togo are located in the extreme southeast of the country around the Gbaga channel and its tributary rivers. There are two main species of mangroves: Rhizophora racemosa and Avicennia germinans, which are associated with Drepanocarpus lunatus, Pterocarpus santalinoides and the fern Achrostichum aureum. The forests of the subhumid mountainous zone of Togo are among the places where plant diversity is particularly high in the sub-Saharan Africa and where endemism is very pronounced for West Africa. The Mono biosphere Reserve is part of a transboundary biosphere reserve being established in the lower basin of the Mono River, across southern Benin and Togo. It contains a diversity of ecosystems (forests, savannas, swampy meadows, mangroves, rivers) and animal species that are unique to the region.