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Guinean Forests of West Africa
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Guinean Forests of West Africa
The Guinean Forests of West Africa Hotspot is home to the rare pygmy hippopotamus and many other striking species, including the forest elephant, Diana monkey, and several forest antelopes.
The forests have the highest mammal diversity of any hotspot and are among the highest priorities for primate conservation. Critically Endangered primates in this hotspot include the white-collared mangabey, Roloway monkey, Stampfl's putty-nosed guenon, Miss Waldron's red colobus, and the Cross River gorilla.
Originally extending an estimated 1.2 million square kilometers, the forests have been dramatically reduced to a series of fragments separated by agricultural communities and degraded lands.
Direct threats to biodiversity include ecosystem degradation caused by extractive practices, such as mining and bushmeat hunting; limited capacity for conservation; and institutional policies, regulations, and practices that undermine biodiversity conservation.
The Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund (CEPF) focuses on the Upper Guinean Forest Ecosystem, which extends from Guinea into eastern Sierra Leone and eastward through Liberia, Côte d'Ivoire, and Ghana into western Togo.
A primary focus for CEPF is to support connectivity among forest fragments and among agencies, groups, and policies to harmonize approaches to conservation.
Five strategic directions guide CEPF's approach in the Upper Guinean Forest:
- strengthening institutional capacity of local civil society groups for conservation
- hotspot biodiversity monitoring system
- promotion of the concept of biodiversity conservation corridors
- collaborative public awareness, education, and community outreach programs
- small grants (Biodiversity Action Fund)
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