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The Guinean Moist Forests form the most species-rich region in West Africa. Many plants and animals found here are also found in the Congolian forests in central Africa, revealing that these forests may have been connected in the past. However, the two areas are also very different. The Guinean Moist Forests are greatly influenced by the dry winds from the Sahara and the cool currents of the Atlantic, creating a climate that is more seasonal than the Congolian forests to the east. Although certain species are visibly absent from this region, including gorillas, swamp monkeys, and forest otters, the Guinean Moist Forests host a number of plants and animals found nowhere else in the world. This Global 200 ecoregion is made up of these terrestrial ecoregions: Guinean montane forests; Eastern Guinean forests; Western Guinean lowland forests
Inland from the beaches, mangroves and port towns of the West African coast lie blocks of forests known as the Guinean Moist Forests. The diversity of life inhabiting these forests is nothing short of astonishing. Chimpanzees, golden cats, pygmy hippos, olive colobus, elephants, West African hinged tortoises, and a collection of threatened birds, including the yellow-throated olive greenbul, copper-tailed glossy starling and white-breasted guineafowl, are just some of the creatures that call these forests home.
Like other tropical areas, the Guinean Moist Forests receive very high rainfall, typically more than 80 inches (200 cm) a year. However, rainfall tends to be seasonal because the forests are sandwiched between the hot winds of the Sahara and cool winds of the Atlantic. Temperatures vary little, giving the region the perfect greenhouse climate for creeping lianas. Triphyophyllum peltatum is one species that catches insects with its sticky leaves. Life abounds in every layer of the Guinean Moist Forests, from the forest floor to the shrub layer to the high canopy of local trees, such as the rare West African mahogany. Zebra duikers--small, deer-like animals--amble along the forest floor nibbling fruit and foliage. Their stripes help them blend in with the foliage, providing a bit of protection from the golden cats that watch for them from the surrounding trees. Spotted honeyguides, found in the Guinea Congolian Forest, feast on beeswax and larvae from local hives. Cassin’s hawk eagles perch in the canopy, where they build nests made of large sticks lined with green branches. At night, nimba flycatchers sally upward to catch insects off branches. For many threatened birds, including the white-breasted guineafowl, western wattled cuckoo-shrike, Liberian greenbul, and rufous fishing owl, these forests are considered some of the most important in Africa. Other notable animals include the blue banded beauty butterfly.
Logging for timber, clearing for agriculture, and mining activities have all severely degraded the Guinean Moist Forests. What's more, many of the species mentioned above have become extremely rare because of hunting. Golden cat fur can sometimes be found for sale in local markets; duikers, primates, pigs, and other animals are hunted for their meat. Although they are now declining, forest elephants still survive in these forests. By browsing, dispersing seeds in their droppings, and creating pathways, they shape the forest understory and are important for the survival of other species. The loss of elephants has already lead to a decline of many other plants and animals, including numerous trees that rely on elephants for seed dispersal, and the white-breasted guineafowl, which scurries in the open pathways in search of food.
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