Global Overview of Flora and Plant Diversity in Togo (West Africa)
Folega Fousseni
Laboratoire de Botanique et Ecologie végétale, Faculté des Sciences Université de Lomé, BP. 1515 Lomé (Togo)
Kanda Madjouma
Laboratoire de Botanique et Ecologie végétale, Faculté des Sciences Université de Lomé, BP. 1515 Lomé (Togo)
Gumedzoe Y. M. Dieudonné
Laboratoire de Biotechnologie et Virologie végétale, Ecole Supérieure d’Agronomie Université de Lomé, BP. 1515 Lomé (Togo)
Peng Dao Li
The Key Laboratory for Forest Resources & Ecosystem Processes of Beijing, Beijing Forestry University, 100083, P. R. China
Zhao Xiu Hai
The Key Laboratory for Forest Resources & Ecosystem Processes of Beijing, Beijing Forestry University, 100083, P. R. China
Akpagana Koffi
The Key Laboratory for Forest Resources & Ecosystem Processes of Beijing, Beijing Forestry University, 100083, P. R. China
Keywords: Flora, Life form, Chorology, Introduce species, Threatened species, Vascular plants, Phanerophytes, Angiosperms, Biodiversity, Togo.
Abstract
The flora constitutes an important reference tool very used in biology. Its constant update is fundamental in order to promote new directions in conservation. The current study was developed as a synthesis of the analytical flora in Togo. It aims to produce an inventory of this flora by emphasizing its distribution along ecological zones. Its purpose is to make an assessment of the greatest entities of the flora including those of introduced, threatened to disappearance plant species. This synthesis was possible thanks to the use of data retrieved from the existing analytical flora associated with some reports on this flora. Information was organized according to the junctions, of introducing and threatened to disappearances species. They were analyzed on the basis of the phytogeographical types and life forms, and then classified according to ecological zone. From this synthesis it appeared that the flora of Togo would lay out 3468 species distributed among the algae (201especes), Bryophytes (13 species), Pteridophyts (129 species), Gymnosperms (13 species), and Angiosperms (2992 species). The phanerophytes, therophytes, the lianas, and hemicryptophytes dominate the biological spectrum, whereas the guineo-congolian (GC), Sudano-Zambezian (SZ), and transition zone species (GC-SZ) represents phytogeographical types. Face to the new challenges, especially economic, and environmental which fit all in a sustainable context of resources management, an update of all the flora will be a strategic element in the framework of management and conservation of biodiversity.