Climate variability significantly impacts plant growth, making it crucial to monitor ecosystem performance for optimal carbon sequestration, especially in the context of rising atmospheric CO₂ levels. Net Primary Productivity (NPP), which measures the net carbon flux between the atmosphere and plants, serves as a key indicator. This study uses the CASA (Carnegie–Ames–Stanford Approach) model, a radiation use efficiency method, to assess the spatio-temporal dynamics of NPP in Togo from 1987 to 2022 and its climatic drivers. The average annual NPP over 36 years is 4565.31 Kg C ha⁻¹, with notable extremes in 2017 (6312.26 Kg C ha⁻¹) and 1996 (3394.29 Kg C ha⁻¹). Productivity in natural formations increased between 2000 and 2022. While climate change and land use negatively affect Total Production (PT) from 2000 to 2022, they individually enhance NPP variation (58.28% and 188.63%, respectively). NPP shows a strong positive correlation with light use efficiency (r² = 0.75) and a moderate one with actual evapotranspiration (r² = 0.43). Precipitation and potential evapotranspiration have weaker correlations (r² = 0.20; 0.10), and temperature shows almost none (r² = 0.05). These findings contribute to understanding ecosystem performance, supporting Togo’s climate commitments.

Affem Boussou community forest (AFC) abounds in important biological resources. This study, which contributes to its better management, examines the spatiotemporal dynamics of the vegetation and its ecological and structural characteristics to propose a zoning plan for said forest. The analysis of the spatiotemporal dynamics of land use in the AFC from Google Earth images of 2015, 2018, and 2021 revealed a regressive trend of formations: crops and fallows (−33.98%), dense dry forests (−7.92%), gallery forests (−3.46%), plantations (−100%), grassy savannahs, and meadows (−18.84%), except for tree/shrub savannahs (484.23%). The floristic inventory identified 163 species divided into 129 genera and 55 families. Fabaceae (14.02%), and Combretaceae (10.55%) are the most represented families. Anogeissus leiocarpa (5.19%) and Vitellaria paradoxa (4.72%) are the most frequent species. We note the dominance of individuals of small diameters. The regeneration potential of the AFC is 64 feet/ha due to 21 feet/ha of suckers, 29 feet/ha of seedlings, and 14 feet/ha of shoots. As a zoning plan, the AFC was subdivided into four zones: the agroforestry zone (18.80%), the sustainable production forest zone (42.22%), the buffer zone (11%), and the biological conservation zone (28%). These results constitute a scientific basis for testing ecological indicators of the sustainable management of community forests in Togo.

Regular updates of floristic lists are essential for assessing the state of flora, identifying threatened species, and guiding conservation actions. This study aims to provide a comprehensive assessment of the floristic diversity and conservation status of plant species across selected ecological zones in Togo. A total of 121 plots, with areas determined based on the types of vegetation formations, were randomly selected from a systematic grid of points spaced 5 km apart, generated using QGIS 3.24.1 and overlaid on Togo’s map. A total of 498 plant species distributed across 337 genera and 92 families were recorded. The most represented families were Fabaceae (86 species) and Poaceae (48 species). Biological types were dominated by microphanerophytes (25.7%) and nanophanerophytes (18.67%), followed by therophytes (15.06%). Species from the Guineo-Congolian/Sudano-Zambesian transition zone (34.54%) were the most widespread, followed by Guineo-Congolian (23.09%) and Sudano-Zambesian (29.89%) regions. The distribution of species by ecological zones showed high diversity in Zone III. A total of 09 threatened species, 48 invasive and/or alien species, 31 agroforestry species, and 23 soil-fertility-enhancing species were identified. This study provides a rapid and updated understanding of the state of flora. The study emphasizes the urgency for ongoing floristic monitoring and the need for targeted conservation strategies to mitigate threats posed by anthropogenic pressures and invasive species. These findings provide a critical understanding of Togo’s flora, guiding effective conservation actions.

Le bassin versant du Zio au Togo est confronté à des défis majeurs tels que l'expansion démographique, l'urbanisation et l'exploitation du bois, entraînant une régression alarmante de sa biodiversité. La création d’un nouveau jardin botanique universitaire à Kovié (commune Zio 2-Togo) fait partie des engagements des autorités universitaires à contribuer à l’atteinte des ODD. Ainsi, cette recherche vise à contribuer à une meilleure gestion et planification des potentialités écologiques du périmètre affecté à cet effet. Des inventaires floristiques, forestiers, régénération et écologiques ont été réalisés sur trente-six (36) placettes de 1000 m2. L’analyse rapide de l’occupation du sol révèle que le nouveau site du jardin est constitué de forêt (2,80 %), savane boisée (35,97 %), savane arbustive/arborée (14,36 %), et savane herbeuse (3,13 %). Un total de 120 espèces réparties en 112 genres et 51 familles ont été recensées. Mitragyna inermis (30,56 %), Lonchocarpus sericeus (30,56 %), Lannea acida (30,56%), et Terminalia avicennioides (19,44 %) sont les espèces les plus fréquentes. Les espèces hémicryptophytes (15,13%), mésophanérophytes (15,13%), les espèces afrotropicales (13,09%) et soudano-zambezienne (13,09%) sont les plus abondantes. Quatre groupements phytosociologiques ont été discriminés : Mitragyna inermis et Lonchocarpus sericeus, Pseudocedrela kotschyi et Sarcocephalus latifolius, Vitellaria paradoxa et Terminalia avicennioides et le groupement à Sporobolus pyramidalis et Hexalobus monopetalus. Le potentiel de régénération naturelle est estimé à 78,70%. Ces informations peuvent guider les décideurs et les acteurs sur le terrain dans la mise en place de mesures de conservation et d'exploitation durable. L'objectif est d'améliorer le niveau de vie et les revenus de la population.

This bibliographic analysis focused on various methods for estimating net primary productivity, vegetation indices and their various applications, as well as vulnerability assessment and management strategies for protected areas. To do this, a bibliography on the different topics collected using search engines Scopus, Science Direct, ResearchGate, and Google Scholar via the Publish or Perish portal was analyzed. Of the 1128 scientific papers on the selected topic after refining the database, 978 were journal articles, 59 were books, 52 were reports, 20 were conference proceedings, and 19 were theses. These documents detail numerous methods for estimating net primary productivity, a key parameter for assessing ecosystem performance. Methods using remote sensing data, especially vegetation indices, appear to be the easiest, least costly, and least labor-intensive today, ensuring reliable results. These innovative methods are best suited for assessing fragile ecosystems. This is the case for protected areas which have been facing the combined effects of anthropogenic actions and climate change in recent years. Considering the challenges posed by the management of Togolese protected areas, particularly since the socio-political disturbances of the 1990s, it is urgent to assess the health status of these specific ecosystems, focusing on their performance.

Accurate estimation of above-ground biomass (AGB) is vital for carbon accounting, biodiversity conservation, and sustainable forest management, especially in tropical regions under strong anthropogenic pressure. This study estimated and mapped AGB in the Atacora Mountain Chain, Togo, using a multi-source remote sensing approach within Google Earth Engine (GEE). Field data from 421 plots of the 2021 National Forest Inventory were combined with Sentinel-1 Synthetic Aperture Radar, Sentinel-2 multispectral imagery, bioclimatic variables from WorldClim, and topographic data. A Random Forest regression model evaluated the predictive capacity of different variable combinations. The best model, integrating SAR, optical, and climatic variables (S1S2allBio), achieved R² = 0.90, MAE = 13.42 Mg/ha, and RMSE = 22.54 Mg/ha, outperforming models without climate data. Dense forests stored the highest biomass (124.2 Mg/ha), while tree/shrub savannas had the lowest (25.38 Mg/ha). Spatially, ~60% of the area had biomass ≤ 50 Mg/ha. Precipitation correlated positively with AGB (r = 0.55), whereas temperature showed negative correlations. This work demonstrates the effectiveness of integrating multi-sensor satellite data with climatic predictors for accurate biomass mapping in complex tropical landscapes. The approach supports national forest monitoring, REDD+ programs, and ecosystem restoration, contributing to SDGs 13, 15, and 12 and offering a scalable method for other tropical regions.