Tropical forest patches under pressure: Dynamics, functions and sustainable management in agricultural landscapes of the West African forest and savannah zones

Project Information

SUSTAINFORESTS

Grant agreement ID: 101001200

DOI

10.3030/101001200

EC signature date 16 February 2021

Start date 1 June 2021

End date 31 May 2026

Funded under

• EXCELLENT SCIENCE - European Research Council (ERC)

Total cost

€ 1 998 512,00

EU contribution

€ 1 998 512,00

Coordinated by

UNIVERSITAET BERN
Switzerland

CORDIS provides links to public deliverables and publications of HORIZON projects.

Links to deliverables and publications from FP7 projects, as well as links to some specific result types such as dataset and software, are dynamically retrieved from OpenAIRE .

Publications

Peer reviewed articles (12)

An integrated object-based sampling approach for validating non-contiguous forest cover maps in fragmented tropical landscapes

Author(s): Chima Iheaturu, Vladimir Wingate, Felicia Akinyemi, Chinwe Ifejika Speranza
Published in: International Journal of Applied Earth Observation and Geoinformation, Issue 139, 2025, Page(s) 104497, ISSN 1569-8432
Publisher: Elsevier BV
DOI: 10.1016/j.jag.2025.104497

Enhancing the Uptake of Earth Observation Products and Services in Africa Through a Multi-level Transdisciplinary Approach

Author(s): Chinwe Ifejika Speranza; Felicia Olufunmilayo Akinyemi; David Baratoux; Jérôme Benveniste; Natalie Ceperley; Fatima Driouech; Jörg Helmschrot
Published in: ISSN: 0169-3298, 1573-0956, Issue 2022, 2022, Page(s) 1-35, ISSN 1573-0956
Publisher: Springer
DOI: 10.5445/ir/1000150592

Small forest patches in West Africa: mapping how they are changing to better inform their conservation

Author(s): Vladimir R Wingate, Giulia F Curatola Fernández, Chinwe Ifejika Speranza
Published in: Environmental Conservation, Issue 51, 2025, Page(s) 254-262, ISSN 0376-8929
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
DOI: 10.1017/s0376892924000171

Degradation and Fragmentation Effects on Structural Complexity in West‐African Forest Patches

Author(s): Samuel Hepner, Georges Alex Agonvonon, Martin Ehbrecht, Chima Iheaturu, Akomian Fortuné Azihou, Chinwe Ifejika Speranza
Published in: Biotropica, Issue 57, 2025, ISSN 0006-3606
Publisher: Association for Tropical Biology, Inc.
DOI: 10.1111/btp.70012

Tropical ecosystem multifunctionality assessment and insights for sustainable land management: a systematic literature review using the Drivers-Pressures-State-Impacts-Responses framework

Author(s): Paule Pamela Tabi Eckebil, Frank Mintah, Matthias Bürgi, Felicia O. Akinyemi, Denis Jean Sonwa, Chinwe Ifejika Speranza
Published in: Frontiers in Forests and Global Change, Issue 8, 2025, ISSN 2624-893X
Publisher: Frontiers Media SA
DOI: 10.3389/ffgc.2025.1623266

Combining remote sensing with local knowledge is vital for understanding forest change in West Africa

Author(s): Chima Jude Iheaturu, Felicia Olufunmilayo Akinyemi, Vladimir Ruslan Wingate, Paule Pamela Tabi Eckebil, Chinwe Ifejika Speranza
Published in: Scientific Reports, Issue 15, 2025, ISSN 2045-2322
Publisher: Nature Publishing Group
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-025-23133-5

Tree species diversity and conservation across disturbance and bioregion types in forest patches outside protected areas in tropical Africa

Author(s): Georges Alex Agonvonon, Samuel Markus Hepner, Chima Jude Iheaturu, Akomian Fortuné Azihou, Denis Jean Sonwa, Francis Ebuta Bisong, EnoAbasi Deborah Anwana, Koffi Koudouvo, Brice Augustin Sinsin, Markus Fischer, Chinwe Ifejika Speranza
Published in: Forest Ecology and Management, Issue 601, 2026, Page(s) 123314, ISSN 0378-1127
Publisher: Elsevier BV
DOI: 10.1016/j.foreco.2025.123314

A Remote Sensing-Based Inventory of West Africa Tropical Forest Patches: A Basis for Enhancing Their Conservation and Sustainable Use

Author(s): Wingate, Vladimir R., Felicia O. Akinyemi, Chima J. Iheaturu, and Chinwe Ifejika Speranza
Published in: Remote Sensing, Issue 14:24, 2022, Page(s) 6251, ISSN 2072-4292
Publisher: Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (MDPI)
DOI: 10.3390/rs14246251

Why do forests persist and re-emerge amidst tropical deforestation pressures? Archetypes of governance and impact pathways

Author(s): Frank Mintah, Tabi Eckebil Paule Pamela, Christoph Oberlack, Chinwe Ifejika Speranza
Published in: Forest Policy and Economics, Issue 169, 2024, Page(s) 103352, ISSN 1389-9341
Publisher: Elsevier BV
DOI: 10.1016/j.forpol.2024.103352

Perceived and measured forest degradation across Western Africa: Insights for sustainable forest management

Author(s): Samuel Hepner, Paule Pamela Tabi Eckebil, Frank Mintah, Akomian Fortuné Azihou, Brice Sinsin, Markus Fischer, Chinwe Ifejika Speranza
Published in: Trees, Forests and People, Issue 22, 2025, Page(s) 101061, ISSN 2666-7193
Publisher: Elsevier BV
DOI: 10.1016/j.tfp.2025.101061

Integrating UAV LiDAR and multispectral data to assess forest status and map disturbance severity in a West African forest patch

Author(s): Chima J. Iheaturu, Samuel Hepner, Jonathan L. Batchelor, Georges A. Agonvonon, Felicia O. Akinyemi, Vladimir R. Wingate, Chinwe Ifejika Speranza
Published in: Ecological Informatics, Issue 84, 2024, Page(s) 102876, ISSN 1574-9541
Publisher: Elsevier BV
DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoinf.2024.102876

Archetypes of remnant West African forest patches, their main characteristics and geographical distribution

Author(s): Wingate, V. R., Akinyemi, F. O., & Ifejika Speranza, C.
Published in: Applied Geography, Issue 158, 2023, 2023, ISSN 0143-6228
Publisher: Elsevier BV
DOI: 10.1016/j.apgeog.2023.103024

Other (13)

Tropical Forest Patches in West Africa: A Story of Persisting Remnants despite Challenges.

Author(s): Hepner, S., & Ifejika Speranza, C.
Published in: Swiss Society for African Studies,, Issue 2025, 2(Newsletter), 43–45., 2025
Publisher: Swiss Society for African Studies

"""Selective logging of Bloodwood"" by Chinwe Ifejika Speranza, University of Bern."

Author(s): Ifejika Speranza Chinwe
Published in: NO JOURNAL TITLE, Issue 2024, 2024
Publisher: Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) Scientific Image Competition

"""ife"" by Chinwe Ifejika Speranza, University of Bern"

Author(s): Ifejika Speranza Chinwe
Published in: NO JOURNAL TITLE, Issue 2024, 2024
Publisher: Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) Scientific Image Competition

"""Terrestrial Laser Scanner in pristine forest"" by Samuel Hepner, University of Bern. Entry in category 3 Locations and instruments"

Author(s): Hepner Samuel
Published in: NO JOURNAL TITLE, Issue 2024, 2024
Publisher: Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) Scientific Image Competition.

Tropical forest patches under pressure - A fieldwork documentary from Africa

Author(s): Hepner, Samuel Markus; Tabi Eckebil, Paule Pamela; Ifejika Speranza, Chinwe
Published in: Tropical forest patches under pressure, Issue 2024, 2024
Publisher: BORIS - Bern Open Repository and Information System

Tropical Forests of West Africa Memory Game

Author(s): Ifejika Speranza, C., Kjelsen, I., Agonvonon, G. A., Hepner, S., Iheaturu, C. J., Mintah, F., Tabi Eckebil, P. P., Curatola Fernandez G.
Published in: 2025
Publisher: University of Bern

Tropical Forest Patches in West Africa: A Story of Persisting Remnants despite Challenges.

Author(s): Hepner, S., Ifejika Speranza, C.
Published in: 2025, Page(s) 43–45
Publisher: Swiss Society for African Studies, 2(Newsletter)

Small forests in West Africa are unique in their composition

Author(s): Ifejika Speranza, Chinwe, Allheilig, Gaby
Published in: 2025
Publisher: CDE, University of Bern

"""Defending canopy space with thorns"" by Chinwe Ifejika Speranza, University of Bern"

Author(s): Ifejika Speranza Chinwe
Published in: NO JOURNAL TITLE, Issue 2024, 2024
Publisher: Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) Scientific Image Competition

"""Burnt forest, green forest"" by Samuel Hepner, University of Bern. Entry in category 1 Object of study"

Author(s): Hepner Samuel
Published in: NO JOURNAL TITLE, Issue 2024, 2024
Publisher: Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) Scientific Image Competition

SUSTAINFORESTS Project - Report of the research results exchange workshops in Cameroon

Author(s): Ifejika Speranza C., Tabi Eckebil P. P., Agonvonon, G. A., Hepner S., Mintah F., Iheaturu C. J., Banlav P., Nghobuoche F., Degrande A.
Published in: 2025
Publisher: Institute of Geography, University of Bern

Tropical forests of West Africa puzzles

Author(s): Ifejika Speranza, C., Kjelsen, I., Agonvonon, G. A., Iheaturu, C. J., Hepner, S., Mintah, F., Tabi Eckebil, P. P., Curatola Fernandez G.
Published in: 2025
Publisher: University of Bern

"""Huge python is sold as bushmeat"" by Samuel Hepner, University of Bern. Entry in category 1 Object of study; Copyright CC-BY-NC-ND: Samuel Hepner."

Author(s): Hepner Samuel
Published in: NO JOURNAL TITLE, Issue 2024, 2024
Publisher: Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) Scientific Image Competition.