Tai National Park and surrounding forests
Forest type: Tropical
Geographic location: Cote d'Ivoire
Threats: Logging, agricultural clearing, hunting, potential invasion by war refugees
At Risk: The only remaining large and relatively intact piece of a forest block that once covered more than 830,000 square kilometers in eight countries west of the Dahomey Gap (a natural savanna that divides West Africa's forests into two distinct sections).
Cross River and Korup National Parks and surrounding forests
Forest type: Tropical
Geographic location: Border between Nigeria and Cameroon
Threats: Logging by Asian and European timber companies in unprotected forests, new settlements, agricultural clearing, hunting
At risk: Rich in plant species, this forest may provide a wealth of potential new drugs and industrial products. Extracts from the newly discovered Ancistrocladus korupensis vine, for example, offer hope for a new AIDS treatment.
Eastern Zaire forests
Forest type: Tropical
Geographic location: Zaire
Threats: Agricultural clearing, invasion by throngs of war refugees
At risk: The greatest biological diversity of any forests on the continent. Also, the Ituri forest (found within this frontier) is home to many of Africa's remaining pygmy peoples.