Pollen studies help protect West African biodiversity

Tropical forests and savannahs are biodiversity hotspots and have a profound influence on temperature, precipitation and the storage of carbon. Understanding how the two biomes control plant diversity will support efforts to prevent plant extinction and therefore loss of biodiversity during the current biodiversity and climate crises.

The MIOVAT (Miocene vegetation of the African tropics (project MioVAT)) initiative used fossilized pollen and spores to investigate the evolutionary history of tropical forest and savannah biomes in West Africa during the Miocene Period 23 to 5.3 million years ago. The Miocene was a critical time in the evolution of West African vegetation when grasses utilising the C4 photosynthetic pathway rapidly extended their range, giving rise to the savannahs.

Further details: Pollen studies help protect West African biodiversity