Modelling Woody Vegetation Suitability in Saloum Delta Ramsar Site (West-Africa): Implications for Conservation and Land Restoration

A study on the Saloum Delta Ramsar Site reveals that salinity is the most significant environmental driver affecting woody vegetation, particularly mangroves. Using Species Distribution Models (SDMs) and machine learning techniques like Random Forest, MaxEnt, and Generalized Linear Models (GLM), researchers analyzed relationships between vegetation occurrence data and environmental predictors such as climate, soil properties, anthropogenic factors, and natural disturbances. The findings indicate substantial potential for ecosystem restoration, with the smallest gap observed in mangroves (3.47%) compared to other woody covers like Close Woodlands, Open Woodlands, and Plantations. This research provides critical insights for sustainable land management, regreening policies, and biodiversity conservation strategies in West Africa's coastal regions.

Badji, O., Hackman, K. O., Thiel, M., Ngom, D., Fall, S., Antwi-Agyei, P.,. (2025). Modelling Woody Vegetation Suitability in Saloum Delta Ramsar Site (West-Africa): Implications for Conservation and Land Restoration. International Journal of Current Science Research and Review, 08(08). https://doi.org/10.47191/ijcsrr/v8-i8-41