TITLE:
Inference of the Biophysical Impacts of Logging on the Mangroves of the Tristão Islands Based on a Comparative Review of the Scientific Literature
AUTHORS:
Mohamed Youssouf Fofana, Nounténin Sidimé, Kandè Bangoura
KEYWORDS:
Mangroves, Coastal Ecosystems, Ecosystem Services, Carbon Sequestration, Coastal Protection, Biodiversity, Anthropogenic Pressures, Wood Harvesting, Biophysical Impacts, West Africa, Tristão Islands, Conservation, Sustainable Management, Comparative Analysis
JOURNAL NAME:
Natural Resources,
Vol.17 No.8,
August
20,
2026
ABSTRACT: Mangroves are critically important coastal ecosystems that provide a wide range of essential ecosystem services, including carbon sequestration, coastal protection, and support for rich biodiversity. However, these ecosystems are universally threatened, with wood harvesting being a major anthropogenic pressure, particularly pronounced in West Africa leading to profound biophysical impacts. This article aims to characterize the biophysical effects of wood cutting on mangroves, focusing on the specific context of the Tristão mangroves in the Republic of Guinea. In the absence of direct, site-specific biophysical data for Tristão in the available literature, potential impacts are inferred and discussed considering well-documented regional and international trends. A thorough comparative analysis is conducted, comparing inferred observations from Tristão with findings from other regional and global studies, to derive broader implications for conservation and sustainable management in similarly vulnerable coastal regions.