Dynamics of Forest Ecosystems in Central Africa During the Holocene: Past - Present - Future

Professor Dr. Jürgen Runge (1962) has worked, for almost 25 years, as a Physical Geographer and Environmentalist on the evolution of tropical landscapes, former and recent environmental changes and on questions related to tropical and subtropical land use in subsaharan semi-humid and humid regions in Africa. After basic studies in Geography, Geology, Soil Science and Botany at the Universities of Giessen and Göttingen, he specialized on West and Central Africa regions as an assistant Professor at the University of Paderborn. In 2000 he was appointed full Professor for Physical Geography and Geoecology focussing on subsaharan African region at Frankfurt University. In 2003 Dr. Runge and colleagues from different scientific disciplines set up the ‘Center for interdisciplinary research on Africa’ (Zentrum für interdisziplinäre Afrikaforschung, ZIAF, www.ziaf.de) where he was recently appointed as Vice Director. In 2005 he became Editor of the book series ‘Palaeoecology of Africa’.

• Preface and Introduction 1. Dfg-Research Unit 510 on ‘Ecological and Cultural Change in West and Central Africa’, Yaoundé Workshop Report, and Outlook for 2007–2009 2. OF Deserts and Forests: Insights into Central African Palaeoenvironments since the Last Glacial Maximum 3. Settling the Rain Forest: The Environment of Farming Communities in Southern Cameroon During the First Millennium BC 4. Recent Archaeological Investigations in the Tropical Rain Forest of South-West Cameroon 5. The Batie Palaeopodzol and its Palaeoclimatic And Environmental Significance 6. New Evidence on Palaeoenvironmental Conditions in SW Cameroon since the Late Pleistocene Derived from Alluvial Sediments of the Ntem River 7. The Evolution of the Holocene Palaeoenvironment of the Adamawa Region of Cameroon: Evidence from Sediments from Two Crater Lakes near Ngaoundere 8. Palaeoenvironmental Studies in The Ngotto Forest: Alluvial Sediments as Indicators of Recent and Holocene Landscape Evolution in the Central African Republic 9. Extension of Former Tree Cover in the Today’s Sudano-Sahelian Milieu as Evidence for Late Holocene Environmental Changes in Northern Cameroon 10. THE Application of Organic Carbon and Carbonate Stratography to the Reconstruction of Lacustrine Palaeoenvironments from Lake Magadi, Kenya 11. Forest-Savanna Dynamics in Ivory Coast 12. The Impact of Land Use on Species Distribution Changes in North Benin 13. Potentials of Nigeriasat-1 for Sustainable Forest Monitoring in Africa: A Case Study From Nigeria 14. Landscape and Vegetation Patterns Studied by Remotely Sensed Data Analysis in Rain Forest Ecosystems Near Ebolowa (Southern Cameroon) 15. Remote Sensing Based Forest Assessment: Recent Dynamics (1973–2002) of Forest-Savanna Boundaries at Ngotto Forest, Central African Republic (CAR) 16. Late Neoproterozoic Palaeogeography of Central Africa: Relations with Holocene Geological and Geomorphological Setting 17. A Palaeoecological Approach to Neotectonics: The Geomorphic Evolution of the Ntem River in and Below its Interior Delta, SW Cameroon 18. Effects of Forest Clearings Around Bangui: Urban Floods in Densely Populated Districts of the Central African Capital 19. Non Woody Forest Products (NWFPs) and Food Safety: Sustainable Management in the Lobaye Region (Central African Republic)