Floristic diversity and assessment of the conservation status of Togo’s plant species

Regular updates of floristic lists are essential for assessing the state of flora, identifying threatened species, and guiding conservation actions. This study aims to provide a comprehensive assessment of the floristic diversity and conservation status of plant species across selected ecological zones in Togo. A total of 121 plots, with areas determined based on the types of vegetation formations, were randomly selected from a systematic grid of points spaced 5 km apart, generated using QGIS 3.24.1 and overlaid on Togo's map. A total of 498 plant species distributed across 337 genera and 92 families were recorded. The most represented families were Fabaceae (86 species) and Poaceae (48 species). Biological types were dominated by microphanerophytes (25.7%) and nanophanerophytes (18.67%), followed by therophytes (15.06%). Species from the Guineo-Congolian/Sudano-Zambesian transition zone (34.54%) were the most widespread, followed by Guineo-Congolian (23.09%) and Sudano-Zambesian (29.89%) regions. The distribution of species by ecological zones showed high diversity in Zone III. A total of 09 threatened species, 48 invasive and/or alien species, 31 agroforestry species, and 23 soil-fertility-enhancing species were identified. This study provides a rapid and updated understanding of the state of flora. The study emphasizes the urgency for ongoing floristic monitoring and the need for targeted conservation strategies to mitigate threats posed by anthropogenic pressures and invasive species. These findings provide a critical understanding of Togo's flora, guiding effective conservation actions.