Global Overview of Flora and Plant Diversity in Togo (West Africa)

The flora constitutes an important reference tool very used in biology. Its constant update is fundamental in order to promote new directions in conservation. The current study was developed as a synthesis of the analytical flora in Togo. It aims to produce an inventory of this flora by emphasizing its distribution along ecological zones. Its purpose is to make an assessment of the greatest entities of the flora including those of introduced, threatened to disappearance plant species. This synthesis was possible thanks to the use of data retrieved from the existing analytical flora associated with some reports on this flora. Information was organized according to the junctions, of introducing and threatened to disappearances species. They were analyzed on the basis of the phytogeographical types and life forms, and then classified according to ecological zone. From this synthesis it appeared that the flora of Togo would lay out 3468 species distributed among the algae (201especes), Bryophytes (13 species), Pteridophyts (129 species), Gymnosperms (13 species), and Angiosperms (2992 species). The phanerophytes, therophytes, the lianas, and hemicryptophytes dominate the biological spectrum, whereas the guineo-congolian (GC), Sudano-Zambezian (SZ), and transition zone species (GC-SZ) represents phytogeographical types. Face to the new challenges, especially economic, and environmental which fit all in a sustainable context of resources management, an update of all the flora will be a strategic element in the framework of management and conservation of biodiversity.