A catastrophic destruction of African forests about 2,500 years ago still exerts a major influence on present vegetation formations

A period of climatic disturbance leading to catastrophic destruction of Central African forests (in the regions of south Cameroon, south Central African Republic, Gabon and Congo) occurred 2500 years BP'(Before the Present). This event led either to a dramatic extension of. savanna, especially in the north (West Cameroon) and south (Mayombe), or to an extension of pioneer vegetation. For some sites, forest re-invasion began from 2000 BP but for others it was a little later depending; perhaps, on the location of residual forests. This re-invasion still continues at the present time and although fires in peripheral savannas can slow it, forests have continued to expand over the long term. These major changes are illustrated through the history of two species for which substantial data exist: oil palm (Elaeis guineensis) and Okoume (Aucoumea klaineana). The huge forest disturbance is contextualised within the broader paleo-climatic framework of the recent Quaternary at he regional and global scale. The key influence is shown of marine Sea Surface Temperatures (SST) on climate change and central African monsoon. This disturbance occurred alongside relatively 'warm' regional and global conditions and could be an 'analogue' to events which might occur in Central Africa under predicted global warming.