Goin-Débé Classified Forest

West Africa > Côte d'Ivoire > Goin-Débé Classified Forest

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Summary

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• Western chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes verus) are likely absent in Goin-Débé Classified Forest.
• The population was estimates at 27 (CI: 13-57) individuals in 2010.
• The chimpanzee population trend is decreasing.
• This site has a total size of 1,366 km².
• Key threats to chimpanzees are deforestation and illegal bushmeat hunting.
• The following conservation activities were conducted: certifying for sustainable logging.
• Goin-Débé forest is now completely degraded.

Site characteristics

Goin-Débé is a Classified Forest in southwestern Côte d’Ivoire directly neighboring Cavally Classified Forest. In the past ten years the forest has been almost entirely degraded and has been replaced by cocoa plantations. Biodiversity surveys in 2007 and 2009/2010 confirmed the presence of ungulates such as bongo (Tragelaphus eurycerus) and bushbuck (Tragelaphus scriptus), birds, including hornbills (Buceros sp.) and turacos (Tauraco sp.), red river hog (Potamochoerus porcus), pygmy hippopotamus (Choeropsis liberiensis), and primates, such as Campbell’s monkey (Cercopithecus campbelli), sooty mangabey (Cercocebus atys), Diana monkey (Cercopithecus diana, Normand 2010). With the recent forest destruction, the current state of biodiversity and western chimpanzees specifically is unknown. Because of the presence of the endangered bird species Gola malimbe (Malimbus ballmanni) Cavally and Goin-Débé are designated as Important Bird Areas (BirdLife International 2019). Goin-Débé is listed as “Classified Forest Name Unknown (CIV) No.58” in the World Database of Protected Areas (UNEP-WCMC and IUCN 2019).

Table 1. Basic site information for Goin-Débé Classified Forest

Species	Pan troglodytes verus
Area	1,366 km²
Coordinates	Lat: 6.29 , Lon: -7.74
Type of site	Protected area (Classified Forest)
Habitat types	Agricultural land, Subtropical/tropical moist lowland forest
Type of governance	Governance by government

Types of sites Governance types Habitat types

Ape status

A survey by the Wild Chimpanzee Foundation (WCF) found a strong decline in western chimpanzee numbers between 2007 and 2010 mainly driven by large-scale deforestation (Normand 2010). While high chimpanzee densities were found in the first survey, with densities even higher than in Taï National Park, it was estimated that the chimpanzee population declined from more than 200 individuals to less than 40 individuals (Normand 2010). An analysis by Kühl et al. 2017 also found a significant population decline. For several years this forest has suffered significant degradation across its entire area and no inventory has been carried out since 2012 due to armed conflicts at the local level. This suggests that there are no longer any chimpanzees in this forest (Normand, personal observation, 2025).

Table 2. Ape population estimates reported for Goin-Débé Classified Forest

Species	Year	Occurrence	Encounter or vistation rate (nests/km; ind/day)	Density estimate [ind./ km²] (95% CI)	Abundance estimate (95% CI)	Survey area	Sampling method	Analytical framework	Source	Comments	A.P.E.S. database ID
Pan troglodytes verus	2007			0.235 (0.095-0.580)	213 (86-525)	Eastern and central part of Goin-Débé	Line transects		Normand 2010	Total survey effort: 165 km
Pan troglodytes verus	2007		0.179			Eastern part	Line transects		Normand 2010	Total survey effort: 165 km
Pan troglodytes verus	2007		0.872			Central part	Line transects		Normand 2010	Total survey effort: 165 km
Pan troglodytes verus	2009-2010			0.026 (0.013-0.055)	27 (13-57)	Western and central part of Goin-Débé	Line transects		Normand 2010	Total survey effort: 197 km
Pan troglodytes verus	2009-2010		0.103			Western part	Line transects		Normand 2010	Total survey effort: 197 km
Pan troglodytes verus	2009-2010		0.109			Central part	Line transects		Normand 2010	Total survey effort: 197 km

Sampling methods Analytical frameworks

Threats

The monitoring surveys conducted by the WCF encountered mostly plantations in the eastern and western part of Goin-Débé in 2007 (Normand 2010). During that survey the central part was still forested and hardly any agricultural activities were encountered. However, prevalence of agricultural activities strongly increased since the dry season 2008/2009 (Normand 2010). Signs of hunting were recorded across the entire area (Normand 2010). While deforestation was the most prevalent anthropogenic pressure encountered during 2007 survey, agricultural activities were the most prevalent activity recorded in the 2010 survey, most of them cocoa plantations. This highlights the dynamic of deforestation being followed by expansion of agricultural areas. The WCF concluded that the entire forest is now degraded (WCF 2016), while SODEFOR (Society for the Forest Development, the government agency managing classified forests) in a recent survey of the area concluded that 80% of the forest are severely degraded (IDH 2018).

Table 3. Threats to apes reported for Goin-Débé Classified Forest

Category	Specific threats	Threat level	Description	Year of threat
2 Agriculture & aquaculture	2.1 Annual & perennial non-timber crops	High (more than 70% of population affected)	Agricultural activities widespread (Normand 2010). Cocoa plantation is tolerated by SODEFOR (WCF 2023).	2008-Ongoing (2023)
3 Energy production & mining	3.2 Mining & quarrying	Low (up to 30% of population affected)	Signs of artisanal mining for gold during 2007 survey (Normand 2010)	2007
4 Transportation & service corridors	4.1 Roads & railroads	Medium (30-70% of population affected)	Roads used to access plantations but also for wood extraction (Normand 2010).	2008-Ongoing (2023)
5 Biological resource use	5.1 Hunting & collecting terrestrial animals	High (more than 70% of population affected)	Normand 2010	Ongoing (2010)
5 Biological resource use	5.3 Logging & wood harvesting	High (more than 70% of population affected)	Especially high prevalence in 2007 survey (Normand 2010).	2007-Ongoing (2010)
6 Human intrusions & disturbance	6.3 Other human disturbances	High (more than 70% of population affected)	Populations have infiltrated since 1960 and have degraded the forest, particularly during the post-election crisis of 2011 that the country suffered (WCF 2023).	1960-Ongoing (2023)

Threats

Conservation activities

Since 2005 the WCF cooperated with SODEFOR (Society for the Forest Development, the government agency managing classified forests) and OIPR (Office for Reserves and National Parks) to establish and monitor sustainable logging practices in the classified forests of Goin-Débé and Cavally (Normand 2007). The WCF implemented monitoring activities and with its presence wanted to deter illegal agricultural activities (Normand 2007, WCF 2011). With the lack of law enforcement during the post-election crisis 2010/2011 deforestation pressure increased strongly and the WCF seems to have now ceased its conservation activities due to the large-scale degradation of the forest (WCF 2016). In 2018, SODEFOR implemented a survey of Goin-Débé forest and conducted sensitization events of the local population and illegal farmers (IDH 2018).

Table 4. Conservation activities reported for Goin-Débé Classified Forest

Category	Specific activity	Description	Implementing organization(s)	Year of activity
1 Development impact mitigation	1.15 Certify products from agriculture, mining or logging and market them as ape friendly	WCF cooperates with SODEFOR and OIPR to establish and monitor sustainable logging practices (Normand 2007, WCF 2012)		2005-2012
4 Education & awareness	4.1 Educate local communities about apes and sustainable use	SODEFOR conducted sensitization events with local population and illegal farmers (IDH 2018)		2018
5 Protection & restoration	5.2 Legally protect ape habitat	Designated as classified forest (Normand 2007, 2010).		1978-Ongoing (2025)

Conservation activities

Challenges

As part of their work to establish and monitor sustainable logging practices the WCF noted that civil unrest and the lack of law enforcement impeded conservation activities (WCF 2012).

Table 5. Challenges reported for Goin-Débé Classified Forest

Challenges	Specific challenges	Source	Year(s)
4 Institutional support	4.1 Lack of law enforcement	WCF 2012
6 Safety and stability	6.3 Civil unrest/war	WCF 2012

Challenges

Enablers

Table 6. Enablers reported for Goin-Débé Classified Forest

Enablers	Specific enablers	Source	Year(s)
1 Site management
2 Resources and capacity
3 Engaged community
4 Institutional support
5 Ecological context
6 Safety and stability

Enablers

Research activities

Beyond the monitoring activities mentioned in the section ‘Ape Status’ no further research activities have been reported.

Documented behaviours

Table 7. Behaviours documented for Goin-Débé Classified Forest

Category	Behavior	Observation type	Prevalence	Observation dates	Source	Habituation	Species	Comment
	Not reported

Behaviours

Exposure to climate change impacts

As part of a study on the exposure of African great ape sites to climate change impacts, Kiribou et al. subm. extracted climate data and data on projected extreme climate impact events for the site. Climatological characteristics were derived from observation-based climate data provided by the Inter-Sectoral Impact Model Intercomparison Project (ISIMIP, www.isimip.org). Parameters were calculated as the average across each 30-year period. For 1981-2010, the EWEMBI dataset from ISIMIP2a was used. For the two future periods (2021-2050 and 2071-2099) ISIMIP2b climate data based on four CMIP5 global climate models were used. For future projections, two Representative Concentration Pathways (RCP) were used. RCP 2.6 is a scenario with strong mitigation measures in which global temperatures would likely rise below 2C. RCP 6.0 is a scenario with medium emissions in which global temperatures would likely rise up to 3C by 2100. For the number of days with heavy precipitation events, the 98th percentile of all precipitation days (>1mm/d) was calculated for the 1979-2013 reference period as a threshold for a heavy precipitation event. Then, for each year, the number of days above that threshold was derived. The figures on temperature and precipitation anomaly show the deviation from the mean temperature and mean precipitation for the 1979-2013 reference period.

The estimated exposure to future extreme climate impact events (crop failure, drought, river flood, wildfire, tropical cyclone, and heatwave) is based on a published dataset by Lange et al. 2020 derived from ISIMIP2b data. The same global climate models and RCPs as described above were used. Within each 30-year period, the number of years with an extreme event and the average proportion of the site affected were calculated (see Kiribou et al. subm. for details).

Table 8. Estimated past and projected climatological characteristics in Goin-Débé Classified Forest

Value	1981-2010	2021-2050, RCP 2.6	2021-2050, RCP 6.0	2071-2099, RCP 2.6	2071-2099, RCP 6.0
Mean temperature [C]	25.5	26.6	26.6	26.7	27.8
Annual precipitation [mm]	1834	1849	1905	1885	1962
Max no. consecutive dry days (per year)	23.2	25.7	24.5	27.9	26.9
No. days with heavy precipitation (per year)	6.4	8	7.7	8.2	10.8

Table 9. Projected exposure of apes to extreme climate impact events in Goin-Débé Classified Forest

Type	No. of years with event (2021-2050, RCP 2.6)	% of site exposed (2021-2050, RCP 2.6)	No. of years with event (2021-2050, RCP 6.0)	% of site exposed (2021-2050, RCP 6.0)	No. of years with event (2070-2099, RCP 2.6)	% of site exposed (2070-2099, RCP 2.6)	No. of years with event (2070-2099, RCP 6.0)	% of site exposed (2070-2099, RCP 6.0)
Crop failure	2	1.79	4.5	1.36	6	1.15	6.5	1.61
Drought	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Heatwave	10	100	9	100	15	100	17	100
River flood	0.5	0.23	2	4.11	2.5	1.91	2.75	2.94
Tropical cyclone	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Wildfire	30	0.51	30	0.49	29	0.52	29	0.56

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  Precipitation anomaly in Goin-Débé Classified Forest

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  Temperature anomaly in Goin-Débé Classified Forest

References

IDH. (2018). SODEFOR half-way the full census of the Goin-Débé forest reserve. IDH Sustainable Trade Initiative. Retrieved from https://www.idhsustainabletrade.com
Kühl, H. S., Sop, T., Williamson, E. A., Mundry, R., Brugière, D., Campbell, G., … Boesch, C. (2017). The critically endangered western chimpanzee declines by 80%. American Journal of Primatology, 79(10), e22681. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajp.22681
Normand, E. (2007). Protection of two high priority classified forests in Côte d’Ivoire (Cavally and Goin-Débé): Improved management plan and bio-monitoring of logging operations. Unpublished report, Wild Chimpanzee Foundation.
Normand, E. (2010). Rapport de suivi écologique dans les forêts de Goin-Débé et de Cavally (2007–2010). Unpublished report, Wild Chimpanzee Foundation.
UNEP-WCMC, & IUCN. (2019). Protected Planet: The World Database on Protected Areas (WDPA). Cambridge, UK: UNEP-WCMC and IUCN. Retrieved from https://www.protectedplanet.net
Wild Chimpanzee Foundation (WCF). (2011). Annual report of the activities undertaken by the Wild Chimpanzee Foundation to improve the protection of wild chimpanzees and their habitat in West Africa: Year 2011. Wild Chimpanzee Foundation.
Wild Chimpanzee Foundation (WCF). (2012). Annual report 2012 – Activities of the Wild Chimpanzee Foundation for improved conservation of chimpanzees and their habitat in West Africa. Wild Chimpanzee Foundation.
Wild Chimpanzee Foundation (WCF). (2016). Annual report 2016 – Activities of the Wild Chimpanzee Foundation for improved conservation of chimpanzees and their habitat in West Africa. Wild Chimpanzee Foundation.
Wild Chimpanzee Foundation (WCF). (2023). Rapport d'observation indépendante externe : cas de recel de cacao en provenance de forêts classées. Online : https://www.wildchimps.org/fileadmin/content_files/pdfs/reports/WCF__RAPPORT_final_OI_11-2023.pdf

Page created by: APES Atlas Team & Julia Riedel Date: 2019-11-22

Page updated by: Diorne Zausa Date: 2025-10-10