African tropical forests are providing important ecosystem services by storing carbon and being a carbon sink, thereby reducing the rate of increase of atmospheric carbon-dioxide. These forests are however clearly sensitive to land use and climatic changes, and past events may have left their signature on present day forests. With adequate protection these forests are likely to remain large carbon stores in the longer term. The reduction of forest area is mainly due to expansion of agricultural land and this has been linked to reduction in soil quality. This study examines the trend in forest...