The Niger Delta swamp forests blanket the freshwater delta of the Niger River in southern Nigeria, forming a broad triangle of low-lying wetland forest that ranks among the largest swamp forests in Africa after the Congolian basin. Most of the ecoregion is closed, broadleaf evergreen flood forest dominated by tree genera such as Lophira alata, Pycnanthus angolensis, Ricinodendron heudelotii, Sacoglottis gabonensis, and Uapaca, with the oil palm (Elaeis guineensis) and Ficus species common throughout. The climate is tropical monsoon, with a long rainy season, very high annual rainfall ranging from roughly 2,500 mm inland to 4,000 mm near the coast, humidity that stays high most of the year, and every month averaging above 18 degrees Celsius. The forests shelter endemic wildlife including the critically endangered Niger Delta red colobus and the Niger Delta pygmy hippopotamus, but the habitat is now rated critical or endangered, heavily pressured by oil exploration, logging, and a growing human population. For gardeners in warm, wet tropical climates, the region's native palms and figs hint at the kinds of moisture-loving, heat-tolerant plants suited to consistently humid conditions.
Marker placed inside the RESOLVE 2017 polygon at 5.1°N, 6.4°E.
Climate snapshot for this ecoregion
°C
°F
Current zone range (2011–2040)
13b
Plotwright
CHELSA-derived typical winter month at this ecoregion's bbox grid.
Projected (2041–2070)
13b
Plotwright
Where the CHELSA models say the typical winter month is heading.
Average warming this ecoregion is on track for: +3.3°F by mid-century. SSP3-7.0 (current trajectory) · CHELSA v2.1 bio06 sampled across 10 of 10 points within this ecoregion's bounding box.
At a glance
Dominant biome
Tropical & Subtropical Moist Broadleaf Forests
Realm
Afrotropic
Approximate area
5,561 sq mi
Conservation tier
Nature Imperiled (Dinerstein NNH 4)
About the tropical & subtropical moist broadleaf forests biome
Warm, wet, highly productive forests — including tropical rainforests — with closed canopies, near year-round growing seasons, and the richest terrestrial biodiversity on Earth. Low seasonality and high rainfall sustain dense, layered vegetation from canopy to forest floor.
Catalog plants suited to this ecoregion
No catalog plants intersect this ecoregion's zone range. As the catalog grows to cover this region's climate band, suggestions will surface here.
Collections for this ecoregion
No curated collection's plants all fit this ecoregion's zone range. We surface a collection only when every member would grow here — partial fits get filtered out rather than mislead. As the catalog and the curated set both grow, this section will fill in.
Related ecoregions
Other tropical & subtropical moist broadleaf forests ecoregions to explore: