Published online by Cambridge University Press: 24 August 2009
The Gola Forest (North), located on the eastern border of Sierra Leone with Liberia, at 7°30′–7°45′N latitude and 11°0′ – 11°15′E longitude, is the farthest extension northwards and westwards of the Congo-West African closed forest formation type. Its inaccessibility had prevented its exploitation during historical times, and this has resulted in its preservation as primary forest. Evidence from the structure, species composition, and microclimate, of unexploited forest enclaves such as the study site, show that the Gola Forest is different from the common mature secondary forests situated elsewhere in the country.