Climate researchers met recently in Cameroon to

examine threats to Africans land and animals.

The researchers said they believe Africa may lose as
much as 30 percent of its animals and plant species by
the end of this century.
They blame the losses on the warming of Earths
surface, population growth and unrestricted
development.
The researchers represent 20 African, American and
European universities.
They say countries south of Saharan Desert are losing
forest faster than any place on Earth.
Logging companies are cutting down trees to meet
growing demand for wood from China, Europe and
the United States.
The population of Sub-Saharan African is growing of 3
percent per year.
There are now homes, factories, and farms on land
that had been forest.
Many African animals and plants no longer have a
place to live as a result.
Climate change also continue to threaten some
species.
Thomas Smith is with the University of California.
He says African may lose 40 percent of its mammal
species because of rising temperature.
The African chimpanzee is among the mammals at
risk.
Mary Katherine Gonder teaches at Drexel University
in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
She study chimpanzees in the Congo Basin area of
western and central Africa.
She said their forest home is disappearing.
She also says hunters continue to kill animal to sell as
food.
The researchers say it is important to develop
environmentally friendly economies.
The Congo Basin has the second-largest equatorial
rain forest in the world.
The forest is important to the lives millions of people.