African sacred groves are often described as the remains of primeval forests, ethnographic curiosities, and cultural relics from a static pre-colonial past. This book provides an understanding of these forests, examining their ecological characteristics and delineating how sacred groves relate to social dynamics and historical contexts.

African sacred groves are often described as the remains of primeval forests, ethnographic curiosities, and cultural relics from a static pre-colonial past. Their continuing importance in African societies, however, shows that this 'relic theory' is inadequate for understanding current social and ecological dynamics. This interdisciplinary book, by an international group of scholars and conservation practitioners, provides a new understanding of these forests, examining their ecological characteristics and delineating how sacred groves relate to social dynamics and historical contexts.

Introduction by the editors
The dynamics of African sacred groves by M. Sheridan
I THE HUMAN ECOLOGY OF SACRED GROVES
The role of sacred groves in biodiversity conservation in Sierra Leone by A.Lebbie &
R. Guries
The kaya forests of coastal Kenya by C. Nyamweru, S. Kibet, M. Pakia &
J. A. Cooke
Sacred groves in Morocco by U. Deil, H. Culmsee &
M. Berriane
II THE SOCIAL ORGANIZATION OF SACRED GROVES
Ethiopian sacred groves by Tsehai Berhane-Selassie
Forest conservation in southern Madagascar by N. Rabesahala Horning
Arboreal monuments &
memorials in Senegal by E. S. Ross
III THE SYMBOLS OF FORESTS
Loggers vs. spirits in Cote d'Ivoire by A. Gottlieb
Are sacred forests in northern Benin 'traditional conservation areas'? by U. Siebert
Archaeological perspectives on sacred groves in Ghana by G.Chouin
IV THE FUTURE OF AFRICAN SACRED GROVES
Legal recognition of customary forests in Uganda by A.Y. Banana, J. Bahati, W.Gombya-Ssembajjwe &
N. Voigt
The legal status of forests in sub-Saharan Africa by L. Alden Wily.