The forests surrounding villages were thought to be left behind for protection, shelter for tree crops, and seclusion for rituals.

Policies were created to prevent further forest destruction because it was linked to soil degradation and climate change and thought to cause river flow and rainfall irregularities.

An analysis of aerial photographs of the region from 1952 to 1994 by James Fairhead and Melissa Leach found that the forest islands had mainly remained stable, formed, or enlarged, contrary to popular belief.

Landscape descriptions and maps from early French military occupation (roughly 1890s to 1910), documentary sources from the 1780s to 1860s, and village elders’ accounts of their ancestors encouraging forest growth around savanna settlements also demonstrate the trend of growing forest islands occurring before the 1950s.

This forest growth was promoted through everyday activities in the village margin land (e.g., grass gathering, cattle tethering, and household waste disposal) as well as deliberate forest cultivation (e.g., planting forest-initiating trees and cultivating the soil to be suitable for trees).