[1][2][3][4] Although there are large cities just outside the ecoregion, the area has been relatively isolated by the difficulty of building roads across the swamps, although this is changing with development of oil and logging industries.

The southern edge is set back about 10 km from the Gulf of Guinea, buffered by the Central African mangroves ecoregion where the effects of salt water are more pronounced.

[9] Mangroves are intricate intertidal forest that grow at the intersection within dry land and open sea in tropical regions and is the source of huge biological and none living resources.

[4] Degradation is putting freshwater marsh forests in the Niger basin in danger, so it's important to comprehend their composition, distribution, and trends.

The development of roads and canals, the finding of petroleum, and the felling of abura, a valuable timber species, have all contributed to the habitat loss of the delta.

[17] While about 8% of the ecoregion is nominally under some form of administrative protection, most such territory is in forest reserves subject to heavy logging pressure due to economic growth and social development.

Niger Delta Region has 2 Ramsar-listed coastal and freshwater wetlands; Apoi creek forest reserve and Upper Urashi.

[22] Other common features of the Niger Delta ecosystem such as marshes, mangroves and freshwater swamps are also present in Apoi creek forest reserves.

[23] Apoi creek forest reserve is of considerable ecological importance and is home to a lot of rare, unique and/or threatened species and is also a note able breeding and nursery ground for fisheries.

[20] The presence of Niger Delta Red Colobus, Putty-nosed monkey, Red-capped mangabey have been noted in Apoi creek reserves forest particularly in the vicinity of Gbanraun, Kokologbene, Ukubie.

[20] Apoi creek forest reserves resources is an important source of livelihood to the rural population  by provision of fuel wood, agricultural land and fisheries.

Three distinct habitat can be located in Taylor creek reserve including seasonally flooded freshwater swamp forests which are distinguished by Raphia hookeri (Raphia palm), Mitragyna ciliata (Abura), Nauclea diderrichii (Opepe), Khaya ivorensis (Mahogany), Irvingia gabonensis (African bush mango), Eleais guineensis (Oil palm), Musanga cecropoides (Umbrella tree) amidst more such as ferns, epiphytes and macrophytes; riparian forests distinguished by thick and fully grown high canopy around Karama, Adibawa and Biseni, and derived savanna forest located at Nyambiri Zarama.

[30] Nun river forest reserve is located in the tropical rainforest which is distinguished by multi-faceted vegetation, torrential rains and periodic or seasonal flooding.

[31] Earlier, the Nun river forest used to be habitation for elephant (Loxondonta africana), African buffalos (Syncerus coffa) and Pygmy hippos (Hexaprotodon liberiensis) which however have not been seen in the area for over three decades.

The presence of 28 species of amphibians associated with the family Bufonidae (genera Bufo and Nectophryne), Pipidae (Silurana and Hymenochirus), Ranidae (Hylarana, Ptychadena, Aubria, Conraua, Hoplobatrachus, and Phrynobatrachus), Arthroleptidae (Arthroleptis), Rhacophoridae (Chiromantis), Microhylidae (Phrynomantis), and Hyperoliidae (Hyperolius, Afrixalus, Leptopelis, Phlyctimantis, and Opisthothylax) from six localities in the Niger Delta Region of Nigeria have been observed.

[35] Endemic mammals notably Heslop's pygmy hippopotamus (Hexaprotodon liberiensisheslopi) are now extinct in the Niger Delta region on account of poor administration of the protected area, lack of proper conservation and management strategies.

Considering the percentage of loss, it is evident that Edumanon and Nun River forest reserves have been significantly affected, resulting in a substantial reduction in their size.

It was noted that Taylor Creek is the most affected among the protected areas in Niger Delta [37] Commonly, biodiversity entails diverse species of living organisms (viz: plants, animals, microbes) found on earth regardless of the environment (arboreal, aquatic and terrestrial).

[citation needed] Traditionally, Niger Delta Swamp forests avails beneficial services to the local inhabitants, national and the international community.

Due to social and economic considerations as a result of quest for livelihood and subsistence there has been a great stress on the environment leading to degradation and deforestation of the swamp forest ecosystem of the Niger Delta.

[39] Most common cause of environmental degradation and deforestation in the Niger Delta wetland include oil and gas exploration and exploitation, excessive logging, and bush burning.

Additionally, diverse land use namely construction works, urbanization, industrialization and forest reserve degradation which encompasses excessive exploitation of wildlife, illegal poaching, logging and bush burning are major cause of decline of protected areas.

[citation needed] Consequent upon the immoderate degradation resulting in loss of important forest resources, reserve areas were established to conserve the habitat.

[38] It has been observed that wildlife species that are under the protection of the federal law Act 11, Schedule I (namely Atherurus africanus, Tragelaphus spekei, Hyemoschus aquaticus, Neotragus batesi, Aonyx capensis, Manis tricuspis, Uromanis tetradactyla) and Schedule II (viz; Genetta sp., Nandinia binotata, Viverra civetta, and different Cercopithecus species) are openly traded in the markets [41] Forest is defined as a land ranging more than 0.5 hectares containing trees that are higher than 5m with a dense upper layer of foliage also called canopy cover of 10%.

Geographical considerations such as closeness to roads and settlements, soil fertility, rainfall, mineral deposits and population are also reasons for human impact on forests.

Increase in urban areas which include buildings, roads, construction sites, industrial establishments, public utilities and other infrastructural facilities accounted for an estimated area of mangrove swamp forest of 185.7 square kilometres (71.7 sq mi) out of 3,459 square kilometres (1,336 sq mi) of the total mangrove forest studied.

Majority  of the occurrence of known and disclosed oil spillages happened in the mangrove swamp forest, which is arguably the most reproductive ecosystem and is rich in flora and fauna.

According to the Energetic Solution Conference (2004), the Niger Delta region has about 123 gas flaring sites resulting in Nigeria being one of the highest emitter of green house gases in Africa.

[68] The temperature of the Niger Delta region has been raised as a result of gas flaring rendering vast area of the environment destroyed and uninhabitable.

[71] Acid rain is another cause of degradation and deforestation within the Niger Delta region resulting from gas flaring which has led to loss of biodiversity and culminating in destruction of forest and economic crops.