The present volume reports on the first regional meeting arranged by the SCOPE/UNEP international Nitrogen Unit. The volume contains invited key note papers as well as papers contributed by other participants in the workshop. A major part of the meeting was devoted to discussions of present knowledge of nitrogen cycling in three major ecosystem types in West Africa, viz., savannas, forests and agro-ecosystems. The reports from these work group discussions are included together with a report on the final discussion on research priorities and future cooperation.