<p>West Africa hosts approximately 72 million hectares of forests and wetlands, constituting critical ecosystems for global biodiversity and ecosystem services. These forest formations are experiencing increasing anthropogenic pressure, with an estimated annual loss of 52,920 hectares between 2010 and 2020. This study aims to identify and analyze the determining factors of forest ecosystem dynamics in West Africa, distinguishing regional common factors from country-specific factors. For a comprehensive understanding of forest ecosystem dynamics in West Africa, a systematic review of scientific studies drawn from Google Scholar, ScienceDirect and Web of Science was first carried out. From these, 61 selected scientific studies (2004–2024) were used to identify and analyze the driving factors (common and specific) of forest ecosystem dynamics in 10 West African countries. The Geographic Specificity Index (GSI) and relative frequency were calculated to classify dynamics factors. Five common factors dominate regional forest dynamics: climate variations, demographic growth, agricultural expansion, resource overexploitation, and institutional weakness. Specific factors include cash crops (Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana), socio-political crises (Sahel), gold mining (Burkina Faso, Ghana), and mangrove degradation (coastal countries). Forest dynamics result from complex interactions between demographic, socio-economic, and environmental factors. Differentiated strategies integrating community governance, Farmer-Managed Natural Regeneration (FMNR), and institutional strengthening are essential for sustainable management.</p> Graphical abstract <p></p>