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Maisome is currently designated as a protected forest
reserve covering an area of 124 km
2
. Up until 1973,
the protected reserve was almost entirely intact, with
a closed canopy forest. By 2015, the fore area on the
island had changed from dense forest to savannah and
open woodland, as a result of a high population density
and the demand for agricultural land, settlements and
fuelwood in the protected area (Stevens 2011).