Laboratoire d'Ecologie Appliquée (LEA), Faculté des Sciences Agronomiques (FSA), Université d'Abomey-Calavi, 01 BP 526 Tri postal, Cotonou, Bénin.
Laboratoire de Biomathématiques et d'Estimations Forestières (LABEF), Faculté des Sciences Agronomiques (FSA), Université d'Abomey-Calavi, 04 BP 1525, Cotonou, Bénin.
J Ethnobiol Ethnomed. 2018 Mar 20;14(1):21. doi: 10.1186/s13002-018-0219-6.
Atakora mountains in Benin are a unique but fragile ecosystem, harboring many endemic plant species. The ecosystem is undergoing degradation, and the woody vegetation is dramatically declining due to high anthropogenic actions and recurrent drought. This study aimed to (i) assess the diversity of threatened woody species and (ii) identify their potential substitutes in the three regions of the Atakora mountains namely East Atakora, Central Atakora, and West Atakora.
The data were collected during expeditions on surveyed localities through semi-structured individual interviews. Free-listing was used to record threatened woody species and which were important and why. Alpha-diversity indices were used to assess diversity of threatened and important threatened woody species. A correspondence analysis was used to determine the reason supporting their importance. Differences in species composition were assessed using analysis of similarities. A number of potential substitutes were compared among species using generalized linear models.
A total of 117 woody species (37 families and 92 genera) were identified. The most prominent families were Fabaceae (19.66%), Combretaceae (12.82%), and Moraceae (10.26%), and the richest genera were Ficus (10 species), Combretum (6), and Terminalia (5). Most threatened species differed across regions (East Atakora, Central Atakora, and West Atakora) and included Afzelia africana, Anogeissus leiocarpa, Borassus aethiopum, Diospyros mespiliformis, Khaya senegalensis, Milicia excelsa, and Pterocarpus erinaceus. Most socio-economically important species (K. senegalensis, Parkia biglobosa, Vitellaria paradoxa, and V. doniana) were used mainly for food, timber, and fuelwood purposes. Old and adult people, and Dendi and Fulfulde sociolinguistic groups had greater knowledge of threatened woody plant species. High intercultural differentiations in species composition were detected between Bariba-Berba and Bariba-Natimba. Knowledge of substitutes also differed across regions with P. erinaceus, Isoberlinia spp., and A. africana being the most cited substitutes.
Basic data was provided here to inform decision and guide efficient management of woody resources. There was evidence that immediate conservation measures are required for some high economic value woody taxa which were critically threatened. Ex-situ conservation of these species while promoting their integration into agroforestry-based systems were recommended. Besides, community-based management programs and community-led initiatives involving knowledgeable people from different horizons will lead to a long-lasting conservation of these threatened resources.
贝宁的阿塔克罗拉山脉是一个独特但脆弱的生态系统，拥有许多特有植物物种。由于人类活动频繁和干旱频发，该生态系统正在退化，木本植被急剧减少。本研究旨在：（i）评估受威胁木本物种的多样性；（ii）确定阿塔克罗拉山脉三个地区（即东阿塔克罗拉、中阿塔克罗拉和西阿塔克罗拉）的潜在替代物种。
通过对调查地点的实地考察，收集了半结构个人访谈的数据。自由列表用于记录受威胁的木本物种以及为什么它们很重要。使用 alpha 多样性指数评估受威胁和重要受威胁木本物种的多样性。对应分析用于确定支持其重要性的原因。使用相似性分析评估物种组成的差异。使用广义线性模型比较了物种之间的一些潜在替代物。
共鉴定出 117 种木本植物（37 科 92 属）。最突出的科是豆科（19.66%）、使君子科（12.82%）和桑科（10.26%），最丰富的属是榕属（10 种）、使君子属（6 种）和诃子属（5 种）。大多数受威胁物种在不同地区（东阿塔克罗拉、中阿塔克罗拉和西阿塔克罗拉）存在差异，包括非洲紫檀、非洲白檀、非洲海枣、光叶榕、塞内加尔相思、非洲桃花心木和非洲朴。大多数具有社会经济重要性的物种（K. senegalensis、Parkia biglobosa、Vitellaria paradoxa 和 V. doniana）主要用于食品、木材和薪材。老年人、丹迪人和富拉尼语社会群体对受威胁的木本植物物种有更多的了解。在巴里巴-贝巴和巴里巴-纳蒂姆巴之间检测到物种组成的高跨文化差异。对替代物种的了解也因地区而异，非洲朴、异叶榕属和非洲紫檀是最常被引用的替代物。
本研究提供了基本数据，为决策提供信息，并指导木本资源的有效管理。有证据表明，一些具有高经济价值的木本类群受到严重威胁，需要立即采取保护措施。建议对这些物种进行就地保护，同时促进将其纳入以农林复合系统为基础的系统。此外，涉及不同领域有知识的人的基于社区的管理方案和社区主导的倡议将导致这些受威胁资源的长期保护。
