Refine
Year of publication
Document Type
- Article (19)
Has Fulltext
- yes (19)
Is part of the Bibliography
- no (19)
Keywords
- Burkina Faso (4)
- Ethnobotanik (3)
- West Africa (3)
- Afrique de l'Ouest (2)
- Ethnobotany (2)
- Westafrika (2)
- biodiversity (2)
- conservation (2)
- essbare Wildpflanzen (2)
- ethnobotany (2)
Understanding land cover degradation patterns and the effects of geomorphological units on phytodiversity is important for guiding management decisions and restoration strategies in the Sahelian vulnerables zones. This paper describes land cover degradation by combining Landsat TM image analysis and field data measurements in the Gourouol catchment of the Sahelian zone of Burkina Faso. Erdas Imagine 9.2 and Arc-GIS.10 were applied. The change patterns were obtained by superposing land cover maps for 1992 and 2010. The field data were collected by the mean of inventories according to the Braun-Blanquet phytosociological relevés methods. Plot sizes were 50 m x 20 m for woody species and 10 m x 10 m for herbaceous species. Six land cover types were identified and mapped: cultivated lands, bared lands, lowlands, which all spatially increased; and shrub-steppes, grasslands and water bodies, which all spatially decreased. The dynamic patterns based on the geomorphological units were non-degraded lowlands, stable sand dunes and degraded glacis. High plant diversity was found in lowlands, whereas low diversity occurred in glacis. A significant dissimilarity was observed between communities. The Shannon diversity indices in plant communities were approximately close to ln(species richness). The Pielou indices were close to 1, indicating a species fairly good distribution. Our results showed a variation of land cover over time and the effects of geomorphological units on phytodiversity. Furthermore, this variation helps oppose land degradation in the Sahel.
Knowledge about the herbaceous layer in relation to environmental factors in West African savannas is still scarce. Early life-cycle events like germination of the herbaceous species are of special interest, as these stages can play critical roles in establishing of the plants and determine population and community dynamics. We aim to assess intraspecific differences in the germinability of herbaceous savanna species with respect to environmental conditions to reveal adaptations in this early life cycle stage. The study was conducted in the Sudanian savanna of Burkina Faso in West Africa. We collected seeds of two annual herbs (Chamaecrista mimosoides, Spermacoce stachydea) along a climatic gradient from different habitats and land use types and conducted germination experiments under equal conditions in climate chambers. For both species several environmental factors showed a significant impact on the germination rates. While higher precipitation caused an increase in the germination rate only for S. stachydea, habitat conditions had a significant influence for both species. Intermediate habitats with balanced soil moisture caused an enhancement of the germination success. Moreover shrub cover had a positive effect on the germinability of C. mimosoides, whereas the germinability of S. stachydea decreased due to an increasing herbaceous cover. The study showed that certain environmental factors are able to modify the intraspecific variability of the germinability trait, which might affect the establishment of the species populations.
Au Burkina Faso les études menées sur la végétation des inselbergs sont fragmentaires et insuffisantes. Il existe très peu de données sur la végétation des inselbergs et aucune étude n'a encore été menée sur cette végétation suivant un gradient climatique. L'objectif de cette étude est de décrire la végétation ligneuse des inselbergs des quatre secteurs phytogéographiques du Burkina Faso suivant un gradient climatique nord-sud. Les données ont été collectées dans des placeaux de 30 m x 30 m, suivant un échantillonnage stratifié et aléatoire. Des indices de diversité, d'équitabilité, de valeur d'importance et de similitude ont été calculés pour la végétation des inselbergs granitiques et gréseux des secteurs phytogéographiques. Un total de 188 relevés a été réalisé. 143 espèces ligneuses ont été recensées et se répartissent inégalement dans les quatre secteurs phytogéographiques. Plus de trois quarts moitié (79%) de ces espèces se retrouve dans le secteur Sud-soudanien, ce qui le rend plus riche floristiquement. Le secteur le moins riche en espèces est le secteur Nord-sahélien avec 37 espèces (26%). La richesse floristique augmente du nord au sud du gradient climatique et met en évidence la variation taxonomique suivant le gradient latitudinal de précipitation. Les 143 espèces ligneuses recensées sur les inselbergs des quatre secteurs phytogéographiques représentent 65 % des espèces ligneuses et 7 % de la flore totale du Burkina Faso. Les facteurs topographie et nature du substrat n'ont pas un effet significatif (p > 0,05) sur la composition floristique des inselbergs. La densité et la surface terrière des peuplements ligneux varient significativement suivant l'altitude (p < 0,05). Le climat, particulièrement le niveau de précipitation, reste le principal facteur qui influe sur la répartition des taxa devant la nature du substrat, la topographie et l’anthropisation. Les peuplements ligneux des inselbergs des secteurs sud-sahélien et ord-soudanien sont les moins denses. Ils subissent plus de pression anthropique par rapport aux peuplements ligneux des secteurs Nord-sahélien et Sud-soudanien. Les inselbergs les plus hauts ont une végétation ligneuse plus dense que les inselbergs les plus bas.
Over the last decades agroforestry parklands in Burkina Faso have come under increasing demographic as well as climatic pressures, which are threatening indigenous tree species that contribute substantially to income generation and nutrition in rural households. Analyzing the threats as well as the species vulnerability to them is fundamental for priority setting in conservation planning. Guided by literature and local experts we selected 16 important food tree species (Acacia macrostachya, Acacia senegal, Adansonia digitata, Annona senegalensis, Balanites aegyptiaca, Bombax costatum, Boscia senegalensis, Detarium microcarpum, Lannea microcarpa, Parkia biglobosa, Sclerocarya birrea, Strychnos spinosa, Tamarindus indica, Vitellaria paradoxa, Ximenia americana, Ziziphus mauritiana) and six key threats to them (overexploitation, overgrazing, fire, cotton production, mining and climate change). We developed a species-specific and spatially explicit approach combining freely accessible datasets, species distribution models (SDMs), climate models and expert survey results to predict, at fine scale, where these threats are likely to have the greatest impact. We find that all species face serious threats throughout much of their distribution in Burkina Faso and that climate change is predicted to be the most prevalent threat in the long term, whereas overexploitation and cotton production are the most important short-term threats. Tree populations growing in areas designated as ‘highly threatened’ due to climate change should be used as seed sources for ex situ conservation and planting in areas where future climate is predicting suitable habitats. Assisted regeneration is suggested for populations in areas where suitable habitat under future climate conditions coincides with high threat levels due to short-term threats. In the case of Vitellaria paradoxa, we suggest collecting seed along the northern margins of its distribution and considering assisted regeneration in the central part where the current threat level is high due to overexploitation. In the same way, population-specific recommendations can be derived from the individual and combined threat maps of the other 15 food tree species. The approach can be easily transferred to other countries and can be used to analyze general and species specific threats at finer and more local as well as at broader (continental) scales in order to plan more selective and efficient conservation actions in time. The concept can be applied anywhere as long as appropriate spatial data are available as well as knowledgeable experts.
L’étude s’inscrit dans le cadre de la valorisation des bois sacrés dans un contexte de conservation de la biodiversité, elle a pour objectifs de recenser les différents bois sacrés au nord du Burkina Faso, d’évaluer leur richesse floristique et d’appréhender leurs mécanismes de gestion par les populations locales. Des prospections ont été conduites sur l’ensemble de la zone d’étude en vue de recenser les bois sacrés. Dans chaque localité des enquêtes ont été conduites auprès des populations directement ou indirectement impliquées dans la gestion de ces formations. Des relevés phytosociologiques ont été réalisés dans les différentes formations végétales (bois sacrés et formations adjacentes) suivant la méthode Braun-Blanquet (1932) sur des placeaux de 1000 m2 et de 100 m2 respectivement pour les ligneux et les herbacées, en vue de déterminer les différentes phytocoenoses. 190 bois sacrés ont été recensés dont 35 ont fait l’objet d’inventaires phytosociologiques. 35 formations adjacentes ont également fait l’objet d’inventaires afin de mieux apprécier l’importance des bois sacrés dans la conservation des espèces. Le traitement des données phytosociologiques s’est effectué sur la base de 162 relevés, au moyen du logiciel CAP (Community Analysis Package). Les résultats ont révélé que les systèmes de gestion des ressources naturelles dans les bois sacrés sont basés sur des règles et des principes traditionnels. Ces bois sont pour la plupart des cimetières (50% du total), fétiches (17% du total) et fétiche-cimetières (27% du total). Le traitement des données phytosociologiques a permis de discriminer 11 groupements végétaux dont 05 pour la strate ligneuse et 06 pour la strate herbacée. Les relevés de 7 groupements ont été réalisés dans les bois sacrés et ceux de 4 groupements hors des bois sacrés. L’analyse de la richesse floristique d’ensemble (bois sacrés et environs) des ligneux a révélé la dominance de la famille des Leguminosae-Mimosoideae (16%) et des Combretaceae (12%). La flore herbacée quant à elle est dominée par les Poaceae (24%) et les Leguminosae- Papilionoideae (12%).
The year 1989 represents the starting point of the cooperation between botanists of the Goethe-University in Frankfurt (Germany) and of the University of Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso). Some years later, the University of Abomey-Calavi (Benin) joined the cooperation. This paper gives an overview on joint projects, resulting publications and theses, and on other achievements of this fruitful cooperation, which meanwhile also comprises partners of Ivory Coast, Niger and Senegal.
Uses and Management Strategies of the Multipurpose Tree Anogeissus leiocarpa in Eastern Burkina Faso
(2011)
Many people in the semi-arid tropics strongly depend on non-timber forest products (NTFPs) for livelihood. Increasing threats on NTFP-providing tree species, due to land-use intensification and over-harvesting, require ecological studies as well as additional information provided by local people. One important NTFP-providing tree in West Africa is Anogeissus leiocarpa. Even though this species is highly used, ethnobotanical studies on A. leiocarpa are scarce and address mainly qualitative aspects. Our study investigates uses, perceptions of the population development, and management strategies of A. leiocarpa among the Gulimanceba people in eastern Burkina Faso. We conducted a quantitative ethnobotanical survey and investigated distribution of traditional ecological knowledge related to the species on a local scale, i.e. difference in knowledge between villages, genders, and generations. Interviews reveal that A. leiocarpa is harvested by local people for 18 different uses and emphasize its high importance for local people. Ethnobotanical knowledge of A. leiocarpa was mostly evenly spread between genders and generations, while it slightly differed between villages. Although local people did not actively protect A. leiocarpa, current local harvesting modes and management resulted in sustainable use. However, ongoing land-use intensifications require adapted management strategies to guarantee the persistence of this important species. Our results provide, in combination with ecological results of our previous study, appropriate management recommendations. Our study emphasizes the importance of ethnobotanical studies on a local scale level in order to develop management strategies that are reliable in the specific area under the specific circumstances.
Wild plant species are important nutritious supplements to otherwise nutrient poor diets of rural populations in West Africa. Consequently, a decline of wild food species has a direct negative impact on the nutritional status of local households. In this study, we firstly investigated the preferred wild food species in south-east Burkina Faso, their perceived change in abundance as well as their contribution to wild food income. Secondly, we studied how these species might be substituted in times of species shortfall. Thirdly, we investigated the impact of socio-economic variables on the substitution choice. We conducted 155 household interviews in two villages and found 21 wild food species. With a contribution of almost 70% to wild food income, Vitellaria paradoxa and Parkia biglobosa were economically most important. All species were considered declining to some degree. The wide range of cited substitutes for the ten most important wild food species indicates a great knowledge on alternative plant species in the area. For the majority, the substitution choice did not depend on socio-economic characteristics. Cited as surrogate for several important wild food species, the native tree Balanites aegyptiaca was the most important substitute species. Many valued wild food species were substituted with other highly valued wild food species and therefore the decline of one species can lead to a shortfall of another substitute. Thus, even though our results suggest that people are able to counteract the decrease or absence of wild food species, growing decline of one species would concurrently increase the pressure on other native food species.
It is common knowledge that plants have been the world-wide most important source of medicines and that they still play this role in developing countries. However, up to now, complete lists of medicinal and aromatic plants (MAP) exist for comparatively few countries. A review of all lists know to the authors reveals the following results: A total of 20.7 % of the plant species analyzed by either publications or own research are or were used as MAP. However, regarding single countries, the differences are considerably high. Absolutely leading the list are China (36.2 %), Burkina Faso (35.2 %) and the Korean Republic (34.5 %). Also ahead of other countries or regions are the North of Benin (32.8 %) and the entire Pakistan (30.3 %). Still above average rank Great Britain (26.7 %) and Nepal (23.3 %), while the figures for Bul¬garia (21.0 %), Germany (20.2 %) and France (19.4 %) almost represent the average. Jordan (17.3 %), Vietnam (17.1 %), Sri Lanka (16.6 %), India (16.1 %) and Thailand (15.5 %) rank slightly beneath. Clearly below the average are the percentages of MAP for Hungary (12.2 %) and the USA (11.8 %). The average numbers of MAP in the Philippines (9.5 %) and Malaysia (7.7 %) fall far behind. Calculated on a worldwide scale, every fifth plant can be regarded as MAP. This number matches that from Bulgaria, France and Germany. In northern Benin, Burkina Faso, Korea, China and Pakistan, however, every third plant is or was used as MAP, whereas in Hungary and the USA only every eighth plant can be regarded as MAP. This number drops even further for the Philippines ore Malaysia where only every tenth or thirteenth plant can be attributed to medicinal or aromatic use. These differences might be due to various factors. A geographical component of the results is obvious: in most cases geographically close countries show similar percentages. A correlation between the total number of species and the fraction of those used as MAP cannot be confirmed. The countries with percentage of MAP > 30 % in common show that they belong either entirely (Burkina Faso, Benin) or at least in their rural areas to the poorest countries of the world so that it is (was) impossible for the majority of the people to buy "modern" MAP. In those countries the number of traditional healers outnumbers largely the number of modern doctors. Therefore, the tradition of folk medicine was maintained until today. Additionally, China, Korea and partially Pakistan have a very old and well documented tradition of folk medicine. Due to this documentation even in areas where today "modern MAP" are used, the knowledge was not lost. In neighboring countries or regions, which differ with respect to a more arid or a more humid climate, for the arid country (region) more MAPs are reported than for the humid one. The potential reasons for this phenomenon are discussed in the paper. For many countries the percentage given for MAP in literature is too low. But even these low values represent a striking argument for the importance of a world-wide conservation of biodiversity.
Background: The West African country of Burkina Faso (BFA) is an example for the enduring importance of traditional plant use today. A large proportion of its 17 million inhabitants lives in rural communities and strongly depends on local plant products for their livelihood. However, literature on traditional plant use is still scarce and a comprehensive analysis for the country is still missing.
Methods: In this study we combine the information of a recently published plant checklist with information from ethnobotanical literature for a comprehensive, national scale analysis of plant use in Burkina Faso. We quantify the application of plant species in 10 different use categories, evaluate plant use on a plant family level and use the relative importance index to rank all species in the country according to their usefulness. We focus on traditional medicine and quantify the use of plants as remedy against 22 classes of health disorders, evaluate plant use in traditional medicine on the level of plant families and rank all species used in traditional medicine according to their respective usefulness.
Results: A total of 1033 species (50%) in Burkina Faso had a documented use. Traditional medicine, human nutrition and animal fodder were the most important use categories. The 12 most common plant families in BFA differed considerably in their usefulness and application. Fabaceae, Poaceae and Malvaceae were the plant families with the most used species. In this study Khaya senegalensis, Adansonia digitata and Diospyros mespiliformis were ranked the top useful plants in BFA. Infections/Infestations, digestive system disorders and genitourinary disorders are the health problems most commonly addressed with medicinal plants. Fabaceae, Poaceae, Asteraceae, Apocynaceae, Malvaceae and Rubiaceae were the most important plant families in traditional medicine. Tamarindus indica, Vitellaria paradoxa and Adansonia digitata were ranked the most important medicinal plants.
Conclusions: The national-scale analysis revealed systematic patterns of traditional plant use throughout BFA. These results are of interest for applied research, as a detailed knowledge of traditional plant use can a) help to communicate conservation needs and b) facilitate future research on drug screening.
