Importance Socio-Économique De Xylopia Aethiopica (Dun) A. Rich. Pour Les Populations Du Sud-Bénin

Xylopia aethiopica is a multi-purpose Non Timber Forest Product (NTFP) which products are consumed across Africa. This study aimed at generating useful information to support the sustainable management of Xylopia aethiopica in southern Benin. A survey was carried out to interview 122 stakeholders, including consumers and traders. Data were collected on the consumption of Xylopia aethiopica products, the income generated by their marketing, and the management the species trees by local people. As results, the species was mainly used in traditional medicine. Other forms of consumption included: spiritual rituals, fuelwood, food, and construction timber. Among Xylopia aethiopica products, the fruits were the most commercialized. The stakeholders operating in the commercialization system were: collectors, processors-wholesalers, and retailers. The gross margin per 100 kg of fruits averaged XOF 4500 for collectors and processors- wholesalers, and XOF 2500 for retailers. Xylopia aethiopica trees were privately managed based on land ownership. Given the decrease of the species, because of over-exploitation and cultural beliefs, the sensitizing of local people and the promotion of domestication are expected to support its conservatio

Production of Acacia auriculiformis A. Cunn. ex Benth. for reforestation in southern Benin

The viability of Acacia auriculiformis production system in southern Benin was studied from an analytical perspective combining the production techniques and the financial profitability. The driving research question was as follows: "Will the nurseries be able to supply the seedlings suited to successful reforestation programmes?" A survey was carried out among nursery holders in the Atlantique Department. The snowball sampling method enabled to survey 55 nursery holders, based on semi-structured interviews. Respondents provided data on the organisation of production, production techniques, production costs, and sales revenues. There were two types of nurseries: individual nurseries and collective nurseries. The stages of acacia seedlings production were as follows: seed collection, dormancy breaking, sowing, and cares for young seedlings. Overall, the production techniques used by nursery holders were effective. The net revenue for 1000 seedlings ranged between XOF 9000 and 26000. Collective nurseries had lower production costs, hence higher revenues, compared to individual nurseries. It is essential to support nursery holders through capacity strengthening training and the availability of good quality seeds

Towards a Post-Graduate Level Curriculum for Biodiversity Informatics. Perspectives from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) Community

Biodiversity informatics is a new and evolving field, requiring efforts to develop capacity and a curriculum for this field of science. The main objective was to summarise the level of activity and the efforts towards developing biodiversity informatics curricula, for work-based training and/or academic teaching at universities, taking place within the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) countries and its associated network. A survey approach was used to identify existing capacities and resources within the network. Most of GBIF Nodes survey respondents (80%) are engaged in onsite training activities, with a focus on work-based professionals, mostly researchers, policy-makers and students. Training topics include data mobilisation, digitisation, management, publishing, analysis and use, to enable the accessibility of analogue and digital biological data that currently reside as scattered datasets. An initial assessment of academic teaching activities highlighted that countries in most regions, to varying degrees, were already engaged in the conceptualisation, development and/or implementation of formal academic programmes in biodiversity informatics, including programmes in Benin, Colombia, Costa Rica, Finland, France, India, Norway, South Africa, Sweden, Taiwan and Togo. Digital e-learning platforms were an important tool to help build capacity in many countries. In terms of the potential in the Nodes network, 60% expressed willingness to be recruited or commissioned for capacity enhancement purposes. Contributions and activities of various country nodes across the network have been highlighted and a working curriculum framework has been defined. © 2021. Parker-Allie F et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are creditedPeer reviewe

Towards a Curriculum for Biodiversity Informatics

Biodiversity informatics has been characterized as a rapidly growing interdisciplinary field, which aims to bring together the areas of biodiversity and informatics. A study was conducted looking at the current level of activity within the GBIF Participant countries and its associated network in relation to work-based training and/or academic teaching at universities, in the field of biodiversity informatics. It was intended to get an overview of GBIF Node Managers, (hence, member countries), already engaged in developing course curricula, or in providing training, and whether they would be willing to share resources or enter into collaborations, to further elaborate this field of science.This investigation followed a survey approach, conducted globally across the GBIF community to identify the existing capacities and resources within the network. The results indicated that the vast majority of GBIF Nodes survey respondents, are engaged in onsite training activities in biodiversity informatics areas, with a focus on professionals, mostly researchers, policy makers and students. Training includes data digitization, management, publishing, analysis and use, to enable the accessibility of analogue and digital biological data which currently resides as scattered databases/datasets.A list containing the associated URL's for training and dissemination activities in GBIF Nodes has been developed, based on survey results, and will be presented. An initial assessment of the academic teaching activities indicated that many countries across most regions were already engaged in the conceptualisation, development and/or implementation of formal academic programs in biodiversity informatics including Benin, Colombia, Costa Rica, Finland, France, India, Norway, South Africa, Sweden, Taiwan and Togo. This study also identified that digital e-learning platforms were a very important tool to help build capacity in a number of countries.To assess the level of potential in the network to support academic teaching and work-based training, sixty percent indicated that they would be willing to be recruited or commissioned to support teaching activities, demonstrating the value of the Nodes network to support the development of biodiversity informatics globally. The contributions and activities of various nodes across the network will be highlighted and a working high-level curriculum framework will be discussed

Plantations de teck, Tectona grandis L.f., en sylviculture paysanne au Sud-Bénin

peer reviewedThis article used the farming system framework to characterise smallholder plantings of teak, Tectona grandis L.f., in southern Benin. The intention of this study was to show the policy line best suited to capturing the potential of smallholder forestry. The specific question addressed was as follows: how do smallholder farmers manage to integrate tree growing on their farms? Empirical assessments were based on a sample of 221 farmers selected through a cluster sampling procedure in five municipalities in the Atlantic district. Data were collected from face-to-face interviews based on a standardised questionnaire. A multivariate approach associating cluster analysis and Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was used to build a typology of teak planting systems. This was based on production objectives, the teak plantation area, overall farm size and the contribution of family labour to timber production. The study enabled to identify three planting systems related to different strategies for integrating teak planting on smallholdings. These planting systems were classified as “small - labour dominant” (33.48% of the sample), “medium - capital dominant” (37.56%), and “large - capital dominant” (28.96%). The farmers specialised in pole-wood production to supply urban demand for cheap construction timber in the region. The first three motivations for growing teak were to earn income, to satisfy household timber needs and to secure title to the land; however, the ranking of the last two motivations was reversed among farmers in the “large - capital dominant” planting system. Secure land tenure and the existence of a domestic market outlet are essential to successful development of on-farm tree growing.Cette étude se place dans le cadre du système agricole pour caractériser les modes de culture du teck, Tectona grandis L.f., sur les petites exploitations au Sud Bénin, avec pour objectif de cerner des orientations politiques à même de valoriser le potentiel de la sylviculture paysanne. La question posée est la suivante : par quels moyens les petits agriculteurs intègrent-ils la sylviculture sur leurs exploitations ? Une évaluation empirique a été menée en se basant sur un échantillon de 221 petits exploitants sélectionnés par échantillonnage en grappes sur cinq communes du département de l’Atlantique. Les données ont été recueillies par le biais d’entretiens en tête-à-tête à l’aide d’un questionnaire standardisé. Une approche à variable multiples associant analyse typologique et analyse en composante principale (Acp) a permis d’établir une typologie des systèmes de plantation du teck. Cette typologie se base sur les critères suivants : objectifs de production, superficies plantées en teck, taille de l’exploitation et contribution de la main-d’oeuvre familiale à la production de bois. L’étude a permis d’identifier trois systèmes de plantation associés aux différentes stratégies d’intégration d’une activité de sylviculture paysanne. Ces trois systèmes ont été classés selon les critères suivants : « petite taille à main-d’œuvre dominante » (33,48 % de l’échantillon), « taille moyenne à capital dominant » (37,56 %), et « grande taille à capital dominant» (28,96 %). Les exploitants se spécialisent dans la production de perches pour satisfaire la demande régionale de bois d’oeuvre à bas prix pour la construction urbaine. Les trois raisons principales motivant l’intégration des plantations de teck sont, dans l’ordre, la recherche de revenus, la satisfaction des besoins en bois de construction des ménages et la sécurisation des titres fonciers. Cependant, l’ordre des deux dernières est inversé dans le cas du système « grande taille à capital dominant ». La sécurité foncière et l’existence d’un marché domestique sont indispensables pour réussir le développement d’une sylviculture paysanne

Structural and ecological characteristics of successional vegetation stages: silvicultural systems for forest rehabilitation and sustainable management in Lama Forest Reserve (Benin, West Africa)

The study was carried out in the Lama Forest Reserve located 100 km North of Cotonou, Benin (6°55'- 7°00' N, 2°04' - 2°12' E). Its main objective was to study the structural and ecological characteristics of the forest so as to design adequate silvicultural systems for the forests' rehabilitation and sustainable management. The species diversity of the forest was appreciated by computing Shannon index, Evenness coefficient of Pielou, alpha, beta and gamma diversity of the plant-communities. To assess dendrometric parameters, eight 0.25 ha (50 m * 50 m) permanent sampling plots were set up at representative points of each plant-community. In the sampling plots, diameter at breast height (dbh) (1.30 m above ground) and height of valuable species were measured on individuals with dbh ≥10 cm. In each permanent plot, 02 square subplots of 100 m² each were set up to assess regeneration (individuals with dbh< 10 cm). The diameter structures of the plant-communities and valuable species were adjusted to the theoretical distribution of Weibull, and served as a reliable indicator to choose adequate silvicultural systems. From the main results, four stages are observed in the successional vegetation of Lama Forest. They are composed of pioneer herbaceous, annual and perennial plant-communities, young and old secondary forest-communities. The secondary forests are in general the most diversified plant communities in terms of α and γ diversity. The tree-density of the forests ranged from 228 to 326 stems/ha with no significant difference at 5% of probability level. However, the basal area, the mean quadratic diameter, and the Lorey's mean height respectively varied from 9.27 to 21.20 m²/ha; 21.57 to 32.41 cm and, 15.21 to 22.28 m with significant difference at 5% of probability level. The highest values of these parameters are obtained in old secondary forests. On the basis of ecological traits, ability of regeneration, and diameter structure of the valuable / dominant forest species, silvicultural systems are proposed to enhance the forests' rehabilitation and sustainable management. They comprised valuable forest species planting in pioneer herbaceous plant-communities; enrichment planting, single-tree selection system, group-felling system, and follow up through tending