Completeness of Digital Accessible Knowledge of Plants of Benin and Priorities for Future Inventory and Data Discovery

Discovery of and access to primary biodiversity data are critical components in informed decision-making regarding sustainable use of biological resources and conservation of biodiversity. Primary biodiversity data are increasingly available from Benin, but information about completeness of this information across the country is still lacking for most groups. This study analyzed the Digital Accessible Knowledge regarding the plants of Benin to identify gaps in both geographic and environmental dimensions. Many gaps exist in plant data for Benin, particularly in the northern most departments; central and southern Benin are better known, but some gaps remain even there. The resulting view of Beninese Digital Accessible Knowledge can guide future inventory and data discovery efforts

Systèmes Agroforestiers A Garcinia Kola Heckel Au Sud-Est Du Bénin : Distribution Géographique, Connaissances Endogènes Et Retombées Financières

This study was carried out in three districts (Avrankou, Adjarra, and Ifangni) of south-eastern Benin, and aimed to analyze the socio-economic and ethnobotanical importance of Garcinia kola Heckel, in order to contribute to their sustainable management. Focus groups were conducted with three groups, composed of 10 owners of G. kola per district each and the result showed that Garcinia kola Heckel became extinct in their naturally occurring state in Benin. Besides, a survey was conducted among 140 owners of G. kola randomly selected in the study area. The results showed that the average number of G. kola feet per owner varies between 3 and 4, and the annual income generated from seeds marketing by an owner is XOF 1036000 in Adjarra district, XOF 356250 in Avrankou district, and XOF 290892 in Ifangni district. Furthermore, the ethnobotanical study showed that G. kola organs are well known and used by local people for medicine, food (for both humans and animals), commercial, spiritual purpose, and for timber and shading. The medicinal use was the most widespread with a diversity of uses (UD = 0.64 in Adjarra, UD = 0.61 in Avrankou and UD = 0.68 in Ifangni). The old men held more knowledge about the use of various organs of the species (ID = 0.91, IE = 0.91), while young women hold less knowledge (ID = 0.20, IE = 0.20). The seeds are the most common part used regardless of the district considered

Impacts of forest pests on wood production in Khaya senegalensis plantations established in three climatic regions of Benin

Empirical data reporting forest pest damage on Khaya senegalensis have raised concerns over their potential economic impacts. Although the problem was also reported in Benin, scientific data on their economic impact on plantations are lacking. In this study, we combined dendrometry and survey data to estimate the economic impact of wood damage caused by pests in K. senegalensis plantations in Benin. We found that four major pest guilds cause damage to the plantations with severe wood production loss. Wood borers are the most economically damaging guild, mainly in mature plantations, while shoot borers and defoliators predispose trunks to bifurcation and deformation in young plantations. We estimated damage to 8.3 ± 5.4 m3 ha-1 of wood production, corresponding to an economic loss of 825.5 ± 635.4 USD ha-1. Our findings suggest that pest management in K. senegalensis plantation should focus on the developmental stages and ecological interactions between host and pest to reduce the economic impacts of wood damage. Keywords: African mahogany, Major pest, Destruction of wood, Economic impac

Régénération Naturelle Assistée Du Teck (Tectona Grandis L. F.) Dans La Forêt Classée De La Lama Au Bénin

La régénération naturelle assistée, technique utilisée pour favoriser le développement du potentiel adventif et du potentiel séminal des arbres, est un mode de reproduction adopté de nos jours pour renouveler et pérenniser les formations forestières. La présente étude a été réalisée dans les plantations de la forêt classée de la Lama, situées entre 6°55' et 7°00' de latitude Nord et entre 2°4' et 2°12' de longitude Est. Elle vise à proposer une technique de régénération naturelle assistée peu coûteuse adaptée aux peuplements de teck installés sur des vertisols hydromorphes. Trois méthodes de régénérations naturelles assistées ont été testées sur quatre types de sols (vertisol argilosableux, vertisol argileux, vertisol argilo-calcaire et vertisols argilo-calcaire superficiel). Pour chaque traitement sur chaque type de sol, deux placeaux carrées de 100 m2 ont été matérialisés avec chacun huit placettes de 4 m2. La régénération a été inventoriée dans chaque placette et des relevés ont été effectués par rapport au nombre, hauteur et circonférence au collet des jeunes plants. L’évaluation des coûts de la méthode a été réalisée grâce à une comptabilité analytique régulière prenant en compte toutes les dépenses d’installation et de maintenance des parcelles expérimentales. La densité, hauteur et circonférence au collet varient significativement en fonction des types de sol. Toutefois, les plants sont plus développés en hauteur et en circonférence au collet dans les interlignes que sur les lignes. La régénération sur sol non travaillé est le moins coûteuse et donc celui à recommander aux gestionnaires des teckeraies de la Lama. Assisted natural regeneration is a technique used to promote the development of the seminal potential of trees. Actually, it is a mode of reproduction adopted to renew and sustain the forests. This study was carried out in the plantations of the Lama reserve (between 6° 55' and 7° 00' north and between 2° 4'and 2° 12' east). It aims to propose an inexpensive assisted natural regeneration method adapted to teak stands installed on hydromorphic vertisols. Three assisted natural regeneration methods were tested on four soil types ((clay-sandy vertisol, clay vertisol, clay-limestone vertisol, and superficial clay-limestone vertisols). For each treatment about each type of soil, two square plots (100 m2) were materialized with eight plots of 4 m2 each one. Regeneration was inventoried in each plot and data are collected about number, height, and circumference at the neck of seeding. The production costs were assessed through regular cost accounting taking into account all the installation and maintenance expenses of the experimental plots. From the results, density, height, and collar circumference vary significantly with soil types. However, the seedlings are more developed in height and circumference at the collar in the interlinings than on the lines. Regeneration on unworked soil is the least expensive and therefore the one to recommend to managers of teak plantations of the Lama

Floristic and structural changes in secondary forests following agricultural disturbances: the case of Lama forest reserve in Southern Benin

Structural changes in secondary forests are less known in West Africa, and this precludes their management. This study aims at providing quantitative information on floristic composition and structure of the Lama secondary forests (Benin), so as to contribute to their restoration, and fill part of knowledge gaps on West African secondary forests. Data of 77 permanent plots each of 0.5 ha were used to analyze the floristic composition, the trajectory of the recovery and the recovery of stocking in these forests, compared to nearby old-growth forests. The results showed that the forests were less diversified with few species very common in the forest stands; the most dominant were Lonchocarpus sericeus and Anogeissus leiocarpa in the secondary forests, and Dialium guineense, Diospyros mespiliformis and Afzelia africana in the old-growth forests. The secondary forests hold more species than the mature ones. Their compositions will recover that of the original forest because species of the original forest were actively regenerating in the secondary forests. About 28 years after recovery, large trees were insufficient and basal area was about 60% of those of the mature forests. Further studies are needed to elucidate barriers to tree regeneration and dynamics of tree population.© 2016 International Formulae Group. All rights reserved.Keywords: Secondary forest, recovery, diversity, species composition, timber stock, Beni

Biotope et valeur indicatrice écologique de l'association à Lecaniodiscus cupanioides et Landolphia calabarica dans le sous-bois naturel des teckeraies du sud-Bénin

The stations and ecological indicatory value of the plant community Landolphio - Lecaniodiscetum cupanioidis have been studied in the natural undergrowth of teak plantations of Djigbé forest in south Benin. The main results show that the association occures on reddish non hydromorphic clay soils slightly acidic to neutral (pH 6 to 7,3). Its soils are associated with low slopes (5% on the average). The association is linked to the stations presenting the largest risks of windthrow (30% on average), by reason of the shallow depth of the large roots (50 cm on the average). The main factor which controls the extent of the windthrow is the presence of clay horizon in the first 40 cm of the soil.SCOPUS: ar.jinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishe