Cultural attitudes and human pressure towards vultures around the Comoé National Park, Côte d’Ivoire (West Africa)

Abstract Background Populations of vultures in Africa have experienced a rapid decline over recent decades, with some species suffering losses of more than 90%. Various forms of human pressures have been identified as the causes of this decline. However, very little is known about the complex interaction between cultural practises, traditional medicine and the vultures’ natural environment. The purpose of this study was to analyse human pressures on vultures in relation with cultural attitudes such as their demand for magico-traditional medicine in Côte d’Ivoire, around the Comoé National Park (CNP), one of the last major refuges of these organisms in West Africa. Methods Eleven surrounding villages were visited to carry out ethno-ornithology surveys. One hundred and ten people were interviewed, at a rate of ten people per village, using a semi-structured questionnaire and informal discussions. Results The findings showed that vultures are still being seen both in and around the CNP. The most common species indicated to be observed and indicated by the interviewees were the Hooded Vulture (Necrosyrtes monachus) and the White-headed Vulture (Trigonoceps occipitalis). Nevertheless, 98.2% of the interviewees indicated having observed a decrease in the abundance of vultures over the last few years in the study area, as well as a decline in the number of sightings of these organisms. Interviewees attributed this scarcity of vultures to (1) the limited availability of food resources, (2) pesticide and tobacco poisoning, (3) hunting, (4) rapid population growth, (5) annual bushfires and (6) habitat loss. The uses of the vulture or parts of vultures by the populations surrounding the CNP (traditional medicine, mystic practises, consumption as food, cultural heritage) were also highlighted as real threats to these organisms. And the vulture parts commonly used in this area are: feathers, legs, head, heart, stomach, brain and excrement. The Hooded Vulture (Necrosyrtes monachus) appears to be the most sought-after species and the most widely used for these practises in the study area. Conclusion Appropriate conservation and communication initiatives are required to ensure the survival of these raptors, crucial for ecosystem well-being, while also ensuring a respect of cultural practises

Additional file 1 of Cultural attitudes and human pressure towards vultures around the Comoé National Park, Côte d’Ivoire (West Africa)

Additional file 1. The file presents the proportions of respondents' professions and religions by gender and age

Determinants of Termite Assemblages’ Characteristics within Natural Habitats of a Sudano-Guinean Savanna (Comoe National Park, Côte d’Ivoire)

Termites are one of the major components of tropical ecosystems. However, the ecological and biological variables determining the structure of their communities within natural habitats are less documented in general and especially in the Comoe National Park, a Sudano-Guinean savanna zone located in the north-eastern part of Côte d’Ivoire (West Africa). Using a standardized method of belt transects, the structure of termite’s communities was estimated within habitats differing in the structure of their vegetation, soil characteristics, and the disturbance level caused by annual occurrences of bushfires. The effect of a set of environmental variables (habitat type, occurrence of annual bushfire, woody plant density, woody plant species richness, and soil physicochemical parameters) was tested on the habitat-specific recorded termite species. Sixty species of termites belonging to 19 genera, seven subfamilies and two families, namely Rhinotermitidae (Coptotermitinae and Rhinotermitinae) and Termitidae (Apicotermitinae, Cubitermitinae, Macrotermitinae, Nasutitermitinae, and Termitinae) were sampled. These species were assigned to the four feeding groups of termites: fungus growers (18 species), wood feeders (17 species), soil feeders (19 species) and the grass feeders (6 species). The highest diversity of termites was encountered in forest habitats, with 37 and 34, respectively, for the gallery forest and the forest island. Among savanna habitats, the woodland savanna was identified as the most diversified habitat with 32 recorded species, followed by the tree savanna (28 species) and the grassy savanna (17 species). The distribution of termite species and their respective feedings groups was determined by the habitat type and a set of environmental variables such as Woody Plant Diversity (WPD), Woody plant Families Diversity (WPFD), and Organic Carbon (OC). The annual Fire Occurrence (FO) was found to indirectly impact the characteristics of termite assemblages within natural habitats via their respective Herbaceous Species Richness (HSR) and Woody Plant Species Richness (WPSR). In summary, the spatial heterogeneity of the Comoe National Park, modeled by the uncontrolled annual bushfire, offers a diversified natural habitat with an important variety of termite-habitat-specific species, probably due to the food preference of these organisms and its relatively good conservation status

Mort précoce des nids du termite du genre Macrotermes dans la Réserve Scientifique de Lamto en Côte d’Ivoire : compétition interspécifique ou action de fourmis prédatrices ?

Objectifs: Les nids du termite du genre Macrotermes sont l’une des caractéristiques des écosystèmes africains en général et des écosystèmes de savanes en particulier. Toutefois, à l’intérieur de la Réserve Scientifique de Lamto, en Côte d’Ivoire, une mort précoce de ces nids est observée. A l’inverse, le constat d’une grande densité et d’une importante fréquence de rencontre de ces nids sont fait en dehors des limites de cette réserve. Cette étude avait pour objectif général de déterminer les causes de la mort précoce de ces nids dans la réserve de Lamto. Spécifiquement, il s’est agi de (i) évaluer l’abondance et la distribution des nids du genre Macrotermes de différents types d’écosystèmes dans et en dehors de la réserve de Lamto, (ii) identifier les causes de la mort précoce des nids de Macrotermes dans la réserve de Lamto.Méthodologie et résultats: Pour ce faire, un repérage de nids de Macrotermes dans différents types d’habitats, dans et en dehors de la réserve de Lamto. Ce repérage a été suivi de la caractérisation de chacun des nids observés. Dans chaque type d’habitat, le repérage et la caractérisation des nids ont été effectués dans trois parcelles de 150 m x 150 m préalablement établies. Les prédateurs et les compétiteurs potentiels des Macrotermes ont été inventoriés à l’aide de monolithes de types Tropical Soil Biology and Fertility (TSBF) établis à un et 10 m des nids.Conclusions et applications des résultats: Seules des nids de l’espèce Macrotermes bellicosus ont été rencontrés au cours de cette étude. Aucun nid de l’espèce M. subhyalinus n’a été observé durant la présente étude. Il est ressortit une variation significative de l’abondance et de la densité de nids abandonnés et vivants de M. bellicosus entre l’intérieur et l’extérieur de la réserve de Lamto d’une part mais également d’un habitat à un autre. En outre, un grand nombre de nids de grande taille a été recensé en dehors de la réserve et les nids abandonnés sont généralement de petites tailles (volumes) et plus nombreux dans la réserve de Lamto, suggérant leur mort précoce effective dans ce milieu. Plusieurs espèces de termites et de fourmis ont été collectées autour des nids abandonnés et vivants ; avec  toutefois, une grande diversité autour des nids abandonnés, suggérant également une corrélation entre leur présence et la mort précoce des nids de M. bellicosus. D’autres pistes telles que celles de la dépression de consanguinité et de la qualité du sol pourraient être explorées pour obtenir des explications complémentaires à cette mort précoce des nids.Mots clés: Termites, Fourmis, Macrotermes, Nid, Réserve de Lamto, Côte d’IvoireEnglish Title: Premature death of nests in the genus Macrotermes within the Lamto Scientific Reserve in Côte d’Ivoire: interspecific competition or action of predatory ants?English AbstractObjectives: Nests of the genus Macrotermes are one of the main characteristics of African ecosystems in general and savannah ones particularly. However, within the Lamto Scientific Reserve in Côte d'Ivoire, a premature death of these nests is observed. Conversely, the high density and frequency of encounters of these nests are observed outside the boundaries of this reserve. The overall objective of this study was to determine the causes of the premature death of these nests in the Lamto Reserve. Specifically, this involved (i) assessing the abundance and distribution of nests of Macrotermes in different habitat types within and outside the Lamto Reserve, (ii) identifying the potential causes of the premature death of Macrotermes nests in this Reserve.Methodology and Results: Nests of Macrotermes were spotted in different habitat types, both within and outside the Lamto Reserve, followed by their characterization. In each habitat type, nest spotting and characterization were carried out in three previously established plots of 150 m x 150 m. Potential predators and competitors of the genus Macrotermes were inventoried using Tropical Soil Biology and Fertility (TSBF) monoliths, established at a distance of one and 10 m from the nest.Conclusion and applications of results: Only nests of the species Macrotermes bellicosus were encountered during this study. Those of M. subhyalinus were not observed during this work. A significant variation in the abundance and density of abandoned and live nests of M. bellicosus was observed inside and outside the Lamto Reserve on one hand, but also from a habitat type to another. In addition, a high number of mature nests has been seen outside the reserve. Inside the reserve, early abandoned nests (small in size) were found in abundance, suggesting their effective premature death in this protected area. Furthermore, several species of termites and ants were collected around both the abandoned and live nests; however, with a high diversity and abundance around the abandoned ones, suggesting a correlation between their presence and the premature death of these nests. Other avenues such as inbreeding depression and soil quality might be explored to obtain additional explanations to this premature death of Macrotermes nests within the Lamto reserve.Keywords: Termites, Ants, Macrotermes, Nest, Lamto Reserve, Ivory Coas

Phytogeographical and sociolinguistical patterns of the diversity, distribution, and uses of wild mushrooms in Côte d’Ivoire, West Africa

Abstract Background Many fungal species in tropical Africa are useful, with high added value, and play essential roles in the structure and dynamic of ecosystems. However, the diversity, distribution, and uses by local populations of these non-timber forest products (NTFPs) and their respective habitats are still very poorly understood in sub-Saharan Africa in general and more specifically in Côte d’Ivoire. This study aims at (i) inventorying the wild useful mushrooms of Côte d’Ivoire within its major protected areas and their respective surrounding sociolinguistical groups, according to climatic and phytogeographical gradients, and (ii) recording ethnomycological knowledge and considerations of these local people. Methods Field and ethnomycological surveys were conducted in the main and highest protected areas of Côte d’Ivoire (Comoé, Marahoué, and Taï national parks) and a set of their respective surrounding villages, along climatic and phytogeographical gradients. Standardized methods (permanent plots and opportunistic searches) were used for field surveys. In addition, a total 748 respondents belonging to 13 ethnic groups were interviewed at a rate of 300 interviewees during the preliminary investigations and 448 persons during the proper ethnomycological surveys. Results Sixty-eight useful wild fungal species, belonging to 17 families and 23 genera, were listed and collected. Four categories of usage were reported by the rural people (food, medicinal, belief and recreational), with a dominance of food and medicinal uses. Fifty-six species were reported to be used as food and 16 species as medicinal fungi. These uses varied not only from one sociolinguistical group to another but also from a visited village to another. The high number (41) of the reported useful species was found in the Sudano-Guinean savanna zone while 28 species were collected in the forest zone and 22 species in the forest-savanna mosaic zone. These mushrooms were either saprotrophic or symbiotic (ectomycorrhizal or termitophilic). Auricularia sp3, Psathyrella tuberculata, and Termitomyces spp. were found as the most commonly used mushrooms. Conclusions These national scale field and ethnomycological surveys give one of the more complete but non-exhaustive list of useful mushrooms of Côte d’Ivoire. Mushrooms are relatively well known and used by the Ivorian people within the main phytogeographical zone of the country. These people also have an interest in all the functional groups with an important phytogeographical zone-fungal-specific used species. However, protected areas of the visited zones seem to represent the last sanctuaries of these organisms due to high rate of loss of natural habitats

Diversity, phenology and distribution of Termitomyces species in Côte d’Ivoire

The mutualistic symbiosis between termites of the Macrotermitinae subfamily (Isoptera: Termitidae) and fungi of the genus Termitomyces (Basidiomycota: Lyophyllaceae) is of great ecological and socio-economic importance. Seasonal fruit bodies of the symbiotic fungi are regularly collected and sold in Côte d’Ivoire. However, there are very few studies on their diversity, phenology, distribution and especially the socio-economic scope of the fruit bodies of these fungi at a national scale. This study aims at (i) assessing the diversity of Termitomyces fruit bodies in Côte d’Ivoire and (ii) mapping their fructification areas through a determination of their spatiotemporal distribution according to a climatic and phytogeographic gradients. Using ethnomycological surveys all over the Ivorian territory, information was collected from rural populations on the fructification of Termitomyces and their socio-economic importance. Based on these surveys, sampling efforts of these fungi were properly structured and oriented. The results revealed a diversity of 16 species of Termitomyces, including 9 species new to Côte d’Ivoire and 2 probably new to science. Five species were found in the forest zone, nine in theGuinean savannah zone and four in the Sudano-Guinean zone. Termitomyces’s fructifications were observed throughout the year, with specific period for each species. All listed species are regularly consumed by populations. However, only Termitomyces letestui (Pat.) R. Heim and Termitomyces schimperi (Pat.) R. Heim are marketed on a relatively large scale

Season affects fire behavior in annually burned humid savanna of West Africa

Background: Fire is important for the maintenance of African savanna ecosystems, particularly humid savanna. Despite the importance of fire behavior to our understanding of fire's ecological effects, few studies have documented fire behavior and its determinants in humid West African savannas and, in particular, whether fire behavior depends on season of the year. We analyzed fire behavior in the Guinean savanna of Lamto (Ivory Coast) during a 4-year field experiment. The fire regimes tested consisted of three different burning seasons: early-season fire, mid-season fire, and late-season fire. Nine 0.5 ha plots were burned annually to determine the rate of spread and fire intensity. Fuel characteristics and weather conditions were measured to assess their impact on fire behavior. Results: Understory grass height, total fresh fuel load, and moisture content had greater values in early-season fire than in mid-season and late-season fire. The rate of spread and intensity of both mid-season fire (0.14 +/- 0.03 m s(-1) and 3920 +/- 740 kW m(-1), respectively) and of late-season fire (0.12 +/- 0.02 m s(-1) and 3134 +/- 482 kW m(-1), respectively) were significantly greater than those of early-season fire (0.04 +/- 0.01 m s(-1) and 1416 +/- 252 kW m(-1), respectively). The best predictors of fire behavior were fuel moisture content and air humidity; these two explanatory variables were the sole significant predictors for fire intensity, rate of fire spread, and flame height. Conclusions: Given that there is no difference between intensity of mid-season and late-season fire, we suggest that the generally reported higher impact of late-season fire on trees in the West African humid savannas is due not to fire intensity per se, but rather to a more sensitive phenological stage of trees (e.g., leafless in mid-season), and to a longer time of exposure to lethal temperatures (> 60 degrees C) in the late dry season. These data provide important insights into fire behavior in the Guinean savanna-forest mosaic ecoregion, informing fire management

Termite taxonomy, challenges and prospects: West Africa, a case example

Termites are important ecosystem engineers. Yet they are often difficult to identify due to the lack of reliable species-specific morphological traits for many species, which hampers ecological research. Recently, termitologists working with West African termites (West African Termite Taxonomy Initiative) convened for a workshop with the aim of beginning to address this problem. Repeated determination of the same termite samples by the most renowned taxonomists for West African termites identified the huge scale of the problem, as less than 10% of all species could be unambiguously determined to the species level. Intensive discussions and comparisons increased the identification success to around 25% at the end of the workshop. Yet many groups remained problematic and molecular markers and barcoding techniques combined with species delimitation approaches will be needed to help resolve these existing taxonomic problems. Based on the outcome of this workshop, we propose concerted initiatives to address termite taxonomy on a global scale. We are convinced that dedicated workshops on regional taxonomy that follow a similar structured approach, with repeated determination of the same sample, will help overcome the difficulties that termite taxonomy faces. This initiative can also serve as a blueprint for other taxonomical groups that are difficult to identify.SCOPUS: re.jinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishe