Land use impact on Vitellaria paradoxa C.F. Gaerten. stand structure and distribution patterns: a comparison of Biosphere Reserve of Pendjari in Atacora district in Benin |
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Authors: | Bruno Agossou Djossa Jakob Fahr T Wiegand B E Ayihouénou E K Kalko and B A Sinsin |
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Institution: | (1) Faculté des Sciences Agronomiques /UAC, Laboratoire d’Ecologie Appliquée, BP 910, Abomey-Calavi, Cotonou, Littoral, Bénin;(2) Institute of Experimental Ecology, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany;(3) Department of Ecological Modelling, UFZ Leipzig, Halle, Leipzig, Germany;(4) Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Balboa, Panama |
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Abstract: | The shea tree, Vitellaria paradoxa, is a socio-economically important tree for the rural population in parts of West Africa.
Our study assessed the current status of this native tree species with regard to increasing human pressure in northern Benin.
We compared distribution of adult shea trees, seedlings and saplings in farmed lands with protected areas in the Biosphere
Reserve of Pendjari (BRP). At our study site near BRP, agricultural activities foster recruitment of shea trees by regularly
cropping of vegetation cover. Furthermore, traditional farming practices preserve adult individuals thus permitting regular
fruit harvests. Consequently, most of the tallest and largest individuals of shea trees are found in framed lands. In contrast,
the highest density of juvenile trees including seedlings (dbh <5 cm) and saplings (dbh 5–10 cm) occurred within BRP. Saplings
were negatively affected by farming activities. Furthermore, spatial point pattern analysis revealed differences in the spatial
structure of juveniles. Juveniles showed significant aggregations at small scale (<20 m) in BRP as well as significant and
positive small-scale associations with adult trees. This contrasts with farmed lands where we did not find such spatial patterns
at similar small scale but only a weak aggregation between juveniles and absence of association (attraction) of adults to
juveniles. Although our analyses indicate that shea trees are rather well preserved, we conclude that the observed severe
reduction of saplings in farmed lands is likely to negatively impact the long-term viability of the tree population. Therefore
agroforestry practices must consider the preservation of sapling populations in farming areas for long-term conservation. |
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Keywords: | Benin Conservation Shea tree Spatial analysis |
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