Agbatan Marc Koutchoro
Afzelia africana is a nitrogen-fixing legume that improves soil fertility (Kitin et al., 2021) and plays an important role in agroforestry (Hills, 2020). It is a polyvalent tree that is used for wood, charcoal, fodder, and medicinal purposes (Donkpegan et al., 2020). Although widely distributed in Africa, intensive and unsustainable harvesting of the species has resulted in at least a 30% reduction in its population over the past three generations (150 years) (Hills, 2020). In recent years, Benin has experienced illegal exploitation of the species in protected areas and on private land. This has prompted the government to ban the exploitation and export of its timber since 2017. In 2022, some range countries, including Benin, proposed to CITES to include A. africana in Appendix II to restrict international trade in its wood.
Afzelia africana in agroforestry systems at Tchaourou. © Koutchoro (2023).
In spite of these multiple measures, the pressures related to the pruning of branches for livestock feed seem to be neglected despite the impacts revealed by several studies. Indeed, A. africana is used extensively as a feed supplement during the dry season (Kiema et al., 2012) to meet the shortage of annual fodder grasses (Kaboré-Zoungrana et al., 2008). The species is sometimes pruned without even sparing some individuals in order to promote population dynamics (Nacoulma et al., 2016). This practice leads to the decrease in diameter growth rate, seed quality (Gaoue et al., 2007) and fruit quantity on pruned individuals (Gaoue et al., 2008; Nacoulma et al., 2016). The combined effect of these threats results in low regeneration density of the species in its habitats (Amahowe et al., 2018). The risk of extinction of the species is already remarkable through the rarefaction of young individuals of future in Beninese ecosystems (Koutchoro et al., 2022). Faced with these threats, urgent conservation actions are needed to save it from extinction. This project aims to combine scientific approaches with the endogenous knowledge of local communities to improve the conservation status of Afzelia africana, an endangered species in Benin.
Specifically, the project aims to:
(i) Identify habitats favourable to the conservation of Afzelia Africana.
(ii) Assess the impact of livestock on the demographic structure of Afzelia africana populations.
(iii) Assess the perception of local communities on the temporal dynamics and local conservation practices of Afzelia africana, (iv) Sensitize local populations for the conservation of Afzelia africana in Benin.
Header: Afzelia africana pruned in the Wari-Maro gazetted forest. © Koutchoro (2023).