Gbèdomèdji Hurgues Aristide Houenon
Tropical gallery forests represent a critical vegetation state and are vulnerable to changing climate and land use that may contract or shift their distribution (Driscoll et al. 2021). Selection of gallery forest habitats by animals for foraging, roosting and swarming, among other uses, is typically related to microclimatic conditions, vegetation structure, and resource availability, including easy access to water (Rainho et al. 2010, Rainho and Palmeirim 2011, Torquetti et al. 2017). In Benin, the gallery forests of the Monts Kouffé reserve are micro-refuges for threatened species of flora and fauna. The flora species include Afzelia africana, Khaya senegalensis and Detarium senegalense, which are native to these gallery forests. In addition, populations of Pterocarpus erinaceus destroyed in the woodland of this reserve were also found in these gallery forests. However, the intensive felling of these trees is a source of degradation for these poorly represented habitats, and is therefore likely to result in the loss of animal and plant diversity.
A tree of Detarium senegalense felled in a gallery forest in the Monts Kouffé reserve.© Hurgues Houenon.
Moreover, these phenomena create gaps in gallery forests, preventing the development of shade-giving or sciaphilous plant species. The most of the species undergoing intensive logging in the gallery forests of the Monts Kouffé reserve are on the IUCN red list in the "Endangered" and "Vulnerable" categories and their densities are consequently reduced. For instance, populations of Detarium senegalense have largely regressed in recent decades in Benin (Houénon et al. 2021). Added to this is the very low density of adult individuals (2 trees/ha) of the species, combined with difficulties in recruiting regeneration (16 seedling/ha) (Houénon et al. 2022). So, urgent action to enrich degraded gallery forests of this reserve is therefore essential.
The project aims to:
i) identify the major causes of tree felling in the gallery forests of the Monts Kouffé reserve,
ii) assess the density of species undergoing intensive felling in relation to levels of habitat degradation,
iii) produce seedlings of each of these species
iv) initiate restoration actions followed by awareness-raising campaigns. In addition to these objectives, the project will aim to change the behavior of local communities with regard to the felling of gallery forest trees, for effective conservation of the flora and fauna of the Monts Kouffé reserve.
Header: Monts Kouffé reserve.© Hurgues Houenon.