Characteristics of the Flora and Woody Vegetation of Agroforestry Parks in the District of Kataba 1 (Bignona, Lower Casamance)

Abstract

Like several Sahelian countries, Senegal is facing a strong degradation of woody and arable resources. This is due to the development of certain inappropriate agricultural practices. To mitigate this situation, the populations tend to preserve and maintain certain woody species of interest in the fields, thus constituting agroforestry parks. Thus, the objective of this study was to contribute to a better understanding of the characteristics of woody vegetation in agroforestry parks in the department of Bignona. To this end, a plot of 2500 m2 (50 m × 50 m) was installed in the fields of each farmer selected in a sample of 99 farm managers distributed in the three communes (Djinaky, Kataba1 and Kafountine) of the Kataba1 district, for a total of 99 plots installed. A total of seventy-three (73) species divided into fifty-five (55) genera and twenty-eight (27) botanical families were inventoried. In the agroforestry parks of the Kataba 1 district, the density of woody vegetation is 56.12 individuals/ha, the cover rate is 27.9% and the basal area is 5.9 m2/ha. The vertical structure of the woody vegetation is characterized by a predominance of individuals between 2 and 4 m in height (48.07%). As for the horizontal structure, it is characterized by a predominance of individuals of diameter between 5 and 20 cm (39.19%). These results obtained will serve as a source of information for better management of these agroforestry parks by the populations.