Abstract
The city of Parakou, like cities in developing countries, is experiencing rapid urbanization with the consequences of the destruction of the tree fabric and the progressive loss of cultural knowledge related to it. But in this city, tree species are spared or planted for several reasons. This paper aims to characterize the ecosystem services associated with these trees according to different social categories of urban dwellers. A sample of 370 inhabitants determined by Dagnelie's formula is used to collect the information. The rate of identification of the types of ecosystem services has been assessed. The analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was used to analyze the influence of social groups on the rate of identification of services. The characterization of ecosystem services according to the different groups was done using the Correspondence Factor Analysis (CFA). A total of 30 ecosystem services grouped into 24 types in 4 categories, namely provisioning services, regulating services, cultural services and support services were identified. It emerges that the most cited services are respectively, in decreasing order, air regulation (90%), food (86%), aesthetic pleasure (40%) and medicinal virtues (36%). The socio-cultural group and the level of education strongly influence the rate of ecosystem identification. The characterization of ecosystem services by to social groups shows that the interest shown by each social group in ecosystem services depends on the benefits it derives from the tree on a daily basis. Although the population recognizes the services provided by trees, it is not actively involved in their conservation, which justifies the low density of the tree layer in the city of Parakou. This gives rise to research on the socio-economic and institutional constraints linked to the promotion of trees in the city of Parakou.
Highlights
West African cities abound with a significant diversity of trees distributed in public gardens, private gardens, concessions, parks, plantations, roads, abandoned spaces, etc. [1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9] These plant formations are referred to in the literature as urban forests [10,11,12] or urban green spaces [13, 8]
The present research has allowed to assess the knowledge of the inhabitants of Parakou on the ecosystem services rendered by the urban forest
It allowed to identify the social factors that influence this knowledge and to analyze the trend of the different social groups in the city towards the ecosystem services rendered by trees in urban areas
Summary
West African cities abound with a significant diversity of trees distributed in public gardens, private gardens, concessions, parks, plantations, roads, abandoned spaces, etc. [1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9] These plant formations are referred to in the literature as urban forests [10,11,12] or urban green spaces [13, 8]. Urban forests constitute urban ecosystems [15, 16] and are the subject of an increasing number of studies, as the reasoned and optimised management of these ecosystems appears indispensable for the viability of societies [17] These urban ecosystems constituted by the urban forest contribute to public health and increase the quality of life of city dwellers, for example by improving air quality and reducing noise [15]. They enrich the soil, slow down erosion due to runoff and provide shade. This range of benefits that human populations derive, directly or indirectly, from ecosystem functions is called ecosystem services [19] and is divided into four categories: provisioning or harvesting services, regulating services, cultural services, and supporting or sustaining services [20]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
