Characterization of the Woody Vegetation of Savannah Ecosystems of Mayo-Danay Division in the Sudano-Sahelian Zone of Cameroon

Bakoulou Ngamo Africa,Ibrahima Adamou,Souare Konsala

doi:10.11648/j.jps.20200803.11

Abstract

Phytodiversity is for man a vital element and a capital which provides for hismultiple needs. This study aims to characterize the floristic diversity and the structure of the woody vegetation of the Mayo-Danay division in the Sudano-Sahelian zone of Cameroon. The transect method was used for the floristic surveys. The experimental deviceconsists of four (04) treatments which are the sub-divisions and three (03) repetitions, or three (03) villages, per treatment. In the savannah ecosystem of each village, a transect (500 m x 20 m) was installed and along each transect, all woody trees with a dbh ≥ 10 cm at 1.30 m are inventoried, the diameter is measured as well as the height. The villages surveyed are as follows: Djelme, Gouma and Nouldaina in Gobo sub-division; Bangana, Kononaye and Tchalawa in Guere sub-division; Madalam, Sadamakou and Vagandja in kaïkaïsubdivision; Kalfou-center, Bougaye and Ngalaï in Kalfou subdivision. The analysis of variance permitted to realize the comparison between the different sites and the Fisher's LSD test allowed to make the comparison between the averages, and all was performed by Statgraphic + 5.0 Software. The total specific richness is 57 species belonging to 43 genera and 26 families out of 36 surveys that were carried out in our study area. The spescific diversity in Mayo-Danay varied according to the sites: the Shannon diversity index varies from 2.93 bits in the Bangana site to 4.82 bits in the center of Kalfou; the Pielou Evenness values varied from 0.45 in the Bangana site to 0.67 in the Kalfou-center site; the density was 14.89 ± 3.27 stems/ha in the Bangana site to 55.44 ± 10.49 stems/ha in the central Kalfou site. The basal area varied between 23.01 ± 13.17 m<sup>2</sup>/ha in the Kononaye site and 109.64 ± 22.93 m<sup>2</sup>/ha in the Vagandja site. The evaluation of the horizontal structure in the shape of an inverted J, and of the vertical in the shape of a bell shows a predominance of young subjects and especially of average individuals. The study made it possible to assess the structural characteristic of the woody settlement of the Mayo-Danay division. It thus reveals a regressive evolution of the woody stand with a very high proportion of species of small circumference and medium height. As part of a sustainable and rational management of natural resources in the Sudano-Sahelian environment, this study provides additional information on the current state of the woody populations of Mayo-Danay.

Highlights

Life on earth began with phytodiversity [1]
The largest number of families is observed in the village of Nouldaina and the Gobo subdivision, on the other hand, the villages of Bangana and Kononaye and the Guere sub-division have the smallest number of families
The most important species in terms of value of ecological importance (IVI) and which are found in all the sites of our study area were respectively Balanites aegyptiaca (60.21 from Sadamakou), Anogeissus leiocarpus (52.15 from Ngalai), Acacia seyal (49.59 from Bangana) (Table 5)

Summary

Introduction

Life on earth began with phytodiversity [1]. Without the phytodiversity of our planet, which includes more than 30,000 plant species, animal life as we know it could never have existed [1]. Adapting continuously to the natural dynamics of their environment, phytodiversity quickly invaded almost all of the land that emerged to form the first forests. Numerous studies have revealed the importance of phytodiversity in human food in Africa [3, 4]. Within the whole phytodiversity consumed, there are woody and herbaceous plants [5]. These phytodiversity resources which produce fruits, seeds, tubers, flowers, sap Bakoulou Ngamo Africa et al.: Characterization of the Woody Vegetation of Savannah Ecosystems of

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