Abstract
This study contributes to the knowledge of the variants of coffee-based agroforestry systems (CAFS) of the semi-deciduous forest zone of Togo. To achieve this, forest, floristic and ecological data were collected in 163 random plots of 25 m × 25 m (625 m²), to analyze the typology of the CAFS and their characteristics across the study area. In the 10.1875 ha surveyed, results showed a total of 2510 stems of woody plants belonging to 138 species and 38 families. The average tree density was 246.38 trees/ha, whereas the basal area was 27.99 m²/ha. Four types of CAFS have been identified; the first type (G1) is the plant communities dominated by Milicia excelsa and Persa americana associated with coffee trees; the second type (G2) is characterized by CAFS with Albizia spp. and Citrus sinensis as dominant woody species; the third group (G3) is composed of communities dominated by Albizia adianthifolia and Milicia excelsa and the fourth group (G4) consists of CAFS dominated by M. excelsa and Antiaris africana. The floristic composition showed that the latter CAFS (G4) dominated by M. excelsa and A. africana was the most diversified, more rich in term of species (Species richness = 110, Shannon index = 4.06) and of which the basal area (Basal area = 34.32 m2/ha) is larger than the others. Key words: Coffee-based agroforest system, typology, semi-deciduous forest zone, Togo.
Highlights
In the world, forests play an important role in maintaining fundamental ecological processes, such as water regulation, carbon storage, the provision of livelihoods and support economic growth
The rarefaction index (RI) revealed that all the species associated to coffee-based agroforestry systems (CAFS) were frequent (RI value < 80%), even though some species (K. grandifoliola, A. kerstingii, and C. nitida) had Rarefaction index (RI) values close to the threshold
This study enabled to know the diversity and the different types of CAFS in the semi-deciduous zone of Togo, as well as the structural parameters that characterize them
Summary
Forests play an important role in maintaining fundamental ecological processes, such as water regulation, carbon storage, the provision of livelihoods and support economic growth (de Groot et al, 2002; Holvoet and Muys, 2004; Gurung and Seeland, 2008; Thompson et al, 2011; Abson et al, 2014; Sears et al, 2018). Nowadays, these forests are facing serious degradation resulting from important overexploitation, intensive agriculture, especially in developing countries (Lawson et al, 2014; Duguma et al, 2019).
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