Abstract
BackgroundCarapa procera is a native oil tree species with multipurpose values traditionally exploited by the local population in Southern Mali. This study focused on the assessment of local knowledge about the use of Carapa procera.MethodsSemi-structured ethnobotanical questionnaires were conducted among the ethnic groups Senufo, Fulani and Bambara in two localities in the Sudanian zone in Mali. Use values among these ethnic groups and gender were evaluated.ResultsThis study showed that Carapa procera is a species with multiple uses and high use values. According to the consensus value for plant parts (CPP), the nuts constituted 57% of exploited plant parts followed by bark and leaves (12%), wood and roots (7%), mistletoes (4%) and gum (1%). The use diversity (UD) values of Carapa procera showed a high proportion of cosmetic (UD = 0.49) and therapeutic (UD = 0.36) uses. The UD for therapeutic uses was higher for ethnic groups in Ziékorodougou than in Niankorobougou. In contrast, the UD for cosmetic uses was higher for ethnic groups in Niankorobougou than in Ziékorodougou. Comparative analysis between ethnic groups revealed that the highest UD for cosmetic uses (0.63) was observed in the Bambara ethnic group, whereas the highest UD for therapeutic uses (0.39) was obtained in the Senufo ethnic group. The UD showed that cosmetic uses were higher for women than for men in both locations. Men in Ziékorodougou had the highest level of knowledge regarding plant parts used, forms of use and the specific reasons for using Carapa procera.ConclusionThis study highlighted the sociocultural importance of Carapa procera. In the light of its multipurpose uses, the promotion and enhancement of Carapa procera can provide significant socio-economic benefits to local people. In this perspective, it is necessary to implement conservation strategies and sustainable management through domestication of the species.
Highlights
Carapa procera is a native oil tree species with multipurpose values traditionally exploited by the local population in Southern Mali
consensus value for plant parts (CPP) showed that nuts constituted 57% of the citations of exploited plant parts, followed by bark and leaves (12%), wood and roots (7%), mistletoes (4%) and gum (1%) (Figure 4)
Comparative analysis between ethnic groups revealed that the highest use diversity value (UD) for cosmetic uses (0.63) was observed in the Bambara ethnic group, whereas the highest UD for therapeutic uses (0.39) was obtained in the Senufo ethnic group
Summary
In Mali, a number of studies have been conducted to show the socio-cultural, economic and ecological importance of plant species These studies showed that origin [24], location [4,25], commercialization [9,26,27] and gender [28,29] interact to influence how people use the species. Our study aims to assess the importance of uses of Carapa procera and how the use-value varies between different ethnic groups, gender and location and, thereby, identify potentials for new income generation activities and improved sustainable management and conservation of the species. It comes to identify the exploited parts, assess the use categories, characterize the forms of uses and analyze the reasons of use Carapa procera
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