Goulbi Maradi valley is a temporary flow stream with a basin containing great agro-ecologic potentials. However, this potential is dwindling at a rate that corresponds with increase in the ecosystem's vulnerability. This study is focused on a part of this basin, an area of about 2600km 2 . The aim of this study is to better understand land use/cover change through diachronic analysis by integrating remote sensing and GIS. Visual interpretation of satellites imagery (1972, 1986, and 2001), field works, technical and survey data were used to provide quantitative analysis of Land Use/Cover change information and its greatest drivers in the study area. The changes become more and more important under simultaneous influence of successive droughts (1973-1974 and 1983-1984) that have disrupted ecological balance, anthropogenic and animal impacts, ecosystems degradation and politico-institutional policies. In fact, the land use temporal dynamics are characterised by the continual degradation of vegetation, the complete state of land saturation (resulting in conflicts between farmer and herders), the narrowing of grazing areas, bare land expansion, the bank erosion of stream bed, the decline in flooded plain and precariousness of flooding surface of the study area.
The present study investigates the importance of harvesting regimes and natural disturbances on the diversity, the population structure and the regeneration trends of the woody plant species of Sahelian rangelands and their implication for sustainable browsing management. Woody plants data was collected in 42 plots established in the interval of 500 m, along transects distant of 500 m, in the direction South-west and North-east of the study area. In each plot, height and diameter at breast height of each individual mature tree and shrub (diameter < 4 cm), and the number of seedlings (diameter > 4 cm) were recorded. A total number of 21 plants species were recorded, with low values of the Shannon-Weaver (H') index and the evenness of Piélou (E) indicating very low diversity of rangelands. Analysis of size classes distribution of diameters and heights of the whole vegetation and the three dominants species revealed high density of juveniles, relating to stable populations. The juvenile plants represented more than 80 of the vegetation with diameters and heights respectively lower than 6 cm and 2.5 m, indicating shrubby vegetation. Combretum micranthum, Guiera senegalensis and Combretum nigricans which have the highest values of IVI, have also the greatest rates of seedling and vegetative propagation densities. Stable populations with strong capacity of regeneration under harsh area and high human pression such as logging and grazing can be related ecological success. Management practices that promote plantations or managing natural regeneration of such species can facilitate fast secondary succession towards desirable condition.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.