Estimating the Local Value of Non-Timber Forest Products to Pendjari Biosphere Reserve Dwellers in Benin

Abstract

This paper uses an indices method based on participant ranking of species to quantify use-values of Non-Timber Forest Products (NTFPs) and the socio-economic factors that influence these values for people living around the Pendjari Biosphere Reserve in Benin. There were 76 species identified that had a high index value to people. The 10 most valued species were Parkia biglobosa, Adansonia digitata, Vitellaria paradoxa, Tamarindus indica, Lannea microcarpa, Vitex doniana, Hibiscus asper, Melochia corchorifolia, Khaya senegalensis, and Diospyros mespiliformis. Species values were influenced by the vegetative form of the species as well as by the gender of a participant and his/her affiliation to the ethnic group. The study also illustrates that women had a preference for NTFP species with high commercial and nutritional values, while men preferred plants that provide construction material and medicine. Moreover, the ethnic group that historically had more contact and interaction with the vegetation valued NTFPs more than any other group. The difference in value attributed to species by people was also driven by the vertical transmission of ethnobotanical knowledge in the study area. For long-term biodiversity conservation, it will be useful to involve the needs of all of the local communities in the design of a management plan and focus attention on the most important species.

Ethnic and generational differences in traditional knowledge and cultural importance of <i>Lannea microcarpa<i/> Engl. & K. Krause in Benin’s Sudanian savannah

“…Local people who consumed them fresh or dried or use them to produce fresh juice/brewed drinks (Marquet and Jansen, 2005) appreciates its fruits. L. microcarpa is ranked as the third IFT consumed by Ségou people in Mali (Diop, 2005) and the sixth most valued species around the Pendjari Reserve in Benin (Vodouhê et al, 2009). Assessment of the physicochemical properties of biodiesel from L. microcarpa seeds in Nigeria (Yunus et al, 2013) showed that most of the important properties were within the recommended standards for a biofuel grade biodiesel and suggested the potential of the seeds as a source of biodiesel.…”

“…Indigenous fruit trees (IFT) from natural habitats are sources of a number of non-timber forest products (NTFPs) that supply population needs in terms of food (edible fruits, leaves, roots and stems), energy (provision in fire woods and charcoal), cash income (from sales of plant organs and fruits), medicine (multiple recipes for disease treatment), etc. (Vodouhê et al, 2009;Poopola and Obembé, 2013).…”

“…Most studies agree on the close relationship between the uses, importance, management of IFT and the socio-cultural and socio-demographic factors such as ethnic groups (Vodouhê et al, 2009;Fandohan et al, 2010) and generations (see Arévalo-Marín et al, 2015;Geng et al, 2016). However, no evident and static relationship was established among uses, importance and ethnic groups (Dadjo et al, 2011), suggesting species-specific patterns and, therefore, a need to be species-specific in accounting for these factors in managing important IFT.…”

Population dynamics of freshwater oysterEtheria elliptica(Bivalvia: Etheriidae) in the Pendjari River (Benin-Western Africa)

“…Sampling station located in the Pendjari River (Benin, West Africa). could likely impact the livelihood of local people and their involvement in PBR conservation activities (Vodouhê et al, 2009). Therefore, the investigation of oyster population dynamics was required to ascertain the current status of the bivalve and set sustainable management strategies for both population livelihood and wild fauna conservation.…”

“…Moreover, in the case of the Pendjari River, oyster exploitation partly took place inside the Pendjari Biosphere Reserve (PBR), one of the most important protected areas in Northern Benin. Owing to an ongoing participative approach, local dwellers were granted permission to harvest oyster within the protected area for food and sale in return for their contribution to wild fauna and Pendjari Biosphere Reserve protection (Vodouhê et al, 2009;Kiansi, 2011). Consequently, a collapse of oyster stocks 06p2…”