Structural and ecological characterization of degradation status of agro-ecosystems in south-eastern of Burkina Faso, West Africa

Abstract

A typology of degradation status of phytocenoses was carried out in order to identify the ecological indicators corresponding to each facies of degradation in agro-ecosystems. Phytosociological inventories and tree measurements were carried out in three different status of land degradation. Stratified random sampling, based on a high spatial resolution Rapide-eye image permitted to select 377 plots according to their status of degradation. A canonical discriminant analysis was used to discriminate the status of degradation based on the measured dendrometric parameters, also the mean comparison tests was made to ecologically characterization of the status of degradation. The results show that structurally, the three status of degradation are characterized by a low rate of herbaceous cover, small shrubs, a low basal area, a low density of woody plants and seedlings. Ecologically, degraded status can be identified by a dominance of Chamaephytes, Geophytes, Therophytes and widely distributed species. In contrast, non-degraded status have a vegetation cover rate> 50%, dominated by Phanerophytes and Sudanese species.

A good characterization of the Sudanese agroecosystems is necessary for better monitoring these natural resources.