The effects of anthropogenic activities on the regeneration of flora in duekou and scio forests in Southwestern Cte Divoire

Abstract

The aim of this study is to understand how the crop farms and forest plantations affect the regeneration of local flora. Ten plots of 10 m × 10 m size were established per vegetation type and all DBH categories of vascular plants were inventoried. The richness of adult plants (DBH ≥10 cm) was similar to those of juvenile plants (10 cm > DBH ≥1 cm), which was between 20 and 50 times lower than the richness of seedlings and herbaceous plants (DBH <1 cm). The undergrowth cleared forests showed the similar richness of adult and juvenile plants than the natural forest islands which was higher than those of the coffee and cocoa farms of both sites, the rubber and teak plantations at Duekoue site. But the richness of seedlings and herbaceous plants was variable according to the biotopes. Inside the DBH categories, the richness of adult plants was higher in both the patches of natural forest and forests with cleared undergrowth and, dropped drastically in the farms and the forest plantations. The juvenile plants were reduced to the crop species only in the farms while the seedlings and herbaceous plants showed an important richness in the farms and forest plantations. To avoid the decreasing of the richness for all DBH categories of vascular plants, the protected forest areas should not harbour any farms and, the forest plantations should not be single species planted.   Key words: Forest protection, cash crops, agroforestry, richness, adult plants, juvenile plants, seedlings,  herbaceous.