EFFECT OF LAND MANAGEMENT ON THE DYNAMICS OF NATURAL REGENERATION OF AGROFORESTRY PARKLAND FOREST TREE SPECIES. CASE STUDY OF VITELLARIA PARADOXA IN SOUTHERN MALI (WEST AFRICA)

Abstract

The dynamics of the natural regeneration of Vitellaria paradoxa (karité or shea tree) was studied in southern Mali with the aim of assessing the effect of human practices of land use (forest, fallow). Different categories of regeneration were monitored during three years in forest and fallow stands. The spatial distribution, the density and the growth of the regeneration were studied and stands were compared using SAS’s GLM procedure. Time effect and the different interactions were tested using SAS’s repeated measures method. The regeneration was differently distributed in the stands. In the fallow stand it occurred across the whole area while in the forest stand it appeared as Patches Under Karité trees (PUK), Patches Under Other tree Species (PUOS) and Patches Out of any Cover (POC). The density of the regeneration was higher in the fallow stand, but the effect of stand was not significant for height growth. In the forest stand, patch effect on measured variables was weak. A significant time effect on height growth was observed and the time*patch interaction was significant also. Variations of density and growth were observed according to year, suggesting high sensitivity of shea tree natural regeneration to varying environmental conditions.