Composition, diversity and structure of woody vegetation along a disturbance gradient in the forest corridor of the Boucle du Mouhoun, Burkina Faso

ABSTRACT Background Riparian vegetation is important for the protection of water resources, to avoid erosion and sedimentation of riverbeds. Monitoring the impacts of disturbance on the dynamics of riparian vegetation can help to develop evidence-based forest management guidelines. Aims We evaluated the woody composition and structure along a disturbance gradient of a riparian forest corridor to quantify the effects of disturbance severity on regeneration (density and spatial distribution). Methods All trees and seedlings and saplings were assessed in 90 plots of 500 m2 each, representing a range of habitats with differing disturbance severity at three sites along a large forest corridor to characterise species composition and to determine heterogeneity among, related to the level of disturbance. Results A total of 41 species belonging to 34 genera and 20 families were encountered. Fabaceae-Mimosoideae, Rubiaceae and Sapindaceae were the dominant families. The diversity indices indicated that the most disturbed site was the most diverse. The structure of the woody stratum showed that most individuals were in the lower diameter and height size classes, indicating a dominance of juveniles. Conclusions Despite the variable levels of disturbance at the studies sites, the high density of seedlings present facilitates the regeneration of woody species. However, for the rarest species it is necessary to apply enrichment plantating to maintain their populations viable.