Woody plants diversity of two non protected tropical forests in Côte d’Ivoire (West Africa) – JBES

Bernadin Dro, Dramane Soro, Witabouna M. Koné, Adama Bakayoko, Kagoyire Kamanzi

Université Félix Houphouët-Boigny, Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire

Centre Suisse de Recherches Scientifiques en Côte d’Ivoire, 01 BP 1303 Abidjan 03, Côte d’Ivoire

Université Nangui Abrogoua, Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire

Key words: Non protected forests, classified forest, woody plants diversity, Côte d’Ivoire, West Africa.

Abstract

Floristic diversity of woody plants was studied in two Non Protected Forests (NPF) of Southern Côte d’Ivoire (West Africa) in order to promote their conservation. The sampling blocks method was used for floristic inventories. Each block was divided in 16 sampling plots of 25 m x 25 m subdivided in elementary sampling plots (5 m x 5 m). Ligneous plants at 5 cm DBH were inventoried in Grand-Lahou and Aboisso NPF and Yapo classified forest used as control. Species Importance Value Index and Family Importance Value were calculated for each forest. A total of 7840 ligneous plants (315 species, 198 genera, 61 families) were inventoried. Aboisso NPF contained 236 species, 167 genera and 56 families, while 181 species, 124 genera and 47 families were recorded for Grand-Lahou NPF. Yapo Classified Forest included 50 families, 122 genera and 174 species. Juveniles were more predominant. The number of the most important species was lower in NPF than Yapo Classified Forest and ranged between three and eleven. The most important families varied from three to eight and were different from a forest to another. Microphanerophytes were mostly dominant in NPF while Mesophanerophytes predominated in Yapo Classified Forest. Six endemic species to Côte d’Ivoire’s flora and 53 species endemic to forest block in West Africa were recorded. The biodiversity of woody plants in non protected forests in Côte d’Ivoire is still rich despite deforestation. The presence of endemic species arise the need for an effective in situ conservation management in these areas.