Abstract
In the dry areas of western Africa, the over-exploitation of forestry resources and the lack of tree regeneration lead to the degradation of agroforestry parklands. Such parklands could be better managed if the multiple services provided by the trees were well identified and valorized. However, there is little information on the local knowledge of' tree species regarding their functions, uses and services. Likewise, local stakeholders' perceptions of the relation between the species aptness for the above functions and uses and their functional traits is not well known. This study focuses on local knowledge of tree species in parklands of the Segou region in Mali, in order to identify specific uses or multifunctionalities that could be highlighted in improving agroforestry systems. Qualitative surveys have been carried out to identify users' perceptions of tree functions and functional traits. Findings show the possibility of classifying species by relevant functional groups, i.e. woody/timber trees, fruit/cash crop trees and trees related to livestock. Functional traits were not easily identified by farmers and the related information was difficult to analyze. Moreover, the perception of functions and traits depended on user groups (craftsmen, crop farmers, livestock farmers, traditional health practitioners, women etc.) and on agro-environmental and socio-economic contexts (activities, knowledge, means and practices). Therefore, scientific databases composed of lists of functions and traits for a given species have no generic value and must be valued depending on the context which may or may not enhance the substitutions between species for each use.
Similar content being viewed by others
Availability of data and material
Not applicable.
Code availability
Not applicable.
References
Arbonnier M (2004) Trees, shrubs and lianas of West African dry zones. QUAE-MARGRAF-MNHN, Montpellier, France
Bastin J-F, Berrahmouni N, Grainger A, Maniatis D, Mollicone D, Moore R, Patriarca C, Picard N, Sparrow B, Abraham EM (2017) The extent of forest in dryland biomes. Science 356:635–638
Bocar dit Siré Ba, Kaya B, Koné D, Sogodogo D, Barry A, Niang A (2001) La région de Ségou : stratification, communes et villages de recherche-développement. Institut d'économie rurale, centre régional de recherche agronomique de Niono, International, centre for research in agroforestery, Programme régional Sahel, Ségou, Mali
Boffa J-M (2000) Les parcs agroforestiers en Afrique subsaharienne. FAO, Rome, XX-258 p. pp
Casals P, Romero J, Rusch GM, Ibrahim M (2014) Soil organic C and nutrient contents under trees with different functional characteristics in seasonally dry tropical silvopastures. Plant Soil 374:643–659
Cerdán CR, Rebolledo MC, Soto G, Rapidel B, Sinclair FL (2012) Local knowledge of impacts of tree cover on ecosystem services in smallholder coffee production systems. Agric Syst 110:119–130
Cisse Y, Kaya B, N’Diaye I, Yossi H, Coulibaly K, Astou S, Ndiaye MF, John M, MMbaye M (2010) Adoption et non adoption des pratiques agroforestieres dans les systemes agroforestiers du Sahel et d’Amérique Centrale. Mali, FUNCITREE, Bamako, p 44
Cisse Y (2010) Caractérisation des systèmes agroforestiers de la région de Ségou. Etude bilbliographique. FUNCiTREE, Ministère de l’Agriculture, Institut d’Economie Rurale (IER), Bamako, Mali, p 39
Dendoncker M, Brandt M, Rasmussen K, Taugourdeau S, Fensholt R, Tucker CJ, Vincke C (2020) 50 years of woody vegetation changes in the Ferlo (Senegal) assessed by high-resolution imagery and field surveys. Reg Environ Change 20:1–13
Dixon H, Doores J, Joshi L, Sinclair F (2001) Agroecological knowledge toolkit for windows: methodological guidelines, computer software and manual for AKT5. University of Wales, Bangor, UK
Fournier A, Hien M, Millogo-Rasolodimby J (2000) Les jachères de moins de cinq ans en savane soudanienne: richesse floristique, structure de la végétation (sud-ouest du Burkina Faso). Floret et Pontannier eds, Paris, France
Guérin H, Ickowicz A (2013) Fodder function of trees and shrubs for domestic ruminants in arid areas: characterization with multi-dimensional functional traits. FUNCiTREE Final Conference. Funcitree, Trondheim, Norvège, pp 17–17, 11 diaporama (34 vues)
Herrmann SM, Tappan GG (2013) Vegetation impoverishment despite greening: a case study from central Senegal. J Arid Environ 90:55–66
Ickowicz A, Heislen V, Guérin H, Traoré EH, Meuret M (2013) Forage intake of tree species on rangelands : a relative value as a combination of resource availability, species traits and ruminant feeding behavior. FUNCiTREE Final Conference. Funcitree, Trondheim, Norvège, pp 15–15
Isaac ME, Cerda R, Rapidel B, Martin AR, Dickinson AK, Sibelet N (2018) Farmer perception and utilization of leaf functional traits in managing agroecosystems. J Appl Ecol 55:69–80
Kaboré SA, Bastide B, Traoré S, Boussim JI (2012) Dynamique du karité, Vitellaria paradoxa, dans les systèmes agraires du Burkina Faso. Bois Et Forêts Des Tropiques 3:47–59
Kaufmann JC (2006) L’entretien compréhensif. L’enquête et ses méthodes, Armand Colin, Paris, France, p 128
Koné D, Traoré SI (2009) Plan stratégique à long terme de la recherche agricole : plan régional de Ségou 2009–2018. IER/CRRA, Niono, Mali
Le Roy E, Karsenty A, Bertrand A (1996) La sécurisation foncière en Afrique. Pour une gestion viable des ressources renouvelables, Karthala, Paris, France, p 388
Libert C, Eyog-Matig O (1996) Faidherbia albida et production cotonnière. Modifications du régime hydrique et des paramètres de rendement du cotonnier sous couvert du parc arboré au Nord-Cameroun. Les Parcs à Faidherbia, Les cahiers scientifiques du Cirad-Forêt, Montpellier, France, pp 103–122
Louppe D, N'Dour B, Samba A (1996) Influence de Faidherbia albida sur l'arachide et le mil au Sénégal. Méthodologie de mesure et estimations des effets d'arbres émondés avec ou sans parcage d'animaux. Les Parcs à Faidherbia, Cahiers scientifiques du Cirad-Forêt Montpellier, France, pp 123–139
Manlay RJ, Ickowicz A, Masse D, Feller C, Richard D (2004) Spatial carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus budget in a village of the West African savanna—II. element flows and functioning of a mixed-farming system. Agric Syst 79:83–107
Mary F, Besse F (1996) Guide d’aide à la décision en agroforesterie. Tome 1. Coopération française - ACTA - GRET, Paris, France, p 301
Montagne P (1996) Protection de la régénération naturelle de Faidherbia albida: évaluation a posteriori du projet Gao Dosso au Niger. Les Parcs à Faidherbia, Les Cahiers scientifiques du Cirad-Forêt Montpellier, France
Nair PR (1985) Classification of Agroforestry Systems. Agrofor Sys 3:97–128
Nair PR (1993) An introduction to agroforestry. Springer Science & Business Media, Berlin, Germany, p 489
Oliver R, Depommier D, Jadonet E (1996) Influence de Faidherbia albida sur le sol et le sorgho : observations dans le parc de Watinoma au Burkina Faso. In: Peltier R (ed) Les parcs à faidherbia. CIRAD, Montpellier, France, pp 141–152
Pasiecznik N, Reij C (eds) (2020) Restoring African Drylands. ETFRN News 60. Tropenbos International, Wageningen, the Netherlands
Peltier R (2019) Quelles évolutions pour la consommation d’énergie domestique et la gestion des ressources naturelles dans les bassins d’approvisionnement des grandes villes du Sud ? Bois Et Forets Des Tropiques 340:3–12
Peltier R, Forkong CN, Ntoupka M, Manlay RJ, Henry M, Morillon V (2007) Évaluation du stock de carbone et de la productivité en bois d’un parc à karités du Nord-Cameroun. Bois Et Forêts Des Tropiques 294:39–50
Peroches A, Dubiez E, Peltier R, Proces P, Diowo S, Yamba Yamba T, Vermeulen C (2019) Les Plans Simples de Gestion destinés à la production de bois-énergie en périphérie de Kinshasa : la participation et la restauration à l’épreuve du foncier. Bois Et Forets Des Tropiques 340:71–90
Roupsard O, Joly H, Dreyer E (1996) Ecophysiologie de Faidherbia albida. fonctionnement hydrique en parc agroforestier et variabilité intraspécifique de caractéristiques juvéniles. In: Peltier R (ed) Les parcs à faidherbia. France, CIRAD, Montpellier, pp 85–102
Rousseau Karen, Denis Gautier D, Wardell Andrew (2016) Renegotiating access to shea trees in burkina faso: challenging power relationships associated with demographic shifts and globalized trade: renegotiating access to shea trees in burkina faso. J Agrarian Change 17(3):497–517. https://doi.org/10.1111/joac.12198
Seignobos C (1996) Faidherbia albida, élément décrypteur d’agrosystèmes: l’exemple du Nord-Cameroun. Les parcs à Faidherbia, Cahiers scientifiques du Cirad-Forêt, Montpellier, France, pp 153–171
Sibelet N, Mutel M, Arragon P, Luye M (2013) Qualitative survey methods applied to natural resource management. Online learning modules. http://entretiens.iamm.fr/
Smektala G, Peltier R, Sibelet N, Leroy M, Manlay R, Njiti CF, Ntoupka A, Njiemoun A, Palou Madi O, Tapsou T (2005) Parcs agroforestiers sahéliens : de la conservation à l’aménagement. VertigO 6:13
Stith M, Giannini A, Corral Jd, Adamo S, de Sherbinin A (2016) A quantitative evaluation of the multiple narratives of the recent Sahelian regreening. Weather, Climate, and Society 8:67–83
Temgoua LF, Njoukam R, Peltier R (2011) Plantations ingénieuses de bois d’oeuvre par les paysans de l’Ouest-Cameroun. Bois Forets des Tropiques 309:63–76
Wardell A, Fold N (2013) Globalisations in a nutshell: Historical perspectives on the changing governance of the shea commodity chain in northern Ghana. Int J Commons 7:367–405
Acknowledgements
We would like to thank the Malian farmers who dedicated their time to this collective research. We also thank the entire team and partners of the project Funcitree (coordinator Graciela Rusch). We also thank Casi Avard for editing and translating our article.
Funding
FUNCiTREE (Functional Diversity: An ecological framework for sustainable and adaptable agro-forestry systems in landscapes of semi-arid and arid ecoregions) is a research cooperation project funded by the EU 7FP – KBBE-CP-SICA. The project consortium is composed of: Stiftelsen norsk institutt for naturforskning (NINA) the Coordinator, Centro Agronómico Tropical de Investigación y Enseñanza (CATIE), Wageningen Universiteit (WUR), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas (CSIC), Centre de coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement (CIRAD), Institut Sénégalais de Recherches Agricoles (ISRA), Institut d'Economie Rurale (IER).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Contributions
Pierre Clinquart, Conceptualization, bibliography, field work, analysis, drafting Bayo Mounkoro, administrative and logistical support, fieldwork, Hubert Guérin, bibliography, drafting and review, Alexandre Ickowicz, bibliography, data analysis, review. Philippe Thaler, data analysis, review. Régis Peltier, Conceptualization, bibliography, drafting and review. Nicole Sibelet, Conceptualization, bibliography, fieldwork, analysis, drafting, review and editing.
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Conflicts of interest
The authors have declared no conflict of interest.
Ethics approval
The authors have declared no ethical issues.
Consent to participate
All co-authors have agreed to participate in this publication.
Consent for publication
The authors have declared that this article is not being considered for publication nor has been published elsewhere.
Additional information
Publisher's Note
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Clinquart, P., Mounkoro, B., Guérin, H. et al. Defining functional groups of tree species according to rural stakeholder perceptions in Central Mali. Agroforest Syst 97, 1249–1260 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10457-022-00750-x
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10457-022-00750-x