Impact et bénéfice de l’intégration des plantations dans le plan de zonage d’une aire protégée

Different categories of Protected Area (PA) such as the IUCN/WCPA category V and VI or the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve allow at certain extent some utilisation of land or natural resource inside PA zones. Based on that some degree of disturbance is allowed and in that way some management activities could be noticed as settlement like hotels inside PA, hunting camp or other controlled settlements. Tree plantation is another utilisation of some part of a PA zone experienced in Benin. Teak tree (Tectona grandis) plantation among others tree species (Acacia auriculiformis, Eucalyptus camaldulensis, Casuarina equisetifolia, Khaya senegalensis, etc.) showed interesting income generation for local population participation to PA co-management system. Exploitation of teak plantation in such a way gave means to PA managers to cover their administrative and operational costs to better protect biodiversity without lying on a non sustainable project-based financing system. So far some impacts were also noticed on flora diversity as tree plantation was seen as constraint for plant and other animal species richness. Teak plantation didn’t contribute to increase plant species diversity inside the whole Protected Area. Evaluation of this type of ‘‘Silvoforestry’’ system showed that the benefit is more at social and economical level than biodiversity improvement per se. The need for a plan of considered adjustment and management reconciling socio-economic advantages and safeguarding of the natural resources is highly indicated.

Source de publication: Annales des Sciences Agronomiques 16 (2) : 161-179, 2012 ISSN 1659-5009

Contacts du ou des auteurs: J. DJEGO (gdjego@yahoo.fr), L. DJODJOUWIN (djodjou@yahoo.fr), & B. SINSIN