Ethnobotanical study of the use of fodder plants in the commune of Guibaré in Burkina Faso

Abstract

In a context of climate variability and change, increasingly constraining, fodder trees play an important role for animals and populations in rural areas. The objective of this study was to assess the diversity of woody plants present in the northern Sudanian zone of Burkina Faso and to characterize the uses made by the populations. To this end, a semi-open questionnaire was administered to 120 people. 41 multiple-use species were inventoried. Eight categories of use of woody plants emerged: fodder (18.3%), soil fertilization (18%), energy wood (16.7%), income generation (14.53%), human food (13.3%), human health (8.91%), construction (8.88%) and animal health (1.46%). The leaves and fruits are highly valued by animals (29-25%) and humans (8-19%). While in pharmacopoeia, it is the barks (13%). Piliostigma reticulatum (5.9), Vitellaria paradoxa (5.6), Lannea microcarpa (4.9), Azadirachta indica (4.7), and Tamarindus indica (3.8) have the highest use values and vulnerability indices (IV> 2.5). Natural regeneration is the common way of managing woody plants. In sum, woody plants are of great importance to the populations, but they are under strong anthropic pressure that threatens their survival.