Catálogo de publicaciones - libros

Vegetation changes in Sahelian West Africa were investigated by analysing and summarising findings from different case studies conducted in Burkina Faso, Niger and Senegal, which were based on the local knowledge of rural people. At all locations analysed in the different countries, the local population perceives a decrease or even the disappearance of woody species. For a single location 4 to 59 different woody species were mentioned. In total, 88 species were named as having disappeared or as decreasing, whereas only 12 species were reported as increasing or as new. The high numbers of declining or disappeared species undoubtedly indicates the need to improve local and regional resource management by generally promoting regeneration and protecting young trees as well as improving reforestation of suitable species. In addition, on local scales, prioritisation of species for resource management should be further worked out with different user groups to improve local acceptance and implementation for species conservation.

Enset (: Musaceae) is a staple crop in mixed subsistence farming systems in the most densely populated regions in southern and southwestern Ethiopia. Mainly grown for its starch-containing leaf sheaths and underground corm, it also serves purposes like animal feed, uses in households, and in agriculture. A large number of landraces are cultivated for manifold purposes, as well as for different requirements of site and climate. To retain the specific characteristics of each landrace, enset is propagated vegetatively by sprouts. In each region differently named landraces are grown. However, changing weather and soil causes phenotypic variability, and make identification difficult. Both increasing as well as decreasing number of landraces have been observed over the years in the different regions due to changing food preferences, climate, pests and diseases, cultivation systems, and infrastructure. Farmers tend to increase the number of cultivated landraces to broaden its use, and to respond to annual climate fluctuations.