The role of human interventions in tree dynamics and environmental rehabilitation in the Sahel zone of Niger

A study was conducted in 15 village territories of 3 regions in Niger Among these sites 4 were control and 11 had interventions comprising of farmer-managed tree natural regeneration (FMNR) water harvesting techniques (WHIT) and windbreaks The objective of the study was to determine the state of tree vegetation in terms of species diversity and harvestable volume and evaluate the environmental trend in the sites An inventory of the vegetation was carried out during the rainy season using radial transects from the village centre outwards in addition to surveys with local communities The results showed that tree diversity is enhanced in sites with interventions and soil rehabilitation techniques and farmer-managed tree natural regeneration favor the rehabilitation and development of trees The number of resprouts/seedlings varied with site soil type and intervention The number of harvestable trees depended on factors like caring monitoring of cutting types of intervention and ecological zone Harvestable volume is a function of high regeneration rate number of harvestable individual trees and site Vegetation is improving in all the sites and local communities using tree products for their various needs This study contributed to setting up a reference database for these sites (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd All rights reserved