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ABSTRACTSoil sampling was conducted in a semi-arid region of Niger to study the long-term differential impacts of trees and shrubs on soil chemical properties. The sampling considered three factors: species, position to trunk (underneath crown, crown neighborhood, control) and soil horizon depth. Two shrub species (Annona senegalensis and Combretum aculeatum), and two tree species (Faidherbia albida and Piliostigma reticulatum) were investigated. We analyzed the following soil properties and nutrients: pH, Organic Carbon (OC), Ammonium-N (NH4), Phosphorus (P), Sodium (Na), Potassium (K), Calcium (Ca) and Magnesium (Mg). The results showed that the trees significantly affected each soil property considered, although with different magnitudes according to species. F. albida and P. reticulatum improved soil quality more than the other two species for almost all the investigated soil parameters. The effect of tree/shrub species on soil fertility extended to crown neighborhood. On average, all soil nutrients contents except Mg were consistently higher directly under crown compared to crown neighborhood and control position. We recommend that tree planting or Farmer Managed Natural Regeneration (FMNR) in agroforestry parklands be guided not only by the common objectives of improving soil fertility and producing food and fodder, but also consider the selection of the appropriate tree species.

Angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma (AITL) is a rare hematologic malignancy recognized in the WHO 2016 classification as a clinical and histological entity. It is a very poorly described disease in Africa due to its rarity and diagnostic difficulties, particularly differential diagnosis with tuberculosis. Here, we report a 57-year-old man who presented with fever, weight loss, and lymphadenopathies. The diagnosis of tuberculosis was carried out based on lymph node fine needle aspiration showing the image of tuberculous adenitis and CT images in favor of necrotic lymphadenopathies. The presence of autoantibodies and the failure of tuberculosis treatment led us to perform a biopsy with immunostaining that confirmed pathological features of AITL. The patient was treated by CHOP-based chemotherapy, and complete remission was achieved. This case highlights the difficulty of recognizing AITL and the importance of considering other potential differential diagnoses of tuberculosis in the endemic region.