Search

Use and conservation preferences for woody savanna species among the Gourounsi people in south-central Burkina Faso were investigated using a new informant-based valuation system. Two hundred informants from 10 villages evaluated the importance of 20 pre-selected woody species for nine different uses: edible fruits, vegetable sauce, construction, firewood, medicine, commerce, field trees, and conservation. The study identified eight key species: Parkia biglobosa, Vitellaria paradoxa, Tamarindus indica, Adansonia digitata, Vitex doniana, Detarium microcarpum, Bombax costatum, and Strychnos spinosa. They all had high commercial and nutritional value. The local knowledge about the selected woody species was similar between men and women, and between young and old, but it differed between villages. The results indicate that knowledge erosion does not take place among the Gourounsi, but considerable local differences exist. Conservation management should focus on the key species, and for these, assist...