Woody plant communities of Comoe-Leraba reserve: Characterisation and impact of soils on their distribution

The protected areas are worth great in vegetation conservation; this supported their interest in scientific research on the tools being able to be used for their sustainable management. The present study enters within the framework of a better knowledge of Comoe-Leraba reserve plants communities’ and the soils conditions which explained their distribution, in the aim to make better decisions for it conservation. The objective of the survey is to discriminate the plants communities in relation to soils’ physicals and chemicals parameters which control their distribution. Thus, 368 physociological plots have been done in the field by applying Braun-Blanquet (1932) method and then the plants communities’ package has been carried out in CANOCO software. In related to each ecosystem, 11 plants communities’ have been clearly defined, according the phytosociological statements (DCA). Among these communities four news syntaxons were determined based on previous studies in the same phytogeographical zones. Then their direct ordination (CCA) with soil’s (physical and chemical) parameters, shows that plants communities’ distribution is governed mainly by the water regulation on the ground and also its texture. The obtained results will certainly contribute to lay down a constant policy maker in biodiversity conservation. Lieux de refuge et de conservation de la vegetation, les aires protegees sont des zones potentiellement diversifiees. Elles suscitent un grand interet pour la recherche en vue de decouvrir des outils pouvant servir a leur gestion durable. La presente etude entre dans le cadre d’une meilleure connaissance des communautes vegetales de la reserve de la Comoe-Leraba et des conditions edaphiques qui sous-tendent leur installation en vue de faciliter les prises de decisions entrant dans le cadre de sa conservation. Ainsi, l’objectif etait de discriminer les groupements vegetaux en relation avec les parametres edaphiques qui gouvernent leur distribution. Sur le terrain, 368 releves physociologiques ont ete realises en appliquant la methode de Braun Blanquet (1932) et l’individualisation des groupements vegetaux a ete realisee grâce au logiciel CANOCO. L’analyse a permis de discriminer 11 groupements vegetaux dont la classification syntaxonomique revele quatre nouveaux taxons comparativement aux etudes realisees dans les zones phytogeographiques similaires. L’ordination directe (CCA) integrant les parametres physiques et chimiques des sols, permet de considerer la texture et les parametres hydriques des sols comme etant les plus efficients dans la distribution des groupements vegetaux. Les resultats obtenus contribueront certainement a definir une politique soutenue de la conservation de la biodiversite.