Assessing Land and Ecosystem Management at the Local Level in the Savannah Ecological Zone and the Implications for Sustainability

Biodiversity remains valuable life-supporting resources for mankind. However, in the semi-arid Savannah ecological zone of West Africa, our understanding of the stock, utilization, and management of biodiversity is less understood. This study seeks to (1) profile the distribution, management, and utilization of woody plant species under different land uses; (2) identify factors affecting plant biological resources; and (3) assess the state of a community’s ecological vulnerability. Both quantitative and qualitative research strategies including surveys, interviews, and focus group discussions were used to collect data. Field assessments were undertaken in purposively selected major land use types. The Sorensen index was used to assess species similarity levels and family importance value was used to determine the most important plant families. The Shannon–Weiner index was used to determine species diversity and evenness, whereas the ecological vulnerability index was used to estimate the communities’ vulnerability levels. Total of 67 woody plant species belonging to 27 families and 55 genera were identified, with Fabaceae and Compositaceae being the most important plant families. Species diversity was highest in sacred groves followed by fallow fields, crop fields, and grazed fields. The most resilient ecological communities were found to be Zagua and Kpalgun, whereas Daboshe emerged as the most vulnerable ecological community. In all communities, we found that species overexploitation for productive purposes and loss of traditional values contribute to biodiversity loss. Ecological resilience could be enhanced through the enforcement of taboos, implementation of afforestation, and educational programs. The study contributes to address the rarity of plant species distribution–assessment in the semi-arid areas of West Africa.