Department of Biological Sciences, Nazi BONI University, Training and Research Unit in Sciences and Technologies, Bobo-Dioulasso, BP 1091, Burkina Faso
Changes in forest vegetation composition can lead to changes in carbon stocks. The aim of this study is to identify the relationships between diversity attributes, structural parameters and aboveground carbon stock within vegetation units in the Péni Classified Forest. In total, 3225 individuals belonging to 212 woody species were measured. Our results show a variability of carbon stock between vegetation units ranging from 2.56±2.31 t.ha-1 in shrub savannas to 131.80±75.45 t.ha-1 in gallery forests. Allometric models of structural parameters alone govern the variation of carbon stock between vegetation units. In gallery forests, Gmelina plantations and tree savannas, basal area explained 95%, 95% and 92% of the variation in carbon stock, respectively. In shrub savannas, the model combining mean diameter, basal area and mean height, explained 92% of the variation in carbon stock. The consideration of models combining diversity attributes and structure parameters is therefore necessary for a good estimation of the carbon stock of forest ecosystems.
The use of synthetic pesticides may present a danger to humans and the environment, to the point that the research of an alternative to these chemicals is necessary. The present study, aimed finding new natural molecules that may replace synthetic chemicals, looked at the effect of the ethanolic extract of B.grandiflora bark on eight seed-borne phytopathogenic fungi. The results of this study showed that C. lunata and C. dematium are the most sensitive to the ethanolic extract. This attests the presence of fungicidal or fungistatic substances in B. grandiflora bark. These results show that the ethanolic extract contains active molecules which, once fractionated, could constitute an alternative in the fight against phytopathogenic fungi. These preliminary results open up the possibility of using the bark of B. grandiflora for the production of a natural fungicide. Bioguided fractionation and phytotoxicity tests will identify the most active and non-toxic fractions which could be use in seed protection.
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