The present study aims to improve knowledge of the resilience of post-cultivation vegetation in the Ivorian sub-Sudanese sector by discriminating the stages of post-cultivation reconstitution and characterising these stages using the structural attributes and functional traits of the species.
To this end, 4 groups corresponding to the different stages of reconstitution were identified. These stages are divided into three groups according to their characteristics. Stage_1 is characterised by SudanoZambézian (SZ) and introduced (i) species, generally hemicryptophyte-pyrophytic and chamaephytes that spread by anemochory and barochory. Stage_2 is characterised by Guinean-Congolian and Sudano-Zambézian transition species and Sudano-Zambézian species. They are therophytes and nanophanerophytes, anemochores with small leaves (nanophyll, leptophyll and microphyll). Stages 3 and 4 share the same characteristics. They are characterised by GC species, which are generally large (mesophanerophytes and megaphanerophytes) as well as geophytes, which have large leaves (megaphyll) and spread by zoochory (epizoochory and endozoochory).
In short, post-cultivation reconstitution takes place in four stages. These stages are divided into four groups according to their characteristics. Depending on the maturity gradient, these stages are marked by a transition from savannah species, herbaceous species with small leaves and anemochorous spread, to forest species, large species with large leaves and zoochorous spread.