Dynamics of land occupation and use in the Tiogo Forest Reserve in Burkina Faso: characterisation, drivers and impacts on diversity and wood stock

Forest degradation is an issue of global concern, particularly for Africa, where protected forests are under increasing threat of extinction, due to anthropogenic and climatic causes. The aim of this study is to assess the dynamics of plant cover and its implications for above-ground carbon stocks and woody species diversity in the Tiogo Forest Reserve in Burkina Faso. Analysis of Landsat images from 1990, 1999, 2009, and 2019, socio-economic data and forest inventories were combined in different land-use units: wooded savannah, shrub savannah, gallery forest, rainfed crops and agroforestry areas. Between 1990 and 2019, 47% of the tree savannah area was lost to shrub savannah, rainfed crops and agroforestry. Bush fires, wood cutting and agricultural activities are the main factors contributing to this degradation. The wood diversity values for tree savannah (2.14 +/- 0.31) and shrub savannah (1.92 +/- 0.43) were higher than for rainfed crops, agroforestry areas (1.31 +/- 0.62) and gallery forest (0.63 +/- 0.41). Gallery forest had the greatest potential for aboveground carbon storage (35.5 tC/ha), followed by tree savannah (7.1 tC/ha), then shrub savannah (2.5 tC/ha) and rainfed crops and agroforestry areas (1.7 tC/ha). Between 1990 and 2019, changes in land use units in the Tiogo Forest Reserve resulted in a 41% reduction in the potential for aboveground carbon storage. There is a need to promote alternatives for livelihoods and energy for households, and to strengthen awareness-raising initiatives.