Protection influence on grassland structure in Widou Thiengoly's grazing areas at Ferlo

Abstract

This work consisted of analysing the impact of protection on the Widou Thiengoly's grasslands structure. Data were collected from three selected sites by the quadrat point methodology, consisting of reading the herbaceous on a 10 m line. These sites were the 2013 defended plot (site A), the 2009 semi-protected plot (site B) and the unprotected grazing areas or off plot (site C). The results revealed a floristic composition of 45 species, belonging to 34 genera and 17 botanical families. The number of species identified was 28 in site A, 31 in site B and 29 in site C. Despite a certain similarity noted in the number of species, the herbaceous vegetation was more balanced in 2013 plot than in 2009 plot and in off plot where it tended to be homogeneous. The herbaceous cover in October 2015 was 99.8% in the 2013 plot; 98.8% in the 2009 plot; and 96.8% in the unprotected sites. The vertical stratification of herbaceous cover showed a better development at the intermediate strata (between 20 cm and 50 cm) in all the sites except in off plot where small grasses dominated. In this study, protection improved the specific balance, while semi-protection had a positive effect on the specific richness and growth of the grasses.