Floristic Diversity and Vulnerability of Plant Species Providing Non-Timber Forest Products in the Kabadougou Region, Northwestern Côte d’Ivoire

Abstract

Objectives: The high demand for wild plants has led to the overexploitation of several species. This raises the issue of conserving plant species in the face of risks of biodiversity loss and extinction. This study aims to promote the sustainable use of species providing non-timber forest products in the Kabadougou region. Methodology and Results: Before the study began, institutional and local ethical approval was required. The interviews were voluntary and conducted after the participants had given their informed consent. An ethnobotanical survey was conducted with 137 participants through focus groups and individual interviews on the uses of exploited non-timber forest products (NTFPs). The analysis mainly focused on the use value (UV) and vulnerability index (VI) of the plants. It made it possible to identify 80 species belonging to 34 botanical families. The Fabaceae (29.88%) and Rubiaceae (9.47%) families were the most frequently mentioned. The majority of NTFPs were used for medicinal purposes (54.73%). Leaves (41.72%) were the most frequently used plant organ. Malaria (15.95%) and ulcers (12.16%) were the most frequently mentioned diseases. The study revealed that the most used species were Parkia biglobosa (UV = 0.26), Nauclea latifolia (UV = 0.22), and Diospyros mespiliformis (UV = 0.20), whereas the most threatened species were Pterocarpus erinaceus (VI = 3.17), Parkia biglobosa (VI = 3.08), and Khaya senegalensis (VI = 2.81). The Spearman correlation test between the UV and VI of the inventoried species showed a positive correlation (rho = 0.32; Pvalue < 0.05). Conclusions and Application of the Results: The NTFP source species that are most in demand are also the most threatened in the Kabadougou region. Promoting these species could help improve sustainable and community-based management of these resources by local populations.