Influence of Climatic and Soil Factors on the Spatial Distribution of Chrysophyllum albidum (Sapotaceae) in Benin

Abstract

Chrysophyllum albidum is one of the plant species widely used by the local populations of West Africa. With the aim of contributing to the conservation of this specy threatened with extinction in Benin, the present study aims to determine the impact of climatic and pedological disturbances on its phytogeographic distribution. For this purpose, 311 occurrences of C. albidum were collected from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF), the iNaturalist platform and several field explorations carried out in particular in the phytodistricts Bassila, Coastal, Plateau, Pobè, Valley of Ouémé and Zou. These recorded presence data were combined with the environmental variables of the two climate scenarios RCP 4.5 (optimistic) and RCP 8.5 (perssimistic), following the Maximum Entropy (MaxEnt) approach. From the results obtained, it appears that the areas currently favorable to C. albidum cover 6.86% of the total area of ​​Benin. The optimistic scenario predicts on the horizon 2055 an increase of 31.20% in areas currently favorable to the specy. On the other hand, the pessimistic scenario predicts on the horizon 2055, a reduction of 44.80% of these currently favorable habitats. Under current and future climatic conditions (RCP 4.5 and RCP 8.5), the areas favorable to C. albidum correspond to the Guineo-Congolese climatic zone where the Nitisols are located, a type of soil on which the species is widely distributed; the phytodistricts Coastal, Plateau, Pobè and Valley of Ouémé are and will remain favorable to this high-value specy. These different results presented thus provide useful information that can promote the introduction of C. albidum into suitable habitats and necessary for its proper conservation in Benin, or even in West Africa.