Perceptions of agroforestry species and their ecosystem services in three ethnic groups in the Boura catchment basin in the Sudanian zone of Burkina Faso

In tropical zones, there is little knowledge about the ecosystem services associated with agroforestry species. An ethnobotanical survey was undertaken in the Boura catchment basin to identify perceptions of agroforestry species and the ecosystem services they provide. Semi-structured interviews and direct observations were conducted among 214 farmers of the Sissala, Dagara and Mossi ethnic groups. The study identified the socio-economic characteristics of the farmers, the woody species they keep in their fields and the ecosystem services that these provide. The importance of the species was determined by applying the Cultural Importance Index (CI). Comparative tests of the responses and generalised linear models were produced using R.3.3.2 software. Altogether, 64 woody species from 59 genera and 30 families were identified. These species provide the communities with 17 ecosystem services that fall into 4 categories. Vitellaria paradoxa (ICT = 10.45) and Parkia biglobosa (ICT = 7.80) are both key agroforestry species providing ecosystem services to all the communities. Non-metric multidimensional scaling of the occurrence matrix for agroforestry species suggests that despite their similar ethnobotanical knowledge, the Dagara and Sissala ethnic groups have different preferences for the specific woody species they keep in their fields. The main factors determining perceptions and conservation of agroforestry species are ethnic group, gender, household size, level of education and the experience of the head of the farm. The selection of plant species for agroforestry projects must take account of the socio-economic factors that determine the preferences of communities.