TY - CONF T1 - Biodiversity and African anthropogenic landscapes: Two case studies from Sierra Leone T2 - Paper presented at Annual Meeting of the U.S. African Studies Association, 4-7 December 1993, Boston Y1 - 1993 A1 - H. Kandeh A1 - S. Bobor A1 - P. Richards KW - biodiversity KW - genetic resources KW - West Africa AB - This document reviews two case studies of biodiversity in human-affected landscapes in Sierra Leone. Both plant and animal (especially birds) diversity is discussed. JF - Paper presented at Annual Meeting of the U.S. African Studies Association, 4-7 December 1993, Boston PB - [U.S. African Studies Association] CY - Boston, MA U3 - Annual Meeting of the US African Studies Association 4-7 December 1993 U5 - 13 pp. JO - Biodiversity and African anthropogenic landscapes ER - TY - JOUR T1 - The influence of karité (Vitellaria paradoxa) and néré (Parkia biglobosa) trees on sorghum production in Burkina Faso JF - Agroforestry Systems Y1 - 1992 A1 - J. J. Kessler KW - agriculture KW - forestry KW - Parkia biglobosa KW - parkland KW - savanna KW - shade influence KW - tree management KW - tree-crop relations KW - Vitellaria paradoxa KW - West Africa AB -

Sorghum grain yields under the karité and the néré are reduced by an average of 50% and 70% respectively, in comparison with yields in the open field. Soil fertility, limiting primary production in the region, is at least as favorable under the tree canopies as in the open field. Reduced light intensity, to a minimum of 20% under the néré canopy, is probably largely responsible for low sorghum production under the tree canopies. Benefits from the tree products are more valuable than losses in cereal yields, explaining why trees are maintained on the agricultural fields.

Pruning of tree branches, selection of (shade-) crops and tree selection could reduce crop yield losses but cannot be expected to increase tree- and crop production.

VL - 17 UR - https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00053116 IS - 2 U1 - Agroforest Syst ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Karité (Vitellaria paradoxa) and néré (Parkia biglobosa) associated with crops in South Mali JF - Agroforestry Systems Y1 - 1992 A1 - L. J. M. Kater A1 - S. Kante A1 - Arnoud Budelman KW - agriculture KW - Butyrospermum paradoxum KW - cotton KW - forestry KW - Mali KW - Parkia biglobosa KW - pearl millet KW - sorghum KW - tree/crop interface KW - Vitellaria paradoxa KW - West Africa AB -

The effect of two tree species, karité (Vitellaria paradoxa) and néré (Parkia biglobosa) on soil condition, development and production of cotton, sorghum and pearl millet, main crops in South Mali, has been investigated.

The soil under the trees is slightly richer (organic matter content and several cations) compared to adjacent tree-less sites. Also tree-specific effects exist.

Soil enrichment, however, is mainly a matter of redistribution of locally available nutrient resources.

Of the six associations studied, only karité-cotton shows no tree-induced reduction in crop production. All other associations suffer greatly from reduced crop outputs caused by the trees, usually in the order of 60%.

There are at least two reasons that explain tree-induced yield reduction. Because of increased humidity in the immediate surroundings of trees, in both soil and air, lower numbers of crop plants survive up to maturity, presumably because plants are attacked by fungi. Secondly, crop plants that mature show reduced output because of inter-specific competition for light and nutrients.

In case of néré, in order to minimize the trees' negative influence lopping is advised. Such practice, however, is less suitable in case of karité, because of its assumed lower potential to regenerate, as compared to néré.

VL - 18 UR - https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00115407 IS - 2 U1 - Agroforest Syst ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Soil and water conservation in sub-Saharan Africa: Towards sustainable production by the rural poor: A report Y1 - 1992 A1 - International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) KW - agroforestry KW - degradation KW - ethno-engineering KW - resource management KW - Sahel KW - soil conservation KW - soil erosion KW - Sub-Saharan Africa KW - sustainable agriculture KW - water conservation KW - West Africa AB - This book deals with the links between environmental degradation and poverty in sub-Saharan Africa. Considering the length of this paper, the authors have chosen to restrict themselves to making broad generalizations, which are sometimes supported by examples of specific local soil and water conservation experiments. As is pointed out in this paper, a first step in the design of soil and water conservation policy for a given country or area must be the detailed investigation of the conditions and issues which are outlined here. PB - International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) CY - Amsterdam UR - http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/30624582 N1 - Prepared for the International Fund for Agricultural Development by the Centre for Development Cooperation Services, Free University, Amsterdam JO - Soil and water conservation in sub-Saharan Africa ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Indigenous knowledge and economic production: The food crop cultivation, preservation and storage methods of a West African community JF - Ecology of Food and Nutrition Y1 - 1990 A1 - George J.S. Dei KW - cultivation KW - ecology KW - foodstuffs KW - Ghana KW - processing KW - storage KW - sustainable development KW - West Africa AB - This paper examines specific cultivation, preservation and storage techniques for some selected staple crops in the food farming community of Ayirebi, near Akyem Oda in southeastern Ghana. The traditional subsistence methods of Ayirebi farming households are well adapted to the social and geographical environments of the region. The long-term future of developing African communities may well lie in building up thriving rural communities producing the food needed by the wider population. However, before this can be achieved, the particular food cultivation strategies of local communities need to be understood. Micro-level studies such as this one will provide specific data vital to formulating and implementing a general agenda for national agricultural and economic development. VL - 24 IS - 1 JO - Indigenous knowledge and economic production ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Decisions of cattle herdsmen in Burkina Faso and optimal foraging models JF - Human Ecology Y1 - 1989 A1 - W. F. DeBoer A1 - H. H. T. Prins KW - grazing KW - herd movement KW - optimal foraging KW - pastoralism, sedentary husbandry KW - West Africa AB - Models of optimal foraging theory are used to evaluate the decisions of a sedentary herdsman and his family in Burkina Faso concerning the movement of his cattle from pasture to pasture. Generally, such models describe exploitation at the patch level, but are inadequate at higher levels. The herdsmen in the study area are generally sedentary, and their strategy of exploitation appears to be characterized by planning at least in terms of a whole day and minimizing daily travel time among fields. In conjuction with this conclusion a modified optimization model is proposed. We conclude that optimal foraging models are useful in interpreting and understanding the rules governing the movements of traditional West African herdsmen when so modified, but that more data are needed to develop and test these models further. (author) VL - 17 IS - 4 ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Land and tree tenure in humid West Africa: A bibliography Y1 - 1987 A1 - Paul Francis A1 - Getachew Bulfeta KW - agroforestry KW - Benin KW - Cameroon KW - Cape Verde KW - chiefs KW - collateral KW - commons KW - communal tenure KW - customary law KW - forestry KW - fragmentation KW - Ghana KW - Guinea KW - inheritance KW - Ivory Coast KW - land ownership KW - land reform KW - legislation KW - Liberia KW - litigation KW - nationalization KW - Nigeria KW - property transfer KW - public ownership KW - security KW - Senegal KW - Sierra Leone KW - Togo KW - tree crops KW - West Africa KW - women's rights AB - This bibliography covers land and tree tenure systems in countries all or part of which are in the humid zone of West Africa. A national, rather than strictly ecological approach was chosen to reflect the focus of much of the literature, which frequently deals with countries as a whole. Within the region diverse customary systems and land use modes have been affected by national policies of different ideologies and degrees of effectiveness. References are listed alphabetically by author, and subject and geographical indexes are also provided. (author) PB - International Livestock Centre for Africa CY - Addis Abada, Ethiopia SN - 92-9053-091-X UR - http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/17341746 JO - Land and tree tenure in humid West Africa ER -