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Title The influence of land use change on the distribution of plant species in North and West African dry lands.

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Short title Monitoring the effects of land use change on plant diversity

Author(s) Koenig, K.(1); Thiombiano, A.(2); Hahn-Hadjali, K.(1); Schmidt, M.(1); Wittig, R.(1); Augustin, A.(3); Finckh, M.(3); Agbani, P.(4); Agonyssa, D.(4); Sinsin, B.(4)

Presenting author Koenig, K.

Institution(s) (1)Departement of Ecology and Geobotany, Inst. of Ecology, Evolution and Diversity, Goethe Universität Frankfurt, Siesmayerstraße 70, D, 60323 Frankfurt am Main, Germany; (2)Lab. de Biologie et Ecologie Végétales, UFR/SVT, Université de Ouagadougou, 03 B. P. 7021, Ouagadougou 03, Burkina Faso.; (3)Biocentre Klein Flottbek and Botanical Garden, University of Hamburg, Ohnhorststr. 18, 22609 Hamburg, Germany; (4)Faculté des Sciences Agronomiques, Laboratoire d’Ecologie Appliquée, Université d’Abomey-Calavi, 01 B. P. 526, Cotonou, Bénin

Keywords Land use change, Distribution modeling, plant diversity, West Africa, Permanent Monitoring

Abstract The project aims to develop feasible methodological approaches to monitor the effects of land use changes on plant diversity at three different spatial scales. Methods and required data vary according to scale. On country scale we generate recent and historic distribution maps of plant species in semi-arid savannas of West Africa, based on several thousand georeferenced botanical samples taken between 1972-74 and 2001-2004 combined with medium resolution satellite images. On landscape scale we analyzed changes in the distribution of tree species with high resolution satellite images in a spatial modeling approach. The distribution maps are useful for identifying sites for restoration measures and selecting priority sites for conservation. Experiments with land use exclosure, pairwise design and individual based monitoring are promising at the microscale. In 7 year old permanent plots in Southern Morocco this approach allows to detect changes of species composition and processes of species remigration with reduced land use pressure. Actual species composition is increasingly controlled by microsite conditions while original composition in 2000 was determined by land use intensity. Experimental monitoring sites constitute important tools to understand current change processes at landscape level.

Congress Topic Process Analysis

Topic No. 2.4
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Ref. No. 638