Degradation of Edible Woody Species Consumed during Periods of Food Shortage and Their Preferences among the Local Population in the Sudano-Sahelian Zones of Niger, West Africa Sahel

In Niger, forest formations constitute a source and a potential reservoir of food products for the populations who use them especially during periods of low food availability. Very little research has been carried out on the woody food species of these formations which contribute enormously to the management of the food gap. This study aimed to fill this gap. It was carried out in two agro-ecological zones of Niger and has the overall objective of providing better knowledge on the ecology of the species as well as on the local perception of their conservation status in the southwest of Niger. The information was collected using a semi-structured questionnaire supplemented by interviews with key informants and preferential classification exercises of the species used. The results show that in total, 37 species are cited as food providers during the periods of food shortage by the local populations, including 26 woody food species in the Sudanian zone, 17 in the Sahelian zone and 11 species common to both zones. The most consumed organs are leaves (39.2% and 43.5%) and fruits (28.8% and 25.5%), respectively in the Sudanian zone and the Sahelian zone. Some collect them from vegetation relics such as savannahs and agrosystems, while others obtain supplies from local markets. Among the species recorded, the most preferred in the Sudanian zone are Adansonia digitata, Vitellaria paradoxa, Tamarindus indica and Parkia biglobosa and those preferred in the Sahelian zone are Maerua crassifolia, Boscia senegalensis, and Balanites aegyptiaca. However, threats have been reported for Adansonia digitata, Vitellaria paradoxa, Maerua crassifolia, Boscia senegalensis and Balanites aegyptiaca and the factors involved are uncontrolled exploitation, droughts, browsing of young shoots. The results of this study constitute a database to assess the availability and the evolutionary trend in terms of threat of the species widely used in the locality.