Contribution to the Ecological Management of the Arboretum of Jean Lorougnon Guédé University, Côte d’Ivoire

In Côte d’Ivoire, it is difficult to find forest relics in large cities that can serve as oxygenation pockets and provide researchers and students with botanical material. Therefore, the creation of a protected natural area where collections of trees and plants are developed within a landscape framework for educational and ecological purposes is necessary. The overall objective of this study is to contribute to the enhancement of the arboretum of Jean Lorougnon Guédé University through the development of an ecological management plan. To achieve this, Sentinel-2 satellite images were processed to determine land use. Then, floristic inventories were conducted to assess the residual diversity of the environment. Finally, a pedological study was carried out to determine the physical characteristics of the soil. Results showed that the arboretum is dominated by cassava cultivation (28.9 ha), followed by wooded fallow (9.1 ha). A total of 93 species distributed among 61 genera and 32 botanical families were recorded. Among these, nine (09) species have a particular conservation status. The soil study revealed three soil types: reworked ferrallitic soils, typical ferrallitic soils, and indurated ferrallitic soils. An ecological management plan subdivided into 37 thematic plots of diverse plant species was designed. This plan is expected to help preserve and restore the native vegetation of the region.