Local perception and factors affecting conservation status of gallery forests, habitat of orchid species

Abstract

In a context of fragmentation of forest landscape and sustainable use of orchid species, an analysis of the local knowledge base is necessary for developing conservation strategies of orchid habitat. This study aims at i) assessing factors affecting local perception of conservation status of orchid habitats, and ii) determining degradation factors of their habitat in Sudanian woodlands and the consequences of the degradation. We used a questionnaire-based survey, to cross knowledges on orchids and habitat degradation, from the four main socio-cultural groups, including the age, the sex and the level of education, translating into 390 respondents. We used the binomial and multinomial logistic regression to assess the local perception on conservation status of orchid habitats with reference to different ethno-demographic groups. We also used the negative binomial generalized linear model (GLM) to test for an existing dependence relation between the local perceptions of the “consequences” of the degradation of gallery forest (as response variable), and the ethno-demographic variables. Ethnicity and level of education significantly influence knowledge on orchids, as well as the perception on their habitat conservation status (p<0.05). The socio-cultural groups Fulani, Gourmantché and Waaba perceived more the degradation of their gallery forests, habitat of orchid species. The three main factors of degradation from local view are tree cutting (65.64%), shifting agriculture (44.10%) and wildfires (39.49%). Whatever the considered GLMs, there is not a significant influence of the ethnodemographic variables on local perception of the consequences of the gallery forests degradation (p< 5%). However, education and ethnicity significantly influence perception on the conservation status of orchid habitat. Assessing how this local perception translates into quantitative data in the field is crucial to develop adaptive strategies for the long term conservation of orchid species and sustainable use of their habitats.