Description du projet
Étudier les pratiques de gestion durable des terres et des forêts dans la ceinture agricole d’Afrique occidentale
La déforestation induite par l’agriculture laisse sur son passage de petites parcelles de forêt tropicale, qui sont notamment très communes en Afrique de l’Ouest. Des études révèlent que ces parcelles abritent diverses communautés de plantes et d’espèces indigènes, qu’elles assurent des fonctions écologiques essentielles et qu’elles représentent un moyen de subsistance important pour les populations locales. Compte tenu de la dégradation persistante des paysages, la préservation de ces îlots forestiers semble aujourd’hui essentielle. Le projet SUSTAINFORESTS, financé par l’UE, analysera les rôles interactifs des parcelles de forêt dans les paysages agricoles des zones de forêt tropicale et de savane au Togo, au Bénin, au Nigeria et au Cameroun. Le projet ouvrira également de nouvelles voies de recherche afin d’encourager les efforts destinés à promouvoir l’adoption de pratiques de gestion des terres et des forêts plus durables.
Objectif
Tropical forest patches in agricultural landscapes are largely the survivors of a hard-to-reverse deforestation process. Yet, these patches, which are spread over West Africa, still provide crucial ecological functions, serve as habitats for biodiversity, contribute globally to carbon sinks, and are important for the livelihoods of local populations. Given their persistent degradation, identifying pathways to safeguard or even increase their contribution to ecological function and thus to sustainable development is crucial. While existing theories of agricultural expansion, intensification, and forest transition explain agriculture-induced deforestation well, they do not explain the persistence of forest patches in a context of agricultural expansion. Little or no research has analysed forest patches in the highly fragmented agricultural landscapes of the rainforest and savannah zones of West Africa. This project will analyse the interactive roles of forest patches in the agricultural landscapes of these zones in Togo, Benin, Nigeria, and Cameroon. In addition, it will investigate conditions under which various biophysical, socio-cultural, economic, and institutional factors, including decision-making and land users’ behaviour and interests, interact with and affect forest patches and their sustainable use, management, and governance. Focussing on forest patches in West Africa thus closes theoretical and empirical gaps. The project will apply an iterative landscape- and people-centred approach that integrates data from remote sensing, social surveys, and participatory modelling. It will employ content analysis, multivariate statistics, and spatial analysis methods. Results will clarify the theories underpinning forest patches and open new research avenues in the sustainability sciences. Insights gained from the project will inform and trigger region-wide efforts to preserve forest patches and help initiate transformative actions on sustainable land and forest management.
Champ scientifique
- social sciencessociologygovernance
- natural sciencesearth and related environmental sciencesenvironmental sciencessustainability sciences
- agricultural sciencesagriculture, forestry, and fisheriesforestrysilviculture
- engineering and technologyenvironmental engineeringremote sensing
- natural sciencesbiological sciencesecologyecosystems
Programme(s)
Régime de financement
ERC-COG - Consolidator GrantInstitution d’accueil
3012 Bern
Suisse