Influence of anthropisation on local vegetation and tsetse abundance in southern Burkina Faso

• Published in: Parasite (Paris) Vol. 16; no. 1; pp. 21 - 28
• Main Authors: Rayaissé, J B, Courtin, F, Akoundjin, M, César, J, Solano, P
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: French; English
• Published: France 01.03.2009
• Subjects: Animals; Burkina Faso; Demography; Ecosystem; Environment; Geographic Information Systems; Insect Vectors - classification; Insect Vectors - growth & development; Insect Vectors - parasitology; Phylogeny; Plant Development; Population Density; Population Growth; Rivers; Species Specificity; Trees - growth & development; Tsetse Flies - classification; Tsetse Flies - growth & development; Tsetse Flies - parasitology; Burkina Faso
• ISSN: 1252-607X
• DOI: 10.1051/parasite/2009161021

Entomological and phyto-sociological surveys were undertaken in Folonzo, southern Burkina Faso, along the Comoé river. The purpose of this survey was to compare densities and diversity of tsetse species in a protected versus a non protected area, by the mean of transects going from the river bank to the savannah. A detailed phytological description was made in all the trapping sites. The entomological data were also compared to what was obtained in 1980 in the same trapping sites. The phytogeographical study showed great vegetation homogeneity between transects, particularly in the forest gallery, while savannah showed more heterogeneity. Four tsetse species were caught in the area, with 74% G. tachinoides, 20% G. m. submorsitans, 4% G. p. gambiensis and 2% G. medicorum. There was a significant difference in tsetse densities between the protected and the non-protected area, with in average, four times more tsetse in the protected one. This difference was particularly high for G. m. submorsitans with a ratio of 1/9. This decrease was attributed to the reduction in wildlife density in the non protected area, and can be applied to the situation of the whole country where this tsetse species is of decreasing importance. It is one of the consequences of the increase in human densities, this latter causing much less visible changes in phytological species composition. From the comparison between old (1980) and new data collected on the river bank, we see a general trend of decrease in density, which affects less G. palpalis gambiensis.