Diversity and conservation prioritisation of plant species utilised by communities living in the forest areas managed by the Benin National Timber Office

The diversity of forest resources is threatened in its current form of exploitation by rural communities. In order to contribute to the sustainable use of forest resources, this study aimed to assess the diversity of ‘utilitarian’ plant species (those that are useful to humans) among communities living in the 11 classified forests managed by the National Timber Office of Benin (Office National du Bois du Bénin, ONAB) and to identify priority species for conservation. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 385 riparian residents of the forests using a simple random sampling method. The data collected focused mainly on plant biodiversity. The ecological parameters of habitats, such as the number of genera and species according to families, were calculated. In addition, the prioritisation method used four approaches and eight criteria that made it possible to identify priority species for conservation. Overall, the study revealed the existence of 97 utilitarian species divided into 33 families and 76 genera in the forest areas. The ten priority species for conservation, in order of priority as per the point score procedure, are: Khaya senegalensis, Afzelia africana, Khaya grandifoliola, Pterocarpus erinaceus, Anogeissus leiocarpa, Milicia excelsa, Albizia zygia, Vitex doniana, Antidesma laciniatum and Bombax costatum. This study provides scientific support for conservation planning and as a decision-making tool for the socio-economic conservation of these species.