Effects of Bush Fires on Biodiversity in West Africa Sahel: A Review

Source:
By:Sani Ousmane Aboul-Hadi, Nouhou Mossi Omoul-kaïrou, Moussa Soulé

DOI: https://doi.org/10.30564/re.v5i2.5140

Abstract:

Bush fire is one of the drivers of biodiversity loss worldwide. However, the impact of bush fires on biodiversity in the West Africa Sahel is not well documented. Therefore, this study reviewed the effects of bush fires on biodiversity, the typology of the bush fire drivers and bush fires solutions in the West Africa Sahel via a systematic review. The authors used many research engines such as Google Scholar and Mendeley from 2010 to 2022 with some keywords in French and English. It comes from the analysis of the data that Mali is the most country affected by bush fires with an average of 35,000,000 ha burned. In Burkina Faso, bush fires burned more than 2 million hectares each year. The analysis showed also a loss of 1,675,157 ha in Niger and 56,568.10 ha in Senegal. The study recommends that climate actions should target bush fires prevention and fighting as climate response in order to promote sustainable biodiversity managementin the West Africa Sahel. The study recommends also that West Africa Sahel countries develop bushfire community education programs for fire prevention.

References:

[1] Garba, I., Abdou Amadou, S., Barry, B., et al., 2021. Suivi des feux de brousse en Afrique de l’Ouest et au Sahel, un outil d’aide à la décision (French) [Monitoring bush fires in West Africa and the Sahel, a decision support tool]. International Journal of Biological and Chemical Sciences. 15(6), 2636-2651. DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.4314/ijbcs.v15i6.30 [2] Mbow, C., 2004. Rapport sur les feux de brousse au Sénégal pour la saison sèche de novembre 2003 à mars 2004 (French) [Report on Bush Fires in Senegal for the Dry Season from November 2003 to March 2004] [Internet]. Université Cheikh Anta Diop de Dakar (UCAD). Available from: https://gfmc.online/globalnetworks/africa/Senegal-Rapport-Feux-2003-2004.pdf [3] Aubréville, A., 1949. Climats, forêts et désertification de l’Afrique tropicale (French) [Climates, forests and desertification of tropical Africa]. Société d’éditions géographiques, maritimes et coloniales: Paris. pp. 345-351. Available from: https://bibliotheques.mnhn.fr/medias/detailstatic.aspx?INSTANCE=EXPLOITATION&RSC_BASE=HORIZON&RSC_DOCID=21363 [4] Sarr M.-A., Faye G., Beye G., Ndione J.-A. Et Codjia C. (2015), Utilisation des données modis et de spot pour l’analyse de la dynamique de deux territoires : (réserve protégée) et (unités pastorales) au Ferlo (Sénégal) (French) [Use of modis and spot data for the analysis of the dynamics of two territories: (protected reserve) and (pastoral units) in Ferlo (Senegal)]. XXVIIIe Colloque de l’Association Internationale de Climatologie, Liège, pp. 73–77. [5] Kganyago, M., Shikwambana, L., 2020. Assessment of the characteristics of recent major wildfires in the USA, Australia and Brazil in 2018-2019 using multi-source satellite products. Remote Sensing. 12(11), 1803. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/rs12111803 [6] Ahouangan, B.D., Houinato, M., Ahamide, B., et al., 2010. Etude comparative de la productivité de repousses et de la capacité de charge des hémicryptophytes soumises aux feux de végétation dans les parcelles irriguées et non irriguées dans la Réserve Transfrontalière de Biosphère (RTB) du W-Benin (French) [Comparative study of the productivity of regrowth and the carrying capacity of hemicryptophytes subjected to vegetation fires in irrigated and non-irrigated plots in the Cross-Border Biosphere Reserve (RTB) of W-Benin]. International Journal of Biological and Chemical Sciences. 4(2), 479-490. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4314/ijbcs.v4i2.58157 [7] Fournier, A., Yameogo, U., 2009. Pourquoi et comment utiliser le feu comme outil de gestion en savane, in la gestion des espaces (French) [Why and how to use fire as a management tool in the savannah, in the management of spaces]. Manuel de Gestion des Aires Protégées d’Afrique Francophone. 509-514. [8] Dolidon, H., Ballouche, A., 2007. Le suivi spatio-temporel des feux de brousse. Un outil révélateur de l’état du couvert végétal en Afrique de l’Ouest, espaces tropicaux et risques du local au global (French) [Spatio-temporal monitoring of bush fires. A tool revealing the state of the vegetation cover in West Africa, tropical areas and risks from local to global]. Actes de 5èmes journées de Géographie tropicale. 409-418. [9] Mamadou, I., 2023. Savoirs locaux sur les risques de feux de brousse dans la commune de tesker (French) [Local Knowledge on the Risks of Bush Fires in the Commune of Tesker] [Internet]. Région de Zinder au Niger. Available from: http://www.rjgeo.ro/issues/revue%20roumaine%2067_1/i%20mamadou.pdf [10] Powell, J.M., Fernandez-Rivera, S., Hiernaux, P., et al., 1996. Nutrient cycling in integrated rangeland/cropland systems of the Sahel. Agricultural Systems. 52(2-3), 143-170. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/0308-521X(96)00009-1 [11] Zeineddine, N., 2020. La reprise des pluies et la recrudescence des inondations en Afrique de l’Ouest sahélienne (French) [The resumption of rains and the resurgence of floods in Sahelian West Africa]. Physio-Géo. 89-109. [12] Les feux de brousses, quelles en sont les conséquences? (French) [Bush Fires, What are the Consequences?] [Internet]. Available from: https://www.studiokalangou.org/14879-feux-brousses-quelles-en-sont-consequences [13] Au Mali, des bénévoles traquent les feux de brousse pour sauver l’environnement (French) [In Mali, Volunteers Track Bush Fires to Save the Environment] [Internet]. Available from: https://observers.france24.com/fr/20190404-mali-benevoles-luttent-contre-feux-brousse-preserver-environnement [14] Feux de brousse: 300.000 ha de pâturages détruits en 2020 (French) [Bush Fires: 300,000 ha of Pastures Destroyed in 2020] [Internet]. Available from: https://senalioune.com/feux-de-brousse-300-000-ha-de-paturages-detruits-en-2020/ [15]Ministry of the Environment and Sustainable Development, 2020, http://www.apanews.net/mobile/uneInterieure.php?id=4932944 [16] Bocoum, O., 2018, Suivi des feux (2017-2018) au Sénégal (French) [Fire Monitoring (2017-2018) in Senegal] [Internet]. Available from: https://chm.cbd.int/api/v2013/documents/58DAD993-C79B-6275-8330-99B6F44BA483/attachments/205588/Rapport_suivi_feux_2017-2018.pdf [17] Faye, G., Beye, G., Ndione, J.A., et al., 2015. Utilisation des données modis et de spot pour l’analyse de la dynamique de deux territoires: (réserve protégée) et (unités pastorales) au Ferlo (Sénégal) (French) [Use of Modis and Spot data for the analysis of the dynamics of two territories: (Protected reserve) and (Pastoral units) in Ferlo (Senegal)]. XXVIIIe Colloque de l’Association Internationale de Climatologie, Liège. 73-77. Available from: http://www.climato.be/aic/colloques/actes/ACTES_AIC2015/1%20Modelisation%20Cryosphere%20et%20Teledetection/011-SARR-073-077.pdf [18] Sawadogo, L., Nygård, R., Pallo, F., 2002. Effects of livestock and prescribed fire on coppice growth after selective cutting of Sudanian savannah in Burkina Faso. Annals of Forest Science. 59(2), 185-195. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1051/forest:2002005 [19] Louppe, D., Ouattara, N., Coulibaly, A., 1995. Effet des feux de brousse sur la végétation. Bois et Forêts des Tropiques (French) [Effect of bush fires on vegetation. Woods and forests of the tropics]. Bois & Forets Des Tropiques. 245(245), 59-69. [20] Masse, D., Dembélé, F., LeFloc’h, E., et al. (editors), 1997. Impact de la gestion des feux de brousse sur la qualité des sols des jachères de courte durée dans la zone soudanienne du Mali (French) [Impact of bush fire management on the quality of soils in short-term fallows in the Sudanian zone of Mali]. Soil Fertility Management in West African Land Use Systems. 1997 Mar 4-8; Niamey, Niger. Germany: Margraf Verlag, Weikersheim. Available from: https://horizon.documentation.ird.fr/exl-doc/pleins_textes/pleins_textes_6/b_fdi_49-50/010013844.pdf [21] Makela, M., Hermunen, T., 2007. Gestion Des Feux en Milieu Rural au Burkina Faso Une approche communautaire (French) [Rural Fire Management in Burkina Faso A Community Approach] [Internet]. Available from: https://www.fao.org/forestry/19856-09f49933f46a82e8521477cfd5af7aa38.pdf [22] Dennis, R., Meijaard, E., Applegate, G., et al., 2001. Impacts of human-caused fires on biodiversity and ecosystem functioning, and their causes in tropical, temperate and boreal forest biomes. Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity. [23] Atsri, H.K., Konko, Y., Cuni-Sanchez, A., et al., 2018. Changes in the West African forest-savanna mosaic, insights from central Togo. PloS One. 13(10), e0203999. [24] The Effects of Fire on the Environment [Internet]. Department for Environment, Water and Natural Resources of Australia; 2017. Available from: https://cdn.environment.sa.gov.au/environment/docs/impacts_of_fire.pdf [25] Tybirk, K., 1991. Régénération des légumineuses ligneuses du Sahel (French) [Regeneration of woody legumes in the Sahel]. AAU Reports 28. Aarhus University Press: Aarhus. pp. 86. [26] Boer, C., 1989. Effects of the Forest Fire 1982-83 in East Kalimantan on Wildlife [Internet]. Available from: http://www.itto.int/files/itto_project_db_input/2115/Technical/PD%2017%EF%BC%8F87%EF%BC%88F)%20Effects%20of%20the%20Forest%20Fire%201982%EF%BC%8F83%20in%20East%20Klimantan%20on%20Wildlife%20FR-Report%20No,7.pdf [27] Goh, K.T., Schwela, D.H., Goldammer, J.G., et al., 1999, Health Guidelines for Vegetation Fire Events [Internet]. Available from: https://apps.who.int/iris/handle/10665/42349 [28] Davies, S.J., Unam, L., 1999. Smoke-haze from the 1997 Indonesian forest fires: Effects on pollution levels, local climate, atmospheric CO2 concentrations, and tree photosynthesis. Forest Ecology and Management. 124(2-3), 137-144. [29] Kinnaird, M.F., O’Brien, T.G., 1998. Ecological effects of wildfire on lowland rainforest in Sumatra. Conservation Biology. 12(5), 954-956. [30] Tchoupou, M.C.V., Nkemnyi, S.N., Gaintse, I.T., et al., 2021. Impact of bush fire and grazing on the diversity of herbaceous plants in the Savannah’s Zones of the Ndikinimeki District Central Cameroon. Asian Journal of Research in Biosciences. 3(2), 64-75. [31] Nikiema, A., Pasternak, D., van der Maesen, L.J.G. (editors), 2005. Identifying wild food plants for sustainable agroforestry through market survey. Sustainable dryland agriculture systems. Proceedings of International Symposium; 2003 Dec 2-5; Niamey, Niger. [32] Darwich, T., Assaker, A., Faour, G., et al., 2015. Utilisation de la télédétection et des techniques SIG pour l’évaluation et la cartographie des risques de feux de forêts dans le bassin versant du Nahr Ibrahim (French) [Use of remote sensing and GIS techniques for the assessment and mapping of risks of forest fires in the Nahr Ibrahim watershed]. Du Mont Liban aux Sierras d’Espagne, Sols, Eau et Sociétés en montagnes. Archaeopress Publishing Ltd: Oxford. pp. 137-146.