Ecological Structure, Diversity and Floristic Composition of Woody Plant Communities in the Chari Department (Chad)
- 1 Laboratory of Systematic Botany and Plant Ecology, Department of Biology, Faculty of Exact and Applied Sciences, University of N’Djamena, N’Djamena, Chad
- 2 Laboratory of Systematic Botany and Plant Ecology, Department of Biology, Faculty of Exact and Applied Sciences, University of N’Djamena, N’Djamena, Chad
- 3 Laboratory of Systematic Botany and Plant Ecology, Department of Biology, Faculty of Exact and Applied Sciences, University of N’Djamena, N’Djamena, Chad
- 4 Laboratory of Systematic Botany and Plant Ecology, Department of Biology, Faculty of Exact and Applied Sciences, University of N’Djamena, N’Djamena, Chad
Abstract
This study investigates the floristic diversity, taxonomic structure, and ecological organization of four woody vegetation communities exploited for fuelwood in the Chari Department of Chad. A total of 24 species belonging to 23 genera and 12 families were recorded across wooded savanna, open forest, gallery forest, and shrub savanna. The dominant families (Fabaceae, Combretaceae, Rhamnaceae) reflect the typical Sudano-Sahelian signature of the region. The findings indicate that the wooded savanna (H′ = 2.55; J = 0.87) and the shrub savanna (H′ = 2.50; J = 0.85) represent the most diverse and structurally balanced habitats. The open forest shows moderate diversity (H′ = 2.30) and relatively high evenness (J = 0.83). Conversely, the gallery forest exhibits lower diversity (H′ = 2.23) and reduced evenness (J = 0.76), signalling the dominance of a limited number of species. The gallery forest exhibited lower evenness due to hyper-dominance of Balanites aegyptiaca and Acacia nilotica . Principal Component Analysis (PCA) highlighted strong ecological gradients between dry and humid formations, emphasizing the role of moisture availability and disturbance regimes. These findings provide critical insights for sustainable management of woody resources in the Chari Department.
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