| Summary: | Wildfires are an important ecological factor for the ecosystem lasting management. However, the lack of control over its management can lead to adverse effects on biodiversity and the ecological balance. Providing guidelines for efficient management of wildfires in Togo was the aim of this study focused on phytosociology and fuel biomass assessment. Phytosociological inventories were used to assess pyrophyte floras. Humid and dried fuel biomass were quantified based on 1062 samples within square of 1 m x 1 m. The pyrophyte flora identified was 466 species dominated by therophytes and Poaceae (40.48 %) which proportion vary according to the location and the ecological factors. With the exception of the forest area (Zone IV) with a low dominance of Poaceae (16.64 %) with Chromolaena odorata as the most abundant species, the other areas have a minimum of 40 % of Poaceae and characterized by Sporobolus pyramidalis, Hyparrhenia rufa, Panicum maximum, Andropogon gayanus, and Imperata cylindrica. The highest significant similarities were observed between the zones I and II and between the zones III and V. Globally, the biomass of the burned areas was estimated at 5.42 t MS/ha. Highest biomass values were obtained in the ecological zones V and III (7.30 t MS/ha and 6.15 t MS/ha), while the lowest corresponds to the zone IV (3.65 t MS/ha). Further studies, namely at regional, prefectural, and local levels would be better advised to take into account the micro-climatic realities, to determine the vulnerability, and to afford specific management measures.
|
|---|