Vol. 119 No. 1 (2025)
Research Papers

Phytosociological study of herbaceous communities under Vachellia tortilis subsp. raddiana (Savi) Kyal. & Boatwr in eastern Niger

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  • Ismael Bio,
  • Mamadou Boubacar Moussa,
  • Idrissa Soumana,
  • Ali Mahamane
Ismael Bio
Higher Institute of Environment and Ecology, University of Diffa, Diffa, Niger
Mamadou Boubacar Moussa
Faculty of Agronomic and Ecological Sciences, University of Diffa, Diffa, Niger
Idrissa Soumana
National Institute of Agronomic Research of Niger, Niamey, Niger
Ali Mahamane
Faculty of Science and Technology, Abdou Moumouni University of Niamey, Niamey, Niger
DOI: https://doi.org/10.36253/jaeid-14871

Published 2025-07-08

Keywords

  • Phytosociology,
  • Herbaceous communities,
  • Vachellia tortilis,
  • Vegetation dynamics,
  • Eastern Niger

How to Cite

Bio, I., Moussa, M. B., Soumana, I., & Mahamane, A. (2025). Phytosociological study of herbaceous communities under Vachellia tortilis subsp. raddiana (Savi) Kyal. & Boatwr in eastern Niger. Journal of Agriculture and Environment for International Development (JAEID), 119(1), 19–42. https://doi.org/10.36253/jaeid-14871

Copyright (c) 2025 Ismael Bio, Mamadou Boubacar Moussa, Idrissa Soumana, Ali Mahamane

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

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Abstract

The present study was conducted in eastern Niger with the objective of assessing the floristic diversity under the canopy of Vachellia tortilis. To collect detailed data on the plant species present, the sigmatist method of abundance-dominance of Braun-Blanquet was employed, which is a common phytosociological technique for determining the relative abundance and dominance of species in each area. This method helps classify species based on their frequency and coverage. A total of 138 plots were surveyed to ensure a comprehensive representation of the study area. These plots were distributed across various locations under the canopy of V. tortilis, covering diverse topographies and environmental conditions. Hierarchical Ascending Classification (HAC) was used to group plant species based on their similarities in abundance and presence across the plots. Detrended Correspondence Analysis (DCA) helped visualize the distribution of plant species in relation to environmental gradients such as soil type and moisture content, ensuring that plant groupings were not solely influenced by environmental variables. Canonical Correspondence Analysis (CCA) was employed to further explore the relationships between plant species and environmental factors, providing a deeper understanding of how plant communities are structured and influenced by both biotic and abiotic factors. The results revealed 5 plant groupings with a total species richness of 35 herbaceous species divided into 19 families. The analysis of the floristic composition shows that the Poaceae family (41.08%) is the most important, followed by the Mimosaceae (14.82%). The analysis of diversity indices shows that the greatest specific diversity is observed in the V. tortilis and Cenchrus biflorus grouping (22 species) with a Shannon index of 2.96 and a Piélou equitability of 0.83. The dominance of Poaceae under the V. tortilis canopy suggests that this tree species influences herbaceous community composition by creating favorable ecological conditions such as soil moisture retention and light availability.

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