Tchatchou, pruned Khaya

Tchatchou, pruned Khaya
Tchatchou is a district in the Central Benin. it's in one of the districts with the largest cattle population. There are lot of conflicts between Fulani and farmers in the region. Land clearing for new farms has been destroying Khaya trees, and Fulani complain about that. Farmers also complain about Fulani's cattle destroying their crops while grazing in the nearby pasture. The place used to be full of Khaya; but now it is difficult to find an unpruned Khaya there. However, I had the chance to find a long unpruned Khaya population kept by a Fulani community at Boukoussiera. Indigenous people and Sustainability (!?)
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# Posté le vendredi 24 juin 2005 23:23

Modifié le jeudi 31 août 2006 00:18

Close look at pruning

Close look at pruning
How is pruning affecting the growth of branches and the reproduction of tree is part of my research interest. i present here a close look at a frequently and heavily pruned branches. This picture was taken around Brignamaro in the North of Benin. The tree was pruned at 100%. There is no branch regrowth except the development of branchlets with small leaves. This type of tree would never produce flowers nor fruits again. With this type of pressure the tree will die in the near future.
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# Posté le vendredi 24 juin 2005 23:27

Over-pruning and tree's health

Over-pruning and tree's health
when a Khaya tree is over-pruned, it fails to reproduce. it also develops dead bark and even the wood inside decay. in some place, termites attack the tree.
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# Posté le vendredi 24 juin 2005 23:31

Modifié le mercredi 29 juin 2005 07:50

How is Khaya climbed by fulani

How is Khaya climbed by fulani
during my field research, i found some Khaya tree with a maximun of 137 cm diameter at breast height (DBH). This is quite big and you wonder how would someone climb a tree like that and pruned the branches. Actually, fulani people developed strategies to climb big trees by creating hole on the trunk with a sharp matchete. They put their feet on those hole to climb. According to logging companies, these hole decrease the value of the timber. That is where the competition is between logging companies and fulani! In this picture, one of my team member was showing how fulani climb big tree using the hole on the trunk. Look at it carefully as you may have to try it when you'll be in Benin.
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# Posté le vendredi 24 juin 2005 23:38

close look at the climbing holes

close look at the climbing holes
This is how the hole that fulani make on the trunk to climb the tree looks like!
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# Posté le vendredi 24 juin 2005 23:39