Community participation and ecological criteria for selecting species and restoring natural capital with native species in the Sahel

Combining community needs and preferences with dryland plant expertise in order to select suitable native species for large‐scale natural capital restoration is the approach that has been successful in the Sahel as part of Africa's Great Green Wall program. In order to increase plant diversity and restore degraded land, we investigated four cross‐border regions of Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger, all located in dryland ecosystems of the Sahel. In 120 beneficiary village communities, with a total population of over 50,000 farmers, including 51% women, participatory diagnostic meetings were conducted, leading to the selection of 193 plant species, most of which were mainly used for food, medicine, fodder, and fuel. Of these, 170 were native and considered suitable for enriching and restoring those village lands. The most environmentally well‐adapted and economically relevant species were prioritized, quality seeds were collected, and nursery seedlings produced under technical supervision of villages. From 2013 to 2015, 55 woody and herbaceous species were planted to initiate restoration of 2,235 ha of degraded land. On average, 60% of seedlings survived and grew well in the field after three rainy seasons. Due to its multiple uses, including gum arabic production, Acacia senegal was preferred by local people in most cases, accounting for 30% of seedlings planted. Such promising results, in an effort to restore degraded land for and with the help of thousands of farmers, could not have been achieved without the combination of scientific plant expertise and efficient rural capacity development, underpinned by high levels of community engagement.     

Guinean biodiversity at the edge: Rodents in forest patches of southern Mali

Southern Mali mainly belongs to the Sudanian savanna bioclimatic zone, but forest patches showing botanical affinities with Guinean humid forest remain as gallery forests or ravine forests. To characterize the rodent diversity of this area and check for the presence of some species of Guinean affinities in this group, rodent assemblages were sampled in four regions of southern Mali, using trapping and observational data in forest and surrounding habitats. Twenty-four species were recorded, comprising a representative sample of the expected overall diversity in this group according to rarefaction curves. Praomys rostratus was the dominant species in the most humid, closed lowland forest. Praomys daltoni was also present in this habitat type, being all the more abundant as habitat degradation was apparent. It became the dominant species in ravine forest on rocky substrate where P. rostratus was completely absent. In Sudanian savanna habitats and in herbaceous and cultivated areas, Mastomys erythroleucus dominated a diverse rodent community. A few species were found that testified for Guinean affinities of the most humid forest patches, especially in the extreme southeast of the country (region of Sikasso). Rodent assemblages of the Bafing and Mts Mandingues areas, in the western part of the study area, showed the highest similarity, in relation with environmental characteristics of this region representing an extension of the Fouta Djallon plateau in Guinea. The results obtained highlight the high biodiversity value of this forest-savanna mosaic, and provide new arguments in favour of the preservation of West African forest patches and their surrounding habitats.     

When the refugee status becomes an economic asset: how Malians in a Burkinabé City negotiate the “refugee” category

ABSTRACT

Since early 2016, part of the Malian urban refugees living in Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso, have to “capitalize” on their refugee status to make ends meet. By examining when, why, and how the refugee status transmutes into an economic asset, this article shows how the possibilities to negotiate with the refugee category vary significantly within this group of forced migrants. Indeed, categories are not only imposed on people, but are negotiated by the actors themselves in their interactions and within their social and political economies. My article shows how the refugees’ ability or possibility to participate in the co-construction of their category is shaped by both the social and political context in which they are, as well as by wider intersectional and structural dynamics in which their lives are situated, such as socio-economic class, gender and race.     

Characterization of Aerosolized Bacteria and Fungi From Desert Dust Events in Mali, West Africa

Millions of metric tons of African desert dust blow across the Atlantic Ocean each year, blanketing the Caribbean and southeastern United States. Previous work in the Caribbean has shown that atmospheric samples collected during dust events contain living microbes, including plant and opportunistic human pathogens. To better understand the potential downwind public health and ecosystem effects of the dust microbes, it is important to characterize the source population. We describe 19 genera of bacteria and 3 genera of fungi isolated from air samples collected in Mali, a known source region for dust storms, and over which large dust storms travel.     

Vagococcus teuberi sp. nov., isolated from the Malian artisanal sour milk fènè

Ten bacterial isolates belonging to the genus Vagococcus were obtained from Malian sour milk fènè produced from spontaneously fermented cow milk. However, these isolates could not be assigned to a species upon initial comparative 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis and were therefore further characterized. Rep-PCR fingerprinting of the isolates yielded four strain clusters represented by strains CG-21^T (=DSM 21459^T), 24CA, CM21 and 9H. Sequence identity of the 16S rRNA gene of DSM 21459^T to its closest relative species Vagococcus penaei was 97.9%. Among the four rep strain clusters, DSM 21459^T and 24CA shared highest 16S rRNA gene sequence identity of 99.6% while CM21 and 9H shared 98.6–98.8% with DSM 21459^T and V. penaei CD276^T. DSM 21459^T and 24CA were thus subjected to a polyphasic typing approach. The genome of DSM 21459^T featured a G + C content of 34.1 mol% for a 2.17-bp chromosome and a 15-kbp plasmid. Average nucleotide identity (ANI) of DSM 21459^T to Vagococcus fluvialis bH819, V. penaei CD276^T were 72.88%, 72.63%, respectively. DNA–DNA hybridization (DDH) similarities of strain DSM 21459^T to other Vagococcus species were <42.0%. ANI and DDH findings strongly supported the 16S rRNA gene phylogenetic tree delineations. The fatty acid patterns of DSM 21459^T was palmitic acid (C _16:0, 24.5%), oleic acid (C _18:1-ω9c, 32.8%), stearic acid (C _18:0, 18.9%). General physiological characterization of DSM 21459^T and 24CA were consistent with those of the genus Vagococcus. Strain DSM 21459^T and further strains are therefore considered to belong to a novel species, for which the nomenclature Vagococcus teuberi sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is named CG-21^T (=DSM 21459^T and LMG 24695^T).     

Effects of Entomopathogenic Nematodes on Control of a Mushroom-infesting Sciarid Fly and on Mushroom Production

The entomopathogenic nematodes Steinernema feltiae (Biosys strain #27) and Heterorhabditis heliothidis were evaluated for the larval control of a mushroom-infesting sciarid, Lycoriella mali, and for the effects of these nematodes on mushroom (Agaricus bisporus) production. In a series of small-scale mushroom crops, infective-stage H. heliothidis and S. feltiae were applied to the mushroom casing surface in the irrigation water or incorporated into the casing material at densities ranging from 28 to 1120 and 11 to 1120 nematodes cm-2 of casing surface respectively. The mortality of L. mali larvae ranged from 52 to 100% for H. heliothidis and 38 to 100% for S. feltiae. Both nematode species reduced mycelial coverage on the casing surface at primordia initiation. Neither mushroom strain (off-white or white hybrid) or method of application (incorporation into or irrigation onto the casing surface) altered the effect on mycelial coverage. The nematodes's negative effect on mycelial growth confounded the benefit of fly control. At high nematode densities (up to 1120 nematodes cm-2), damage-free mushroom yields for the first week of harvest were less than those from the untreated control. However, at lower nematode densities, at or below 140 cm-2, the nematodes had less effect on mushroom growth, and consequently, damage-free mushroom yields for the first week of harvest were frequently greater than those from the untreated control. In the absence of flies, the first-week mushroom yield generally declined with increasing nematode densities for both white and off-white mushroom hybrids. After 4 weeks of harvest, accumulated mushroom yields had nearly recovered from the earlier decline.     

The reporductive cycle and population dynamics: The case of the Banges Valley (Valais,Switzerland) in the XIXth century

By discussing the concept of population reproduction from the points of view of different disciplines, we propose here a reflection on the foundation of population studies, i.e. the definition of the population studied and the mechanisms of its dynamics. Our considerations are based on the example of the Bagnes valley in the 19th century, putting it into perspective with data we have gathered in two other traditional populations. In the first part of the paper, we explore the different types of constraints and facilitators which act on the effective descent of individuals. The population reproduction is thus considered in terms of numerical replacement, that is to say the meaning which demography usually gives to it. The second part focuses on the factors of the renewal of the group, signification attributed to population reproduction in evolutionary sciences. The definition of the boundaries of the population and their tendencies become central, as well as the criteria following which individuals belong to the group. Translation from the French by Graham Grayston     

The Policy Terrain in Protected Area Landscapes: Challenges for Agroforestry in Integrated Landscape Conservation

Integrated ecosystem and landscape approaches to conservation are moving from concept to practice in many parts of the developing world. Agroforestry – the deliberate management of trees on farms and in agricultural landscapes – is emerging as one of the most promising approaches to enhance and stabilize rural livelihoods, while reducing pressure on protected areas, enhancing habitat for some wild species, and increasing connectivity of landscape components. For the potential of agroforestry to be effectively harnessed, however, the policy and institutional environment needs to provide farmers with clear incentives to plant and protect trees that contribute to both ecosystem function and rural livelihoods. This paper analyzes the policy terrain affecting agroforestry around protected areas in five very different contexts across Sub-Saharan Africa, finding both expected and unexpected similarities. Across the sites in Uganda, Cameroon and Mali, the study revealed a rough policy terrain for agroforestry – systemic market constraints, contradictions between development approaches and conservation objectives, and inconsistencies in institutional and regulatory frameworks. Making the conservation landscape approach more effective will require that both agriculturalists and conservation planners have much greater appreciation for the conservation and livelihood potential of agroforestry.     

A new species of the catfish Nigerium from the Palaeogene of the Tilemsi Valley,Republic of Mali

Abstract: The phosphate deposits of the Tilemsi Valley, Republic of Mali, West Africa, are well known for their rich fossil vertebrate fauna including fishes, crocodilians, snakes and mammals. Despite this, the exact age of the deposits has been in some doubt. Here, a new species of catfish, Nigerium tamaguelense sp. nov., is described from the phosphate deposits at Tamaguélelt, Tilemsi Valley, based on a large collection of 29 well‐preserved crania. The crania are compared with the known species of Nigerium, N. wurnoense White and N. gadense White. The genus Nigerium is reviewed and now placed in the family Claroteidae based on a combination of three derived characters. Nigerium is compared with other African fossil catfish genera and the fossil record of catfish families in Africa is reviewed. The new evidence presented here shows the Claroteidae to be the earliest occurring catfish family in Africa. Evidence is also presented for an Early Eocene age for the phosphate deposits at Tamaguélelt.