Soil macrofauna diversity in forest landscapes and surrounding agroecosystems in the Sudano-Sahelian zone of Burkina Faso (West Africa)

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Résumé

Land-use intensification significantly affects soil quality and ecosystem functioning in West African landscapes. This study assessed soil macrofauna diversity and abundance across five land use and land cover (LULC) types in the Sissili Classified Forest and adjacent agroecosystems in Burkina Faso. Using the standardized Tropical Soil Biology and Fertility (TSBF) method, complemented by targeted termite sampling, we characterized macrofauna communities and analyzed soil organic matter in gallery forest, woody savanna, shrub savanna, fallow land, and cropland. Diversity indices were calculated and community patterns were examined using Canonical Correspondence Analysis. A total of 1,672 individuals belonging to 59 species across 11 orders were recorded, with Isoptera (59.20%) and Hymenoptera (18.30%) dominating the assemblages. Termite abundance was highest in shrub savanna compared to other ecosystems. Gallery forests exhibited the highest species richness (SR = 8 ± 3) and Shannon diversity (H′ = 1.98 ± 0.37), whereas cropland showed significantly lower values (SR = 5 ± 2; H′ = 1.46 ± 0.38). Six species were identified as reliable indicators of specific ecosystems, including Macrotermes sp. for shrub savanna, Anthicus fuscicornis for cropland, and the co-occurrence of Anyphaena sp. and Acanthotermes acanthothorax for gallery forests. These findings demonstrate that soil macrofauna composition and diversity are sensitive indicators of ecosystem integrity and provide a valuable basis for guiding sustainable land management in West African landscapes under increasing anthropogenic pressure.

Mots-clés

soil macrofauna, soil biodiversity, land use and land cover, gallery forest, woody savanna, cropland, fallow, termite abundance, soil organic matter, ecosystem indicators, land use intensification, Sudano-Sahelian zone, sustainable land management