Environmental Advances (Jul 2023)
Effects of abiotic factors on the flora and vegetation of inselbergs in Burkina Faso
Abstract
The flora and vegetation of ecosystems are influenced by biotic and abiotic factors that determine their composition, diversity and overall condition. These factors include determining factors that have a greater impact on flora and vegetation. The objective of this study is to assess the impacts of abiotic factors on the flora and vegetation of inselbergs in Burkina Faso and determine which factors have the greatest impact. For this purpose, stratified and random sampling was adopted and data were collected in plots of 900 m² for the woody stratum and 100 m² for the herbaceous stratum. For the inselberg micro-habitats, the plot size varied between 0.25 m² and 9 m². All species were recorded with their abundance-dominance coefficient.The mean number of species, the Shannon diversity index and the Piélou equitability index varied significantly with climatic gradient and topography (p<0.001, p<0.05). All dendrometric parameters (mean density, mean diameter and mean basal area) varied significantly with soil depth (p<0.001) and climatic gradient (p<0.01, p<0.001). Generalized Linear Model (GLM) analysis shows that species richness, Shannon diversity index, diameter and basal area are significantly predictable for climate, topography and soil depth. Piélou's equitability index was not significantly predictable for soil depth while density was not significantly predictable for climatic gradient and topography. No floristic or dendrometric parameters were significantly predictable for altitude. The study revealed that climate, topography, soil and altitude do not have the same impact on floristic and dendrometric parameters of inselberg vegetation in Burkina Faso. Climate and topography had the greatest impacts on the richness and diversity of the inselberg flora, while soil depth had the greatest impact on the density, size (diameter) and basal area of the inselberg woody vegetation. Altitude has no impact on floristic and dendrometric parameters.
