La dynamique spatiale de la forêt située dans la réserve naturelle forestière de Bururi, Burundi

Abstract

The Forest Spatial Dynamic in the Bururi Forest Nature Reserve, Burundi. The studied forest is a protected area located in Southern Burundi, close to Bururi city and to agricultural villages. The effective protection of this forest started in 1980 but the protected area delimitation occurred in 2000. The forest spatial dynamic is analyzed to assess the effectiveness of this protection status. The study combines six Landsat multispectral satellite images analysis with field observations. Forest area and perimeter analysis highlights its dynamic in two phases: the first one is mainly characterised by deforestation and savannah development around agricultural lands but also by forest regrowth processes between 1986 and 2001. The second phase (2001-2011) of the forest dynamic is characterized by the increase of its surface and perimeter following the transformation of savannah zones. The anthropogenic effect limitation linked to the protected area delimitation, agricultural activities disturbance during socio-political instability period and to the increasing number of forest-rangers, would have influenced the surface and perimeter gain between 2001 and 2011. Local population implication in forest protection could further limit human pressure and promote degraded zones regeneration. Thus, agropastoral practices innovation in neighboring villages of the protected zone could contribute to limit these anthropogenic disturbances.

Keywords

• Anthropogenic disturbance
• Forest spatial dynamic
• Satellite images
• Socio
• political instability
• Burundi