State of Conservation of Mammalian Wildlife in the Forests of the Tonkpi Region: The Case of the Krozialé Classified Forest, Western Côte d'Ivoire
Kramoko Bamba
*
Biodiversity and Tropical Ecology Laboratory of the UFR Environment, Jean Lorougnon Guédé University, BP 150 Daloa, Côte d'Ivoire.
Kouamé Antoine N’Guessan
Biodiversity and Tropical Ecology Laboratory of the UFR Environment, Jean Lorougnon Guédé University, BP 150 Daloa, Côte d'Ivoire.
Wa Kassi N’Guessan Dawy Assui
Ministry of the Environment, Sustainable Development and Ecological Transition 20 BP 650 Abidjan 20, Côte d’Ivoire.
Djaha Kouame
Biodiversity and Tropical Ecology Laboratory of the UFR Environment, Jean Lorougnon Guédé University, BP 150 Daloa, Côte d'Ivoire.
Béné Jean-Claude Koffi
Biodiversity and Tropical Ecology Laboratory of the UFR Environment, Jean Lorougnon Guédé University, BP 150 Daloa, Côte d'Ivoire.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
The Zouan-Hounien Department, located in western Côte d'Ivoire, lies within a forest zone that provides a variety of habitats for numerous wildlife species. However, data on the area's mammalian fauna remain incomplete. This study aimed to determine the diversity, distribution, and threats affecting the mammalian fauna of the Zouan-Hounien Department. Reconnaissance walks (RECCE) and ethnozoological surveys were conducted to inventory mammal species in the field. The study was conducted in four habitat types: Dense Intact Humid Forests, Dense Intact Mountain Forests, Dense Intact Dry Forests, and human-modified areas. Five mammal orders were recorded in this classified forest. Rodentia was the most abundant order (55.72%; N = 825), followed by Primates (20.33%; N = 301), Artiodactyla (10.93%; N = 162), Carnivora (8.64%; N = 128), and Hyracoidea (4.38%; N = 65). Wild mammal species diversity in this protected forest was assessed using the Shannon-Wiener index, which had a value of H = 2.82. According to the Kruskal-Wallis test, the difference in wild mammal species richness was not significant (P = 0.61 > 0.05). Field investigations showed that mammals occurred along the northern, southern, eastern, and western peripheries of the Krozialé protected forest. Human activities threatening the sustainable conservation of mammals in the Krozialé Classified Forest included agriculture, gold mining, hunting, and logging. Mineral exploration drilling occurred at a frequency of 3.71% (N = 20). According to the Kruskal-Wallis test, the difference in wild mammal species richness was not significant (P = 0.43 > 0.05).
Keywords: Mammalian diversity, wildlife conservation, Krozialé classified forest, Tonkpi region, anthropogenic pressure, habitat distribution, ethnozoological survey, reconnaissance walks, protected forest