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UNIVERSITY OF ABOMEY-CALAVI (BENIN)
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FACULTY OF AGRONOMIC SCIENCES
(FSA)
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Department of Natural Resource
Management
(AGRN)
TOPIC
Submitted by
Franck Cocou A. SINSIN
Promoters
Prof. Dr. Ir Brice A. SINSIN
(University of
Abomey-Calavi, Benin)
Prof. Dr. Stefan POREMBSKI
(University of
Rostock, Germany)
Dr Bettina ORTHMANN
(University of Rostock,
Germany)
Defended 6th January 2009
TABLE OF CONTENTS
TABLE OF CONTENTS i
LIST OF FIGURES iii
LIST OF PICTURES iv
LISTE OF TABLE iv
DEDICATION v
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS vi
TECHNICAL EXPRESSIONS vii
Abstract ..viii
Résumé ix
1. Introduction 1
1.1. Background on tree dating methods 1
1.2. The interest of the study 2
1.3. The aims 3
1.4. Research questions 3
2. Study area 3
3. Materials and methods ..5
3.1. Studied plant species and samples collection 5
3.2. Sample processing ..9
3.3. Method used to study the wood anatomy .10
3.4. Method used to study the growth performances 10
3.5. Cross-dating 11
3.6. Method used to study the fire regime 12
3.7. Nature of data 12
4. Results 13
4.1. Wood anatomy of different species studied 13
4.1.1. Anogeissus leiocarpa 15
4.1.2. Detarium microcarpum .16
4.1.3. Diospyros abyssinica 17
4.1.4. Isoberlinia doka 17
4.1.5. Pterocarpus erinaceus .18
4.1.6. Conclusion on wood anatomy 19
4.2. Age and growth performances for investigated species 19
4.2.1. Age, ring increment and cross-dating 19
4.2.2. Growing in height .23
4.2.3 Conclusion on tree species growth 24
4.3. Fire regime analysis from tree-rings of investigated
species... 24
4.3.1. Fire master chronology in CNP and UAC 24
4.3.2. Fire interval 25
4.3.3. Fire frequency and intensity in Comoé national Park
and Upper Aguima Catchment 27
4.3.4. Conclusion on events of fire in savanna areas . 27
5. Discussion 28
Conclusion 29
6. Literature cited 30
Appendix
LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 1 Mean monthly rainfall for studied sites
(CNP & UAC)
Figure 2 Macroscopically polished stem discs
observation of investigated species Figure 3 The different
parts of wood. Stem disc of D. microcarpum
Figure 4 The common wood anatomical legend
Figure 5 Wood anatomy of A. leiocarpa
(Combretaceae)
Figure 6 Wood anatomy of D. microcarpum
(Caesalpiniaceae)
Figure 7 Wood anatomy of D. abyssinica
(Ebenaceae)
Figure 8 Wood anatomy of I. doka
(Caesalpinaceae)
Figure 9 Wood anatomy of P. erinaceus
(Fabaceae)
Figure 10 Cross-dating ring width of
Diospyros abyssinica oldest sampled tree cut at two different
heights
Figure 11 Cross-dating ring width of
Detarium microcarpum oldest sampled tree cut at two different
heights
Figure 12 Cross-dating ring width of one of
sampled tree of Anogeissus leiocapus cut at two different heights
Figure 13 Initial height growth for some of
investigated species
Figure 14 Fire history in Comoé National
Park
Figure 15 Fire history in Upper Aguima
Catchment
Figure 16 Example of fire scars on stem discs
Figure 17 Illustration of compartmentalisation
concept on D. microcarpum stem disc
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