Dynamique paysagère et biodiversité des aires protégées du littoral ivoirien: exemple des Parcs Nationaux du Banco et des Iles Ehotilé, sud-est de la Côte d'Ivoire

In Côte d'Ivoire, deforestation is an old problem that threatens forests, especially protected areas. In the coastal zone,
rapid urbanization, rapid population growths, the economic and industrial development, particularly in Abidjan, have caused
rapid deforestation. Destruction of na,tural environments is at the forefront of the National Parks and Reserves (PNR) policy
against deforestation carried out by the government on the national territory, particularly in the littoral zone.
This study focuses on national parks and Banco Ehotilé Islands, located in the Ivorian coastal zone. On the one hand, the
Banco National Park is located on the outskirts of Abidjan, and it is surrounded by the various districts of the suburbs.
Urbanization and pollution caused by human activities are the main threats that cause degradation. On the other side, the
National Park ofEhotilé Islands is locatedin a rural area of the Department of Adiaké at the mouth oftheAby lagoon in the
Atlantic Ocean. This region is characterized by a landscape dominated by agro-industrial plantations, especially oil palm,
coconut groves and rubber. This reduces the land within the reach of small farmers and intensifies competition for land.
The data used to study the dynamics of the vegetation cover both parks derived from Spot and Landsat satellite images,
aerial photographs and our own field observations conducted in 2008 and 2009. These observations are written with the
purpose of describing previous samples of vegetation and the other to draw a selective inventory of the flora in national
parks. Surveys and interviews are conducted with a sample of 300 residents in the surrounding villages to gather their
perceptions on the one hand, and understanding on the other hand their daily practices vis-à-vis forest resources of GNP and
thePNlE. .
Study results show that landscape dynamics differ in the National Parks and Banco Ehotilé Islands. Indeed, between 1986
and 2007, in the National Park of Ehotilé Islands, the evolution of the vegetation was characterized by a decrease in the
dense forest of land for about 49%, while the area covered by the mosaics culture and forest have increased by 156%. In
addition, floristic surveys carried out in 123 plots of PNIE helped identify 197 plant species distributed among 64 families
and 156 genera. In the park of Banco, unlike Ehotilé islands, forest areas have experienced significant growth between 1992
and 2002 where dense closed canopy forests have increased by 115%. The floristic surveys have identified 233 plant species
distributed among 73 families and 191 genera. In PNB as PNIE, flora and vegetation are being threatened by human
activities including logging for domestic and agriculture.