Assessing local knowledge on the diversity and abundance of bushmeat species and hunting pressure in the fragmented forest islands of southern Benin (Dahomey Gap)
Chabi A. M. S. Djagoun, Gilles Nago, Akomian Fortuné Azihou, Fifanou G. Vodouhê, Auriane Agli, Stanislas Zanvo, Bruno A. Djossa, Achille Ephrem Assogbadjo, Brice Sinsin, Philippe Gaubert
Abstract
Abstract Illegal hunting of wildlife is one of the major issues in tropical ecosystems, especially when it occurs in highly degraded habitats with forest cover fragmentation. In this study, we assessed the impact of bushmeat hunting in a large forest patch (the Lama Natural Forest; LNF) and 11 nearby forest islands, using Traditional Ecological Knowledge from 240 interviewees across 16 villages. Thirty‐five species belonging to nine orders of mammals, birds and reptiles were mentioned by local communities. Rodentia were significantly more observed in the forest islands, whereas medium‐sized mammals belonging to Carnivora, Primates, Artiodactyla, Pholidota and Hyracoida were found predominantly in LNF. Approximately 57% of the species were reported to be rare in the forest islands, whereas c. 77% were listed as abundant in LNF, confirming the role of LNF as a refuge for forest species targeted by the bushmeat trade. Generalised linear models indicated that species sighting frequencies were positively correlated with perimeters of forest patches. We found hunting pressure to be greater in forest islands in the vicinity of LNF than those further away. Our results suggest that long‐term conservation of wildlife in southern Benin may require a ‘mainland‐islands’ approach including both LNF and its surrounding forest islands.