This study aims to investigate the diversity of species and assessing the availability of woodfuel plants used in rural areas by Koulango and Lobi populations on Eastern periphery of Comoé National Park. Two surveys were conducted in ten villages: a house-to-house interview and an individual walk-in-the woods interview with some informants. Frequency of citation use value were used to estimate the local knowledge of woodfuel plants. Floristic inventory based on random plot sampling method was applied on 200 small squares. A qualitative analysis through the households has showed that firewood was the fuel most used in households. Among the useful species, 6 plants were the most use species by both local populations. According to plants availability, in Comoé National Park, juvenile individual of 12 plants such as Berlinia grandiflora, Burkea africana and Vitellaria paradoxa were the most abundant species. Adult individual of plants were the most abundant species. In rural area, 8 plants like Daniellia oliveri, and Vitellaria paradoxa were the most abundant species. Annona senegalensis, Saba senegalensis and Vitellaria paradoxa were the 3 most abundant species. However, juvenile individual and adult individual of 16 plants such as Bombax costatum Margaritaria discoidea and Raphia sudanica were very rare in both areas (CNP and rural area).
The study pointed out the importance of use value as tool to select the species which conservation must be emphasized in the management plans to meet not only the need of the populations but also to improve the conservation statute of the species. Finally, this study raises the fact that there is an urgent need to develop methods for a sustainable use of these plants from Eastern periphery of Comoé National Park.
Women are key players in the agricultural sector in most developing countries. However, their roles in different agricultural production systems are often poorly known. The present study, conducted in the Centre of Côte d'Ivoire, aimed to highlight the main activities carried out by women in the management of cocoa-based agroforestry systems. To achieve this aim, interviews were conducted of 268 women involved in the management of cocoa agroforestry systems in six localities. Among them, more than 69 % are producers’ wives. The interviews helped identifying the activities performed by these women in these systems. The results show that women are mainly involved in the maintenance of the plantation (91.4 %) during the first year. They are more active in the creation of nurseries (28 %), in the plantation (37.7 %), in the harvest of cocoa pods (48.9 %), and in the maintenance of the beans (36.4 %). Despite this, it is clear that the majority of activities related to cocoa farming is the responsibility of men. More work with stakeholders (men and women) in all the producing areas will help to better understand the organization of work in cocoa agroforests to provide more information on women’s place in cocoa farming and their influence on the choice of species associated with cocoa trees.