Higher diversity, denser stands and greater biomass in peri-urban forests than in adjacent agroforestry systems in Western Burkina Faso: implications for urban sustainability

Urban and peri-urban forests greatly contribute to the well-being of urban dwellers in West Africa. However, increasing urban densification and spatial expansion negatively affect the functioning of urban ecosystems. Therefore, highlighting the negative impacts of land use change on the ecological attributes of urban landscapes is fundamental for sustainable urban planning. This study aimed to assess the impacts of land use on woody species diversity, structure and carbon storage in peri-urban areas in Burkina Faso. Forest inventories were conducted in 167 plots across two peri-urban forests and their adjacent agroforestry systems. We found a total diversity of 91 woody species representing 69 genera and 26 families. Diversity indices were significantly higher (p-value < 0.0001) in the peri-urban forests than in the agroforestry systems, highlighting a negative impacts of land use on tree diversity. Besides, peri-urban forests had significantly lower tree diameter (15.749 +/- 9.194 cm), but higher basal area (5.030 +/- 4.407 m(2). ha(-1)) and denser stands (317.308 +/- 307.845 ind. ha(-1)) compared to the agroforestry systems. Tree aboveground biomass was significantly higher (p-value < 0.0001) in the periurban forests (18.198 +/- 23.870 Mg. ha- 1) than in the agroforestry systems (7.821 +/- 6.544 Mg. ha(-1)).