IMPACTS DE LA TRANSHUMANCE SUR LA BIODIVERSITEDANS LA ZONE PERIPHERIQUE DELA RESERVE DE BIOSPHERE DE GADABEDJI AU NIGER

Transhumance, the practice of moving livestock to find pasture, negatively impacts biodiversity and exacerbates the effects of climate change. This research focuses on understanding the impacts of transhumance in the peripheral areas of the Gadabedji Biosphere Reserve and recommending sustainable management strategies. A total of 82 participants, including farmers and transhumants, provided insights through surveys and visits to farmers' camps, water sources, grazing lands, and resting spots along transhumance routes. The survey revealed that 81.9% of respondents indicated that the primary motivation for transhumance is the search for feed resources. Among the 16 most sought-after plant species, nine are trees and seven are grasses, with Sclerocaryabirrea, Balanites aegyptiaca, Faidherbia albida, Eragrotis tremula, Andropogon gayanus, and Pennisetum pedicellatum being the most frequently mentioned. Major threats to biodiversity include wildlife habitat degradation (37%), disease transmission (23%), illegal tree cutting (40.6%), bushfires (39.4%), overgrazing (21.05%), and competition with domestic animals (18%). The study shows that transhumance affects mixed herds of cattle, sheep, goats, camels, and donkeys, with average herd sizes of 22 16, 22±19, 29 26, 22 21 and11 4 animals, respectively. To ensure the sustainability of pastoral resources, it is essential to develop a detailed route map and enhance the regeneration of forage plant species and water sources along transhumance paths and the reserve's boundaries