HOW DO URBAN AND NATURAL FLORA DIFFER IN SUPPORTING BIODIVERSITY, HUMAN PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH IN SENEGAL

Human health is inextricably linked to the health of ecosystems, which provide a multitude of goods and services. The provision of ecosystem services is of greatest importance in the prevention of disease and the enhancement of human health. Despite the vital functions they perform, ecosystems are subject to a multitude of threats, both natural and anthropogenic.In Senegal, there is a paucity of studies that have examined the variation in floristic diversity between the natural forest site and the urban city. It is essential to undertake a comparative analysis of species diversity in urban areas and natural forests in order to gain insight into floristic changes and to enhance biodiversity management in both natural forests and urban city. This study examines the floristic similarities between natural forests and urban city and investigates the contribution of forest and urban tree species to human physical and mental health. Floristic and socio-economic data were collected in the Fathala forest and in Fann Point E Amiti municipality(FPAM) as well as among the two local populations, respectively. A total of 58 tree species were identified within the Fathala classified natural forest, while 83 tree species were recorded within the FPAM.The two sites shared 12 common species, but 45 indigenous species were found in the municipality, while in the natural forest, one exotic species was present. Of the total 129 plant species that have been identified, 35 of these are used for medicinal purposes. These applications include the treatment of pain, infections, and a range of pathologies and symptoms, as well as for mental health.