Fruit trees occupy an important place in the daily life of people in West Africa, but the most valuable species are often overexploited and undergo severe threats. This study focused on three Lannea species (Lannea macrocarpa, Lannea acida, and Lannea velutina) with the aim to assess local ecological knowledge on habitats, population dynamics, drivers of degradation and conservation strategies. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 576 informants in 16 localities across the Sudanian and the Sudano-Sahelian climatic zones of Burkina Faso. The majority of respondents (86%) recognize, reduced rainfall is as the primary driver of Lannea velutina population declines in the Sudano-Sahelian zone. In the Sudanian zone, however, more respondents (75%) identified bushfires as the main threat to Lannea microcarpa and Lannea acida populations. These changes were more reported by …

Biodiversity; Climatic conditions; Ecological factors; Fruit trees; Lannea; Sustainable management