Author(s)

Ramata Talla^1,2,3*, Moustapha Bassimbé Sagna^1,2, Daouda Ndiaye^1,2, Aly Diallo^2,4, Jean Luc Peiry⁵, Papa Saliou Sarr⁶, Aliou Guisse^1,2,3

¹Department of Plant Biology, Cheikh Anta Diop University, Dakar, Senegal.
²Observatoire Homme-Milieux International de Tessekere, CNRS/Universite Cheikh Anta Diop, Dakar, Senegal.
³UMI 3189 “Environnement, Sante, Societes” UGB, UCAD, CNRS, CNRST, USTTB, Dakar, Senegal.
⁴Department of Agroforestry, Assane Seck University, Ziguinchor, Senegal.
⁵Maison des Sciences de l’Homme 4, University of Clermont Ferrand-Geolab-UMR 6042, Rue Ledru Clermont-Ferrand, France.
⁶Japan International Research Center for Agricultural Sciences (JIRCAS), Ibaraki, Japan.

The objective of this study is to analyze the dendrochronological potential of two Sahelian species (B. senegalensis and S. birrea) and to evaluate the relationships between their growth rings and the climate. The study was conducted in 2016 in the Ferlo area of Senegal. The biological material consists of wood slices, taken from the trunks of these adult woody species at 0.30 m and 1.30 m from the ground after they have been felled. The technique used to examine the slices consists in identifying their rings, establishing their structures, inter-dating them and studying the relationship between the identified rings and climatic factors. The results showed that the species had thin, clear, highly visible and sharp rings. The limit of growth is marked by a line of parenchyma. Intradatation series carried out on the chronologies made it possible to estimate the ages of the individuals, which vary from 10 to 38 years for B. senegalensis and from 29 to 50 years for S. birrea. Their average growth rates are estimated at 0.906 mm/year and 0.89 mm/year respectively. The chronological sequences are 29 years (1987-2016) for B. senegalensis and 38 years (1964-2012) for S. birrea. The results revealed that there is no significant correlation between the growth chronologies of B. senegalensis and the climatic regressors (temperature and precipitation). In contrast, the ring-climate relationship shows that in S. birrea winter precipitation positively influences ring growth while temperature has no effect on ring growth in this species. This study provides a better understanding of the response of forest ecosystems to possible climate change, particularly in the current context of sustainable forest management.

Dendrochronology, Cerne, Climate, Boscia senegalensis, Sclerocarya birrea, Ferlo

Talla, R. , Sagna, M. , Ndiaye, D. , Diallo, A. , Peiry, J. , Sarr, P. and Guisse, A. (2021) Dendrochronological Potential and Impact of Climate Factors on Radial Growth of Two Species in the Sahelian Zone: Boscia senegalensis (Pers.) Lam. ex Poir and Sclerocarya birrea (A. Rich) Hoscht (Ferlo Nord/Senegal). American Journal of Plant Sciences, 12, 498-517. doi: 10.4236/ajps.2021.124033.