Floristic Diversity and Carbon Stock in the Dry Forests of Chad: The Case of Manda National Park – Diversity and Carbon Sequestration of the Manda National Park Flora

Introduction of the Study Area

The MNP is located at 25 kilometers in the North West of the city of Sarh in the Department of Barh Kôh, Region of Moyen-Chari, about 450 km in the South East of N'Djamena, and 80 km from the Central African border. It is between latitude 9°20’ and 9°35' in the North and longitude 17°45 'and 18°20' in the East; its altitude varies from 344 m to 691 m (Figure 1). With an estimated area of ​​1,14,000 ha, this protected area is located in one of the most populated areas of Chad, with a density of 21.8 inhabitants/km in the four peripheral cantons of the MNP (Zouglou, 2010). The population of these four cantons surrounding the MNP has increased fivefold from 17,914 to 85,592. The MNP is limited in its southern part by Barh Sara, in the West by the Sarh-N'Djamena national road, in the East by the Chari river and in the North by the crossing of the Sarh-N'Djamena national road Located in the Sudanian zone, the MNP enjoys a humid tropical climate in two seasons: a dry season that runs from November to March and a rainy season from April to October. Average monthly temperatures range from 21°C to 35°C (annual average: 28°C). The MNP vegetation is composed of mixed ecological types namely, open forest, wooded savanna, tree savanna, shrub savanna and grassy savanna. Agriculture is the main activity around the border of the MNP (Ouya, 2010). Wood and coal needs, the main sources of domestic energy in the population, are growing, and more than 0.77% of the tree savannas are deforested each year. This peripheral zone is highly populated and the land degradation increases of 0.3% each year (Ouya, op.cit).

Figure 1.

Manda National Park map (source: CNAR, 2012)