TITLE:
Vegetation Communities of Western Niger: Physiognomy and Diversity
AUTHORS:
Oumarou Manirou, Amani Abdou, Ali Ado, Mahamane Ali, Saadou Mahamane
KEYWORDS:
Savanna, Thicket, Forest Gallery, Ronier Grove, Fallow Land, Grassland
JOURNAL NAME:
American Journal of Plant Sciences,
Vol.17 No.10,
October
16,
2026
ABSTRACT: The characteristics of the plant communities inhabiting a phytogeographic area are a key indicator of its ecology. The objective of this study is to identify the main vegetation communities and quantify their phytodiversity. A forest and phytosociological inventory was conducted using stratified sampling. Thus, the vegetation of western Niger is rich and diverse in both its floristic composition and its physiognomy. Its flora comprises 441 plant species distributed across 235 genera and 80 families. It represents 19.17% of the 2274 plant species found in the Nigerien flora. There are 267 herbaceous species, 127 woody species, 20 sub-woody species, and 27 vines. Its floristic composition varies gradually from north to south across different bioclimates. In the Northern Sudanese bioclimate, it is estimated at 387 species divided into 215 genera and 76 families, compared to 208 species grouped into 122 genera distributed across 44 families in the Sahelian bioclimate. Across all sampled units and regardless of the bioclimate considered, herbaceous biodiversity is significantly higher than that of woody, sub-woody, and vine species. Eight plant communities were identified, with varying levels of alpha diversity: it is low (1.06 to 1.97) in ronier grove, gallery forests, and semi-aquatic grasslands; moderate (2.55 to 3.22) in savannas and fallow lands; and high (4.4) in shrublands and thickets. This status enables the sustainable management of this natural resource.