ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. For. Glob. Change
Sec. People and Forests
Volume 8 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/ffgc.2025.1658611
Forest dynamics and local perceptions of conservation: the case of Bontioli forest in South-western Burkina Faso
Provisionally accepted
- Department of Geography, Laval University, Quebec, Canada
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The widespread decline of forests across many countries has prompted governments to implement various measures aimed at conserving forest resources. In the Bontioli Total and Partial Wildlife Reserves, however, effective forest conservation remains a challenge, despite the state's promotion of participatory management approaches. This study employed a diachronic analysis of satellite imagery spanning from 1991 to 2024 to assess land use dynamics, complemented by a qualitative survey involving 150 participants, comprising 26 institutional stakeholders and 124 community members, selected through a combination of random and purposive sampling across four villages. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions and analyzed using mixed thematic coding (both inductive and deductive) with NVivo 14 software. Spatial analysis revealed a steady pattern of deforestation, marked by significant agricultural expansion and a reduction in natural vegetation, primarily driven by human activities. Stakeholder perceptions indicated broad awareness of deforestation and its ecological consequences. However, the study also highlighted notable divergences between local communities and authorities in their understanding of concepts such as deforestation and conservation. While community members acknowledged their contribution to environmental degradation, they largely attributed responsibility to external actors and the weakening of traditional authority structures. They also expressed a need for greater institutional recognition and support to align conservation efforts with local development priorities. The study concludes by recommending inclusive governance models grounded in sociocultural values, along with the development of economically viable alternatives to foster stronger community participation in conservation. Nevertheless, as these findings pertain specifically to the Bontioli forest, further research should be conducted in other classified forest areas to support broader and more comparative analyses.
Keywords: Forest, dynamics, perceptions, conservation, resources, Community, Bontioli
Received: 02 Jul 2025; Accepted: 05 Aug 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Traoré, Bissonnette and Dossa. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Mohamed Awalo Traoré, Department of Geography, Laval University, Quebec, Canada
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