Phytoecology of Pastures Dominated by Elaeis guinensis in Southern Benin

The assessment of natural pastures is one of the major concerns today. The study was conducted on the agrosystems of the municipalities of Zè, Allada, and Toffo in southern Benin. The overall objective was to assess the forage importance of the agrosystems in these municipalities and, specifically, to map the agrosystems, identify preferred species, and determine their pastoral value. The methodology involved zoning the three municipalities; mapping the territory; identifying livestock grazing routes; and conducting surveys among agro-pastoralists. The results revealed that the farmers are primarily men and a few women with an average age of 55. Inheritance is the main means of accessing land. In total, 171 plant species belonging to 63 families were inventoried. The Euphorbiaceae are the most dominant and diverse family (16 species), along with the Fabaceae and Poaceae (12 species). Panicum maximum is the dominant species in the study area, with an estimated average specific contact contribution of 77.03% and an estimated average pastoral value of 43.13%.