Ecosystem services provided by shea parks in Central Benin

Ecosystems provide a wide range of services and benefits to many people around the world. Agroforestry systems are ecosystems compatible with sustainable agriculture because they have negligible impacts on the environment and provide important services to rural communities. The present study was conducted from July to September 2015 in the commune of Savè (Collines department) in central Benin. The purpose of the study was to assess the diversity and importance of ecosystem services provided by shea parks. Five villages, one in each rural district of the commune, were chosen to conduct the surveys. These were the villages of Ouoghi-gare, Alafia, Gobé, Gbéré and Founfoun. A purposive sample based on ethnic group, religion, and level of education was used to select 100 agricultural producers, representative of the study area, with whom interviews were conducted. The surveys showed that the shea parks in the commune of Savè have 18 types of ecosystem services.