Natural regeneration pattern of the wild custard-apple, Annona senegalensis Pers. in the semi-arid area of Burkina Faso, West Africa

Annona senegalensis Pers. (Annonaceae) is a multipurpose shrub species, but threatened in Burkina Faso. Therefore, understanding its natural regeneration is a challenge for the sustainable management of the species resources. Our study examines the regeneration potentials of A. senegalensis across two phytogeographic zones. The structure of Weibull showed that the distribution of the regeneration individuals based on height classes, was inverse J-shaped in the two phytogeographic zones. The structure reveals a relative predominance of individuals in small size classes. A log-linear adjustment test of Weibull’s confirmed the observed distribution and Weibull distribution were not conformed (p<0.0001). A generalized linear model (GLM) and an ANOVA showed that the density of the natural regeneration of A. senegalensis was significantly higher in the south-sudanian zone. The density of the regeneration stratum 1 was 2.46 times higher in the north-sudanian than in the south-sudanian zone. The Green Index (GI) confirmed that the spatial distribution of regeneration individuals was random (GI=0). Annona senegalensis reproduces mainly by seed germination. Annona senegalensis faces difficult natural regeneration, accentuated in the north-sudanian by the climate pejoration and a stronger anthropogenic pressure. The study suggests assisted natural regeneration, which should contribute to better conservation of the species. Key words: Annona senegalensis, ontogenetic stage, population structure, spatial distribution, regeneration mechanism.