Quantitative ethnobotany of multiple-use species and management of the Yangambi Biosphere Reserve in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

The Yangambi Biosphere Reserve (YBR) is confronted to huge challenge for the livelihood of local communities and biodiversity or natural resources conservation. The lack of scientific information on the spatial distribution of useful woody species is a constraint to develop the sustainable management of forest resources. Hence the relevance of this study, carried out in the villages of Yaselia, Lilanda and Bagbanye, located on the outskirts of this protected area of YBR. It aims to identify the most useful woody species and analyse their socio-cultural use value, number of uses based on local community’s commitments as well as to determine their abundance beyond village forests, to contribute to reforestation and conservation policies in the Yangambi landscape. To do this, we combined an ethnobotanical survey with a forest inventory. The results obtained showed that species such as Entandrophragma cylindricum, Petersianthus macrocarpus, Ricinodendron heudelotti, Scorodophloeus zenkeri, Pentaclethra macrophylla, Uapaca guineensis, Blighia welwitschii, Chrysophyllum lacourtianum, Dacryodes edulis, and Gilbertiondendron dewevrei, have high use and cultural value for local communities. Unfortunately, these species of high use and socio-cultural value are in low density in the village forests around the YBR. These results emphasize the necessity to implement as promptly as possible a management strategy including these useful species. This could be done through sustainable traditional agroforestry projects which will valorise existing resources and generate income for the local population to meet their livelihoods and avoid their incursion into the YBR which is the biodiversity sanctuary.