Vulnerability of Faidherbia albida (Delile) A. Chev. Across Four Phytogeographical Sectors in Sub-Saharan Africa, Burkina Faso

Faidherbia albida (Delile) A. Chev. is one of the valuable agroforestry species in Sahelian agroecosystems. However, this species is currently facing pressures that make it vulnerable in its natural habitat. This study aimed to provide information on the usefulness, distribution, and vulnerability of Faidherbia albida (F. albida) to improve its management. To this end, five hundred and twenty-six (526) individuals from various socio-professional groups across the four phytogeographical sectors of Burkina Faso were interviewed about their relationship with the species. A Generalized Linear Model (GLM) with binary logistic regression, along with Multiple Correspondence Analysis, was used to better understand local ethnobotanical knowledge regarding the uses of the species’ organs and its vulnerability. The results show that the most used parts of F. albida are fruits, cited by 34% and 31% of respondents from the southern Sudanian and southern Sahelian sectors respectively, followed by the leaves (27%) and bark (31%) in the strict Sahelian sector. F. albida is mainly used for fodder and traditional medicine. Regarding intensity of use, F. albida is weakly used according to 32.32 and 21.29% of respondents in the northern and southern Sudanian sectors respectively but highly used in the strict Sahelian sector, revealing significant variation in uses across phytogeographical sectors. The species occurs in all phytogeographical sectors but is found predominantly in older cultivated fields. F. albida shows a vulnerability index between 2 and 2.5 in the northern Sudanian, southern Sahelian, and southern Sudanian sectors, and ≥ 2.5 in the strict Sahelian. The vulnerability of F. albida is strongly linked to the use of its organs. Considering these results, an effective strategy for integrating F. albida in cropping systems must be initiated to ensure its sustainability.