I - The country and the people
I.1 - Situation
I.2 - Population
I.3 - The political system of Senegal
I.4 - Economy
I.5 - Climate
II - The natural heritage
II.1 - Variety of the ecosystems
II.1.1 - The dry and semi-arid ecosystems
II.1.2 - Ecosystems subguinean
II.1.3 - The river and lakeside ecosystems
II.1.4 - The maritime and coastal ecosystems
II.2 - The biologic variety
II.2.1 - The flora
II.2.2 - The fauna
II.3 - Causes of losses of the biovariety
II.3.1 - The natural causes
II.3.2 - The anthropological causes
II.3.3 - The legal causes
II.4 - Conservation of the natural resources
I- The country and the people
I.1- Situation
Situated in the North of the equator (latitude of 12 in 17°c), between the desert in the North and the wet forest in the South, Dakar, the capital of Senegal, is the most western part of Africa. It is limited in the North by Mauritania, in the East by Mali, in the South by Guinea and Guinea-Bissau, in the centre by Gambia and in the West by the Atlantic Ocean. With a relatively flat surface of 196.190 km 2, it has 700 km of coasts among which 450 of the sandy tracks from the North to the South.
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Essentially flat, the highest point of Senegal is 581 m with the foothills of Fouta Djalon in the south east of the country, where originate from Guinea, the rivers Gambia and Senegal.
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I.2- Population
The Senegalese population is estimated at approximately 10 million inhabitants. It consists of several ethnic groups: Wolofs and Lébous (40%), Sérères (18%), Peuls (15%), Toucouleurs (10%), Diolas (9%), Mandingues (9%), Malinkés, etc.
Senegal, is Africa of the thousand and one cultures and civilizations. It is also the warmth of a renowned reception : Téranga. This is an imprint of purely Senegalese warmth, kindness and multiple attentions, inspired by the customs and the traditions, which the populations share gladly with their guests. This warm reception allows mostly to tie up sincere and real relations with people in the undeniable human qualities. The foreigner will have very big chances to benefit from this particular attention because this practice is omnipresent in all the country. So, he/she will never forget that Senegal without Téranga would not be Senegal.
I.3- The political system of Senegal
The history of the realms which composed Senegal ended in 1898 e.g at the end of the French colonial conquest led by the governor Faidherbe.
The country accessed peacefully the independence after a long period of French presence, on August 20th, 1960 with in the head, the president poet Léopold Sédar SENGHOR. In 1981, this latter transferred voluntarily its power to the President Abdou DIOUF who succeeded him to consolidate the experiences and open the era of the big political, economic and cultural reforms of Senegal of modern times. In 2000, Senegal experienced a change of political system without violence with the election of Mister Abdoulaye WADE, the new President of the Republic.
Senegal is a democracy where reigns the multiparty system.
I.4- Economy
Senegal has a GDP of $14386 million, the GDP per inhabitant is 1510 US. The inflation accounts for 3% and the growth 5,7%. Senegal is an essentially rural country. The major part of the population works in the farming sector in spite of the fact that Dakar occupies the first place in economic activities. Other sectors are fishing, breeding, and forestry. It is to note that the productivity of these activities depends widely on the pluviometry.
The tourism also occupies a choice place in the Senegalese economy. It provides employments in all the regions where it develops. By multiplying sites, camps, tracks, national parks, leisure activities and activities, the tourist Senegal, 2nd to the rank of the entries of currencies of the country with Casamance, Saint Louis, the Delta of Sine-Saloum, Tambacounda, is rapidly expanding.
I.5- Climate
The Senegalese climate is marked by a transition between a Sahelian climate (in the North) and a wet tropical climate (in the South). It is mostly determined by winds, temperatures and especially pluviometry. The number of sunshine period is one of the highest of the world (more than 3000 hours of period of sunshine a year).
We distinguish two seasons :
• a rainy season, from June till October, with an importance of the rainfall which decreases from the South to the North of the country. In the north extreme (region of the river), the average of the annual precipitation is 300 mm, while in the south extreme (low Casamance, region of Kolda) it can exceed 1500 mm.
• a dry season, from November till May, with temperatures between 22°C and 30°C, and important variations between the coast and the inside.
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II- The natural heritage
II.1 - Variety of the ecosystems
Because of their position of zone of transition between the desert in the North and the wet forest in the South, the ecosystems are numerous and varied in Senegal. This variety of the ecosystems creates a wide biologic range.
Four big ecosystems are usually recognized in Senegal, dry and semi-arid ecosystems, subguineans ecosystems, river and lakeside ecosystems and maritime ecosystems.
II.1.1 - The dry and semi-arid ecosystems
Are characterized :
• in the North, by a low pluviometry with inter annual climatic fluctuations. The distances from the normal reached during the last 50 years 35 to 40%, a flora composed of thorny plants (Locust tree, Balanites, Ziziphus, Calotropis) and of grasses (Aristida, Cenchrus, etc.) and a fauna made up essentially of an important livestock which gives to the zone its pastoral vocation;
• in the South, the more regular pluviometry, reachs 600 mm and the vegetation is dominated by Commiphora africana, Cordyla pinnata and Sclerocarya birrea, Daniellia oliveri, Khaya senegalensis and Terminalia macroptera.
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This part of the ecosystem constitutes the natural environment of the Senegalese fauna in particular the big mammals which are now taken refuge in the National park of Niokolo-Koba, hunted and chased away and pursued somewhere else. |
II.1.2 - The Subguinean ecosystem
It receives on average 1000 mm of rains and is covered by a flora constituted by a group of species with Guinean affinity including Elaeis guineensis, Pterocarpus erinaceus, Terminalia macroptera, Bombax costatum, Borassus aethiopium, Parkia biglobosa and Erythrophleum guineense. It contains the most remarkable sites as well for their beauty as for their wealth in as regards biovariety. The most important populations of big mammals of Senegal are present here (huge and bay spring).
It is also the domain of the tree-dwelling primates, the rare reptiles, the rodents and the birds of prey.
II.1.3 - The river and lakeside ecosystems
They are composed of the ponds of five river systems that are rivers Senegal, Gambia, Casamance, Kayanga, Saloum.
The river Senegal represents the most important source of surface water. Although by the language salted in dry season, it contained a big biologic variety which disrupted with the application of the dam anti-salt of Diama. The durability of the fresh water due to the dam entailed a modification of the flora with a proliferation of hydrophytes as Pistia stratioides, Typha australis, Nymphea lotus, Potomogeton pectinatus and Potamogeton scheweinfurthii. The national park of the birds of Djoudj (site Ramsar) is situated in this ecosystem.
II.1.4 - The maritime and coastal ecosystems
They are localized in the Delta and estuary zones of Senegal, Saloum and Casamance and are characterized by mangrove swamps associated to mosaics of sandy islands and lagoons. The plant populating of tidal reservoirs with mangrove swamps are established on the coast by characteristic species in particular Rhizophora racemosa, harisonnii R., R. mangle, Avicennia africana, Laguncularia racemosa and Conocarpus erectus.
These same ecosystems contain a rich and varied fauna constituted by permanent and seasonal species. They are zones of a big economic importance with a fauna mainly composed of fishes, crabs, shrimps, birds, oysters and mollusks.
In the maritime domain, the most important ecosystem is constituted by the whole continental shelf Senegambian.
Finally, "Niayes” constitutes a narrow littoral zone strewed with many depressions encircled by the lively dunes and where appears some fresh water of the underlying groundwaters.
We note in this ecosystem a flora including species native of domains Sudanese (12%) and subguinean (10%).
The fauna in strong regression is less rich but contains small mammals, reptiles, relatively important avifauna. This ecosystem is threatened with disappearance because of the too important takings on groundwaters with for consequence the salty intervention of bevel but also because of the speculation in land in this zone.
All these ecosystems are in constant evolution (rather regressive), which is not often favorable to the conservation of the biovariety. But the decentralization which gives responsibilities to the basic populations should correct this tendency.
II.2 - The biologic variety
Thanks to the variety of the ecosystems, the biologic resources also include a big variety of the flora and the fauna.
II.2.1 - The flora
(Plant with flowers) is constituted by 2500 species approximately distributed in three big flower zones: a north zone with 800 species, a middle zone with 1000 species and the south zone with approximately 1700 species. The main families are grasses (93 kinds and 285 species), Leguminosae (50 kinds and 284 species) and monocotyledons (19 kinds and 188 species). The flower wealth is essentially constituted of herbaceous annual and on which the preservation depends mainly on the pluviometry, the occupation of grounds and human activities notably breeding and agriculture. So, the conservation of the biovariety depends mainly on the climate and the human activities. Thirty one species were indicated as endemic with an ascendancy of herbaceous and the absence of typical forested essences. For that reason, certain authors think that Senegal and Mali would be an endemic centre for West African herbaceous.
Several species are threatened with disturbances which affect their biotope as well as by the human activities (overexploitation).
However, several plant groups represented in Senegal are not well known (crossings of the, algae, mushrooms, lichens and bryophytes).
The forested biovariety is better preserved (national Parks, reserves and classified forests) than the agricultural biovariety for which the technical installations (germplasmes) are lacking or are badly maintained, for lack of means.
II.2.2 - The fauna
It is not less important than the flora. Insects with approximately 2000 species for the only class constitute by far the most important group. This class is followed by the mollusks which with fishes gather more than 1000 species and illustrate the importance of the navy biovariety which is not well known.
Birds also constitute an important group and justify by their importance and their variety the special sites which are reserved for them (Djoudj, notably).
The endemic animal species exist in only Senegal in the class of fishes. It is about species belonging to the kinds Protopterus sp, Heterotis, Mormyrus and Gymnarchus. The disappearance of at least four big mammals was noticed (giraffe, antelope, gazelle ndama). However, a reintroduction of these species is noticed in Senegal during these last years. Several species of primates, antelopes, elephants and canines are threatened in different degrees.
The wild fauna is now essentially localized in the national parks and is constituted by big mammals. In the only national park of Niokolo-Koba we find 80 species of mammals, 330 of the birds, 36 of the reptiles, 20 of the amphibians, 60 of the fishes as well as numerous invertebrates.
It is thus important to watch a durable management of the resources of the national park of Niokolo-Koba because of its character of reservoir of the biovariety insofar as it conceals so approximately 1700 of 2500 species of superior plants.
II.3 - Causes of losses of the biovariety
They are numerous and are natural, anthropological or legal and institutional.
II.3.1 - The natural causes
They are linked to climatic factors. The aridity with its corollaries entails a reduction of the biovariety by a general degradation of the conditions of the environment. The wind erosion and hydrique reduces the biovariety by a degradation of the quality of grounds.
II.3.2 - The anthropological causes
They are numerous and varied. Some botanical species are threatened with disappearance either because their biotope is disrupted or because they are overexploited The reasons of the overexploitation are multiple. The excessive exploitation of the wood of certain species, of their fruits, or often both at the same moment, can explain the threat. Others are victims of the use of their sap (eraser) or the pruning of banches for the pasture. Certain plants can be even completely damaged because of the excessive use of their barks and their roots. The inconvenience of these takings is that they exceed widely the rhythm and the capacities of regeneration of these species.
The halieutic biovariety is also affected by the anthropological actions. It is a victim of an overexploitation or a bad exploitation of these resources so entailing the temporary or definitive disappearance of certain species. Also the pollution affects the sea, the wet zones and the grounds.
II.3.3 - The legal causes
The reduction of the biovariety is also due to a non-existent, not applied or often badly applied rule. There is then overexploitation of certain species or disappearance of certain environments.
II.4 - Conservation of the natural resources
Senegal is interested for a long time in the conservation of its biovariety. In that sense, it created an important network of protected areas : 6 national parks, 6 reserves of avifauna, 3 reserves of the biosphere, 3 sites of the World patrimony, 93 classified forests. There is besides the very important method of conservation of certain animal and vegetable species by the local populations. This one is made in the traditional frame (forbidden monks or taboos, places of cult, cemeteries, sacred wood).
The national parks, the reserves and the classified forests are localized in the forested domain.
The national parks consist of the National park of Niokolo-Koba, the National park of Delta of Saloum, the National park of Low Casamance, the National park of the Birds of Djoudj, the National park of the Langue de Barbarie, the National park of the Islands of Madeleine. These parks group include the main part of the wild Senegalese fauna and the flora. They are the sites of refuge and nesting of the sedentary avifauna and that of the western migratory.
The reserves are constituted by the ornithological sanctuary of the Point of Kalissaye, reserves of Fauna of Ferlo Nord and by Ferlo Sud, by the Special Reserve of fauna of Gueumbeul, by the pond of the Special Reserve of Fauna of Ndiaël, of the special reserve of Popinguine, the Hunting reserve of Maka Diama, the Reserve of the Biosphere. These reserves are rich in flower biovariety. The fauna containing a variety of small mammals is especially characterized by the ornithological population. They constitute with parks, paradisiac refuges of foods and reproduction for birds.
The classified forests are very numerous. They have for role to serve as wood of energy, to preserve grounds, to protect the vegetation and the biovariety.
The traditional methods of conservation of the biovariety by the local population turned out very effective. They consist of the ban on slaughter of trees, ban on the fire, absolute ban to kill animals, ban on harvest of fruits and the other parts of plants, food ban (on the basis of the religion or of the tradition), accesses were forbidden for not initiated, for the places of cult and the sacred forests. These methods allowed the conservation of the biologic resources of the degradation in their natural environment.
Conclusion :
The geographic position of Senegal, the fact that it is a zone of transition between the desert and the Guinean forest made it benefit from an important and diversified biologic potential. But this variety resulting from climatic and especially anthropological actions made that it sometimes tends to degrade. The concern of its conservation entailed the implementation of important protected areas. These last ones allowed the preservation of the natural environments with their flora and their fauna. The wild fauna is essentially localized in the national parks and is constituted by big mammals. Birds also constitute an important group and justify by their importance and their variety the special sites which are reserved for them (Djoudj, notably). It is thus important to watch a durable management of the resources of the protected areas which constitute reservoirs of the biovariety. It is in this frame that the development of the ecotourism is encouraged in Senegal. It must be understood as being the discovery and the reading of the ecosystems and the ways of life of the natural zones, by and with the local communities, in a system where the protection of the resource is strengthened and where the socioeconomic fall-out are assured. And, it is in this dynamics that joins the mission of the tour operator ECOTOUR.
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