Farmers' Woody Plant Preferences and Biomass Carbon Stocks in Benin Silvopastoral Systems

A 2026 study by Yaya Idrissou presents data from 338 cattle farmer interviews and 30 agroforestry plot inventories in Benin's dry and subhumid tropical zones. It links farmers' species preferences, assessed via eight selection criteria, with indicative biomass carbon stock estimates per tree. The dataset is shared under a CC-BY-4.0 license on figshare.

Use Cases

• Ranking woody plant species for agroforestry based on farmer selection criteria like feed value and adaptability.
• Comparing indicative biomass carbon stocks among preferred species such as Leucaena leucocephala and Khaya senegalensis.
• Analyzing trade-offs between farmer-preferred species and species with higher carbon storage potential like Afzelia africana.
• Informing policy for silvopastoral systems by integrating data on species preferences and environmental functions.

Strengths

• Data is based on a substantial sample of 338 farmer interviews and 30 plot inventories.
• Includes quantitative carbon stock estimates for specific species, such as 46.4 ± 5.9 kg C tree−1 for Leucaena leucocephala.
• Farmer preferences are assessed using eight defined selection criteria, providing structured qualitative data.

Limitations

• Row count and column-level documentation are unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• The dataset is small (13.8 KB), indicating a limited scope focused on specific species and regions.
• Freshness should be verified as the last update date is in the future (2026-05-28).

Provenance

Source

Yaya Idrissou via figshare.

Collection Method

Data collected through 18 focus group discussions, interviews with 338 cattle farmers, and inventories of woody plant species in 30 agroforestry plots.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-05-28 04:52:47; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Benin's dry tropical zone (DTZ) and subhumid tropical zone (STZ) in West Africa.