The ethnobotanical study is carried out around the community swamp forest of the
Sitatunga Valley in order to integrate the needs of the local populations living near this reserve
in the decisions of participatory management plans and for the sustainable use of plant resources.
The study is based on surveys of the consumption of plants in the
reserve and direct surveys for the recognition of these species in the reserve. The cultural
relevance index and the ethnobotanical use value of the species are used for the processing
and analysis of the data collected. A total of 74 useful plants are identified and divided into the following
6 categories of use among the populations around the reserve: medicine;
food; construction; crafts; energy; packaging. Uses related to
traditional medicine, food, and energy were dominant. The most used species were
Dialium guineense, Senna alata, Senna alata, Cola millenii, Uvaria chamae, Artocarpus altilis, and Acanthospermum hispidum.
The perception of the importance of species and the knowledge related to the use of
resources drawn from the nature reserve and its related areas varied significantly according to
the gender of the respondents and their age class. None of the species has a strong cultural importance
in the diet of populations.