Background: In the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo), Oldeania alpina (K. Schum.) Stapleton provides multiple goods and services to rural populations and is the keystone species of mountain forest ecosystems, most of which are in a very advanced state of degradation. The present study was carried out in Lubero cool highlands region, in the North-East of the DR Congo. It aims to highlight the knowledge of local populations on the uses of O. alpina as well as their perceptions of the spatio-temporal dynamics of this high-altitude bamboo species.Methods: Ethnobotanical surveys were conducted in five villages of the study area through semi-structured individual interviews and focus groups with 245 people. The different forms of use of O. alpina organs and the local perceptions of its spatio-temporal dynamics were the key axes of the surveys. The software R version 4.1.5 was used to calculate the ethnobotanical indices and to carry out static analyses of the data.Results: The results showed that O. alpina is well known by the populations of the study area and is solicited in seven main categories of use, namely: fuelwood (22.5 %), construction (22 %), handicrafts (17 %), agriculture (14.5 %), pharmacopoeia (14 %), worship (8 %) and food (2 %). For these uses, the populations solicit the following organs: culms (59.2 %), blades (12.24 %), shoots (10.54 %), rhizomes (6.78 %), sheaths (6.56 %) and straw (4.68 %). Also, for the populations of the study area, the bamboo groves of O. alpina are in a regressive spatio-temporal dynamics. Conclusion:In Lubero cool highlands region, O. alpina is in constant degradation due to uncontrolled human exploitation. The results of this study provide reliable technical bases for developing conservation strategies for O. alpina in the study area.

No abstract

No abstract

Fungi range among the most important organisms in the world thanks to their ecological roles in the ecosystems and their socio-economic importance for human beings. Still, the global fungal species richness is full of uncertainties as evidenced by various estimates. Estimating fungal species richness and diversity is raising many questions related to the sampling effort (in space and time). This study aims to determine the effect of the sampling technique on the diversity measure and natural productions of wild macromycetes in the soudano-guinean forests. Six concentric plots different in the sizes and in the shape were installed in the Isoberlinia doka dominated woodlands. We recorded the number of fruit bodies and the fresh biomass of the species for each plot from June to October 2017. Dendrometric parameters were assessed by counting individual trees with dbh ≥ 10 within plots. A mixed linear model was applied through lme4 package to assess the influence of the size and shape of the plots on the abundance and species richness of macromycetes. An analysis of variances was used to assess the influence of the size and shape of the plots on the fresh biomass. Results showed that the abundance is higher in square plots at sizes 400 and 625m² but the biomass does not different significantly from one shape of plot to another (P = 0.228). Fresh biomass is higher in rectangular plots compared to the square and circular ones. Highest values of specie richness are obtained in the 25 m² for circular plots.