Local perception of ecosystem services provided by bats and bees and their conservation in Bénin, West Africa

Abstract

Indigenous perception on ecosystem services provided by honey bees and fruit bats were assessed in Bénin to find out whether the communities value these services and to appreciate if there is any chance to conserve them locally. Farmers were interviewed with questionnaire in three regions of Bénin to report their perception on bats and bees’ value in nature, for human, the trend of their populations and the chance to conserve them. We reported that the communities valued more and more bees’ services in nature from the Southern to the Northern of the country (3 vs. 52%). Bees were threatened according to 35% (South), 89% (Centre) and 99% (North) of interviewees’ declarations. 26-41% persons stated there is chance to conserve them. Bats’ seed dispersal was better recognized in the North (91%) than in the Central zone (76%) and in the South (19%). Bats were threatened mainly by their use as bush meat (52-93% of interviewees) and there is some chance to conserve them mainly in the South, according to percentage of respondents. Population regression was declared for these two animals everywhere. We concluded that ecosystem services provided were overall well known giving thereby some chance to promote actions to conserve them.

Keywords: Bats, bees, conservation, ecosystem services, local communities