Marine protected areas (MPAs) are increasingly being considered and used for the management of fisheries targeting mobile fish populations. Here, the recent modelling literature on MPA effects for mobile fish populations and their fisheries is reviewed. Modelling studies conducted since 2011 have filled a considerable number of knowledge gaps on the impacts of MPAs for species exhibiting home-range behaviour, nomadic movements or behavioural polymorphism, and on the effects of “targeted MPAs”, which aim to protect relatively small areas where migratory fishes spend an inordinate fraction of time or are highly vulnerable to fishing (e.g., nursery or spawning zones). Also, in recent years, two studies investigated the consequences of MPAs targeting highly migratory (tuna-like) fish populations for the first time in the history of MPA modelling. Recent modelling studies found that MPAs aimed at protecting mobile species may have positive conservation effects under a relatively wide range of situations, but may generate long-term fisheries benefits only under a very limited set of conditions. In particular, MPAs were not found to be beneficial for the fisheries targeting highly migratory populations. Strategies producing both conservation and fisheries benefits were identified, which depend on fish movement patterns and numerous aspects of fish life history and fisheries dynamics. However, in view of the diversity of fish movement patterns in MPA systems and current dynamics in resource management, it is clear that additional modelling work is needed to fully understand how protected areas affect mobile fish populations and their fisheries and to be able to implement pertinent MPAs. In particular, future modelling studies should systematically assess the effects of MPAs in relation to other management tools to find strategies that are most effective in meeting management objectives, and explore the impacts of “dynamic” MPAs that follow highly migratory fish populations in space and time.

Introduction. Les aires protégées représentent un immense réservoir de ressources biologiques dont dépendent fortement les populations riveraines. La non-prise en compte des savoirs locaux constitue souvent un frein aux politiques de conservation et d’utilisation durable de la biodiversité dans ces aires. La réserve de Pama, située en zone soudanienne au sud-est du Burkina Faso, est un bon exemple de la divergence existant entre les besoins d’autosubsistance des populations riveraines et la nécessité de conserver la biodiversité. L’évaluation de l’importance socio-économique de cette réserve pour les populations riveraines pourrait permettre de mieux adapter la stratégie de gestion des ressources naturelles. Matériel et méthodes. Des enquêtes ethnobotaniques ont été menées en se basant sur des interviews individuelles. Les informations obtenues à partir de l’interrogation de 30 personnes ressources ont permis (1) de recenser les différentes utilisations faites de la réserve par les populations locales ainsi que l’impact de ces utilisations sur la flore et (2) d’évaluer la perception des villageois sur la façon de gérer les ressources de leur forêt. Résultats. Un total de 58 espèces végétales de la réserve, soit plus de 15 % de la flore locale, fournissent diverses ressources aux populations riveraines, dont du matériel de construction (90 % de réponses), des plantes médicinales (73,33 %), des plantes alimentaires (73,33 %), etc. Les espèces végétales les plus sollicitées se sont révélées être entre autres Vitellaria paradoxa (80 %), Parkia biglobosa (66,67 %), Diospyros mespiliformis (33,33 %), Gardenia erubescens (33,33 %), Lannea microcarpa (33,33 %), Tamarindus indica (33,33 %), Andropogon gayanus (26,67 %) et A. chinensis (26,67 %) Certaines de ces espèces se sont révélées de plus en plus rares du fait de la dégradation des conditions climatiques, de l’exploitation abusive de bois vert et de l’appauvrissement des sols. Conclusion. L’étude que nous avons menée sur la réserve de Pama nous conduit à préconiser un renforcement des mesures de protection de l’environnement par l’implication des populations riveraines. Par ailleurs, la plantation en champ d’espèces utiles en voie de raréfaction serait une action apte à limiter la pression d’exploitation sur la réserve

Introduction. The conservation status of many wild fruit tree species that support rural people in Africa remains poorly documented despite its importance for their management. We compared the viability of tamarind (Tamarindus indica) populations, a dry land species that has nutritional, medicinal and cultural importance for rural communities, under different human-pressure levels. Materials and methods. The data relative to the tree diameter and height as well as the number of adults and stems were collected in plots of inventory and made it possible to calculate the dendrometric parameters for each targeted population, and to establish their diameter distribution. The dendrometric characteristics were analyzed by using nonparametric tests and the diameter distribution was adjusted to a truncated normal distribution. Results and discussion. Numbers of mature tamarind trees per hectare and regeneration (expressed as stem·ha–1) were relatively low, suggesting tamarind populations may not be self-rejuvenating. Nonetheless, significant variation occurred between habitat types (P < 0.001). Mature tree density in gallery forests [(18.2 ± 10.1) trees·ha–1] was three to eight times higher than that of savannah woodlands [(5 ± 4.5) trees·ha–1] and farmlands [(2.5 ± 0.4) trees·ha–1]. Young plants followed the same trend, with (11.2 ± 9.3) plants·ha–1, (1.1 ± 0.6) plants·ha–1, and 0.00 plants·ha–1, respectively. Diameter size class distributions departed from normality (P < 0.0001) and coefficient of skewness was positive irrespective of habitat type, indicating declining populations. However, median diameter values would suggest the species’ populations in farmlands and savannah woodlands to be more vulnerable than those occurring in gallery forests. These findings would suggest that gallery forests best suit tamarind in situ conservation. The observed severe reduction of trees and juveniles in farmlands and woodlands may negatively impact the long-term viability of tamarind populations. Juveniles’ introduction into farmlands may be needed to ensure conservation in agroforestry systems.