Desertification and vegetation change in savanna areas.

Research on vegetation ecology and dynamics, biodiversity and ethnoecology, especially local peoples view on and responses to vegetation change in savanna areas.

The EU-project SUN (Tools for Management and Sustainable Use of Natural vegetation in West Africa ) focuses on applied research, development of decision support tools for natural resource management and practical development projects such as tree restoration projects. www.sunproject.dk

Contact: Anne Mette Lykke, email: aml@dmu.dk

Controlling the Senegal Grasshopper in sub-Saharan Sahel in West Africa.

The Senegal Grasshopper is not as well known as the Desert Locust, but, unlike the Desert Locust, it causes losses every year. This grasshopper species hatches in the ground at the start of each rainy season after the first heavy rain. As the rainy season progresses, rain moves closer and closer to the Sahara , as does the Senegal Grasshopper. This means that this grasshopper species has a regular migration from southern to northern Sahel during the rainy season, which normally lasts from early June to late September. During this period, three generations of grasshoppers have hatched, and there is, therefore, ample opportunity for very strong reproduction. When the dry season begins in late September or early October, the grassland dries out, and the Senegal Grasshoppers move into the millet fields, which in many cases, stay green longer than the natural grasses. This usually causes heavy damage to the millet fields.

The National Environmental Research Institute, Department of Terrestrial Ecology, has, during the years 2003 – 2005, developed simulation software that can calculate the migration and population growth of the Senegalese Grasshopper taking into account the influence of precipitation, temperature, natural enemies, GreenMuscle and chemical pesticides (link to PRéLISS ). These simulation programs have been converted into a decision support system, which the extension service in the Sahel countries can use to assess how to obtain the best, most cost efficient control of Senegal Grasshopper. This decision support system will be implemented as a tool in the fight against the Senegal Grasshopper in Senegal , Mali , Burkina Faso and Niger during the project period, which stretches from the beginning of 2007 to 2010. The idea is then that extension officers will be able to use the system in their daily work without assistance from Denmark . DANIDA decided in late 2006 to support the project, which is in line with Denmark 's increased efforts in Mali and Niger .

Contact: Jørgen Aagaard Axelsen, e-mail jaa@dmu.dk