Assessment of the medicinal uses of plant species found on termitaria in the Pendjari biosphere reserve in Benin

Medicinal plants are important in the life of African populations and there is nowadays an increasing need to gathering information related to them. In order to highlight the importance of termitaria to local populations, we investigated within the Pendjari Biosphere reserve the medicinal uses made from plant species found in association with them. We laid out plots in fields and fallows surrounding the Pendjari National Park to assess fifty six termitaria and identify plant species on them. By using specimen and local names of species, group interviews were conducted with the 3 major ethnic groups in the Biosphere reserve. Results show that people perceive termitaria as fertilization materials, and plants in association with them are considered more efficient in traditional medicine than those collected in mounds vicinities. Indigenous people used, for various medicinal purposes, twenty-two (22) plant species consisting of 21 woody and 1 herbaceous belonging to fourteen (14) families. Species used as medicine were relatively different according to the ethnic group. Furthermore, Combretaceae was the most used plant family. A total of thirty (30) diseases and illnesses were treated by plants, and bark was the most used part followed by leaves and roots. We suggest that conservationists and other scientific advisers use our findings to well define conservation programs and increase people’s awareness on the sustainable management of termitaria and their ecosystems. Key words: Medicinal plants, illnesses, termitaria, Pendjari biosphere reserve, Benin.