Land use change impact on soil organic carbon and woody species density in savanna wood land in Burkina Faso, West Africa

Carbon emissions from land use change are insufficiently addressed in developing countries. While estimation of carbon stocks within different land management and cropping systems are an important element in design of productive land use systems that protect or sequester carbon. The aim of this study was firstly to assess SOC and N stocks and secondly to assess tree density, both related to different land use in savanna woodland. Results show that Savanna woodland soil organic carbon stocks (19.61±0.9 tC ha-1) was greater than cropland (15.07±0.84tC ha-1) and fallows (11.13±1.1 tC ha-1). However, fallow had lowest soil organic carbon stocks. Regarding Nitrogen, Fallow and Cropland had similar stocks with savanna woodland. For ratio C/N Cropland and Fallow had similar ratios and lower than Savana woodland. Lowest tree and shrubs density was obtained in farms. Shrubs density in fallow that was 763.9±114.6 shrubs ha-1 was similar to trees density in savanna woodland (712.3±83.7 shrubs ha-1). These results suggest that landscape succeeds in restoring carbon from aboveground biomass in short term after conversion of savanna woodland to cropland but takes ùore longer to restore soil organic carbon.