Laboratory of Applied Ecology Laboratory of Applied Ecology Created by Professor Brice Sinsin in 1994, the Laboratory of Applied Ecology (LEA) is part of the Faculty of Agronomic Sciences (FSA) at the University of Abomey-Calavi (UAC-Benin). The LEA is one of the most advanced research institutions on natural resources in West Africa. Activities for the LEA deal with capacity building through training, basic research and applied research for development. The LEA has attracted over 50 PhD students and 80 MS students since its creation. Scientific research at the LEA has resulted in more than 300 scientific publications in peer-reviewed international scientific journals, books and conference proceedings. To date, the LEA has completed and has been involved in various projects on sustainable management of natural resources, domestication of fodder and food tree species in Africa, organic agriculture research and training, bioenergy development, nutrient management, and many other things. 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Research interests Agroforestry Biofuel production Biotechnology Climate change Coastal zone and risk management in tropic and sub-tropical regions Conservation and management of protected areas (forest, national parks, hunting zones, community conservation areas, rangelands) Ecological restoration of degraded areas Economic botany Ecophysiology, Ethnobiology, and Ethnobotany Ecotourisme Endangered and useful species conservation Entomology Fungi Genetic and molecular biology applied to forest ecosystems Grassland ecology and management Horticulture Landscape restoration Medicinal plants Non Timber Forests Products Ornithology Phytochemistry Plant ecology and Phytosociology Plant sciences Remote sensing and mapping of vegetation Social science Wildlife census (ground and aerial census) and management Zoology and taxonomy Past and present research Some of the major achievements of the laboratory are: Agroforestry development in Benin Bat Diversity and Ecology Biodiversity Monitoring and Transect Analysis Biomonitoring and conservation of wildlife (e.g. lions, elephants, antelopes, bats, primates) Biomonitoring of the Lama Forest Reserve Building of a zoological phyto-ecological and entomo-ecological database on the Lama forest reserve Coastal zone and risk management in tropic and sub-tropical regions Conservation and management of the swampy forest of Lokoli Conservation of crocodiles in pastoral hydraulic pools Conservation of endangered tree species Conservation of threatened and endemic primates of Benin Development of efficient inventory designs for vegetation types of West Africa Domestication of herbaceous fodder plant of Benin Domestication, development, and improvement of baobab and tamarind in Benin and West Africa Ecological monitoring of grasslands in Benin Ecological Restoration of degraded lands Elaboration of the techniques to manage tropical grasslands using wet season fire Empirical performance of classification rules and error rate estimators in discriminant analysis Floristic characterization of the Atacora Mountain chain Germplasm collection & grafting programs on key agroforestry trees Grassland management and monitoring Integrated management of medicinal plants in Benin Management and sustainable use of natural vegetation Management of more than 10 traditional agroforestry systems and at least 5 protected areas in Benin Mapping of vegetation in Benin Modeling of population dynamics of plant populations National Herbarium and Flora of Benin Organic agriculture curriculum for poverty reduction in West Africa Phytodiversity in anthropogenic lands and protected areas in the Sudanian region of Benin Preliminary studies on the domestication of forage species Publication of the Biodiversity atlas and the Red List of threatened plants and wildlife of Benin Reptiles studies Structural analysis of valuable wood species dominated stands in Benin Sustainable management of medicinal species and the other natural resources used in primary healthcare in Benin Vulnerability of ecologic systems (coastal erosion, sea level rise, climate change, inundation) Vulnerability of socio-economic systems. International Scientific Partners and Institutions The Laboratory of Applied Ecology works closely in partnership with Higher Education and research Institutions, nonprofit organizations, local communities and decision makers at the local and international levels. Scientists at the LEA partner with and/or are members of several international associations. Some of those associations are: Association for the Taxonomic Study of the Flora of Tropical Africa” (AETFAT) Bioversity International (ex International Plant Genetic Resources Institute) International Grassland Congress (IGC) International Rangeland Congress (IRC) Silicon in Agriculture Conference (SAC) World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF) World Commission on Protected Areas (WCPA) World Park Congress (WPC) World Union for Nature Conservation (IUCN) Networks and Professional Associations African Expert Group on Plant Conservation African Food Tree Network African Forest Research Network African Forum for Health Research African Network for Agriculture, Agroforestry and Natural Resources Education African Statistician Network African Technology Policy Studies Network Amicale Francophone de Phytosociologie Association for the Taxonomic Study of the Flora of Tropical Africa Association for Tropical Biology and Conservation Association of Life Science Researchers Beninese Association for Grasslands West African Network for Organic Agriculture Research and Training British Ecological Society Council for the Development of Social Science Research in Africa Ecological Society of America Forestry Research Network of Sub-Saharan Africa Grassland Society of South Africa Groupe de Recherche et d’Information sur la Pharmacopée et l’Environnement Tropical International Council for Research in Agroforestry International Network on Indigenous Fruit Tree species International Primate Protection League International Primatological Society International Silicon in Plants Network International Society for Ecological Restoration International Society for Horticultural Science International Society for Tropical Ecology International Statistical Institute International Union for Conservation of Nature International Union of Forest Research Organizations Millennium Challenge Account Program Network of Sustainable Agriculture Development Poverty and Economic Policy Research Network Réseaux Parcours Rodent for Environnent Network Royal Botanical Society of Belgium Society for Conservation Biology Society for Economic Botany Society for Rangeland Management South Saharan African Forest Genetic Program West African Network for Environment West and Central African Lion Conservation Network (ROCAL) World Commission on Protected Area Nonprofit Organizations The Laboratory of Applied Ecology works closely with nonprofit organizations in Belgium, Burkina-Faso, Cameroon, Canada, Côte d’Ivoire, Denmark, France, Ghana, Germany, Japan, Kenya, Mali, Morocco, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, The Netherlands, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Switzerland, Tanzania, Togo, United Kingdom, and the US. Scientific Cooperation with universities The Laboratory of Applied of Ecology maintains a scientific relationship with many universities in Africa, Europe, and North America, through student exchange, faculty partnership, research collaboration, and consultation. These universities include: Free University of Brussels (Belgium) Gembloux Agricultural University (Belgium) Georg-August University of Göttingen (Germany) Ghent University (Belgium) Leiden University (Netherlands) Michigan State University (USA) University of Basel (Switzerland) University of Bonn (Germany) University of Burkina Faso Catholic University of Louvain (Belgium) University of Burundi University of Cameroun University of Frankfurt (Germany) University of Karlsruhe (Germany) University of Lomé (Togo) University of Missouri-Columbia (US) University of Niger University of Rostock (Germany) University of Wurzburg (Germany) Wageningen University (Netherlands) Other universities in France, US, Canada, Denmark, Japan, Austria, England.