Spatial Dynamics in Tenghory Commune (Bignona) and Their Effects on Vegetation

With the growth of urban populations, the regressive dynamics of the world’s forest areas, particularly in Senegal, have been observed. This situation is manifested in precarious, spontaneous and unplanned housing, leading to urban sprawl. This urban growth also has repercussions on riverside communities, which tend to accommodate more housing due to the availability of land. As a result, urban sprawl affects natural areas, degrading forest massifs. With this in mind, we are studying the commune of Tenghory in the south of the country, in order to understand its development and the factors that could affect the town of Bignona, which borders it. The aim is to show that urban growth has an impact on forest and agricultural areas. The study of the spatial dynamics of habitat and vegetation in the Tenghory commune from 1990 to 2020 was carried out using geomatic tools such as ENVI and ARCGIS software. The methodology consisted of year selection, cartographic processing and statistical analysis. The results obtained show a progression of the built-up area in different, sometimes contradictory phases, making this study interesting, but also a vegetation cover that changes with time. Several factors have favored the evolution of the habitat, with direct repercussions on the vegetation structure.