In the northern part of Togo, several sacred groves are preserved and managed traditionally by local communities and are repositories of the biodiversity of surrounding areas. The present study aims at evaluating the impact of these traditional management practices on the biodiversity and structural characteristics of the sacred groves. Survey was carried out in these sacred groves to collect floristic and dendrometric data taking into account the different categories of management. Results indicate that the sacred groves have an average area of 0.80 ± 0.39 ha. A total of 375 species belonging to 265 genera and 75 families, have been recorded in these forests. Fifty-seven percent (57%) of the sacred groves are disturbed by their specific management practices and human activities, which leads to a significant reduction in the floristic diversity. Stand characteristics reveal variability according to the different management pratices of the sacdred groves, particularly for tree density (F_(3,14) = 0.75; P = 0.542), average height (F_(3,14) = 76.71, P = 0.00), dominant height (F_(3,14)). = 142.27, P = 0.000), basal area (F_{(3, 14)} = 68.40, P = 0.001) and productivity (F_(3,14) = 42.30, P = 0.000). It emerged that ritual fires and woodcuttings are the main factors of sacred groves degradation. This worrisome situation requires a rapid response through a large-scale action to safeguard the sacred groves and promote community forestry that respects the principles of biodiversity conservation. Well-preserved sacred groves are storehouses of valuable medicinal and other plants having high economic value, and serve as a refuge to threatened species.

在多哥北部，传统上由当地社区保护和管理一些神圣的小树林，它们是周边地区生物​​多样性的仓库。本研究旨在评估这些传统管理实践对神圣树林的生物多样性和结构特征的影响。在这些神圣的小树林中进行了调查，以收集考虑到不同管理类别的植物和树状数据。结果表明，神圣的小树林平均面积为0.80±0.39公顷。这些森林中共记录了375种，属于265属75个科。57％（57％）的圣树林受到其特定管理做法和人类活动的干扰，这导致植物多样性大大减少。_（3,14）  = 0.75；P = 0.542），平均身高（F _（3,14）  = 76.71，P = 0.00），主要身高（F _（3,14））。= 142.27，P = 0.000），基础面积（F _（3，14）  = 68.40，P = 0.001）和生产率（F _（3,14）  = 42.30，P = 0.000）。结果表明，仪式性的大火和木刻是神圣的树林退化的主要因素。这种令人担忧的情况要求采取大规模行动迅速作出反应，以保护神圣的树林并促进尊重生物多样性保护原则的社区林业。保存完好的神圣小树林是珍贵的药用和其他植物的仓库，具有很高的经济价值，可以作为濒危物种的避难所。