Microbiology and Macrofaunal Activity in Soil beneath Shrub Canopies during Residue Decomposition in Agroecosystems of the Sahel

A major limitation for crop productivity in degraded Sahelian soils is the lack of organic inputs. Piliostigma reticulatum (DC.) Hochst and Guiera senegalensis J. F. Gmel. are unrecognized and unmanaged shrubs of the Sahel that coexist with crops and have potential to provide significant amounts of organic inputs to improve soil quality. However, conventional management involves coppicing and burning aboveground biomass every spring before crop...