2023 - Djagoun et al.

Djagoun and colleagues investigated how bushmeat and traditional medicine markets in Southern Benin influence mammal functional diversity. Their work combined observations, genetic analyses, and trader surveys to compile a comprehensive inventory of sold species, totaling 94 species—the highest number ever recorded for African markets. They found that species sold for traditional medicine include many with high conservation value, often large-bodied, long-lived, and with low reproductive rates, whereas bushmeat species represent a functional and taxonomic subset of these. The findings indicate that these markets exhibit high functional richness, affecting multiple dietary guilds and ecosystem functions. Trade targeting species with key functional traits particularly threatens ecosystem regulation. The authors emphasize the need for long-term market monitoring and propose a functional database to better guide conservation policies.