Assessment of Fuel Wood Values and the Influence of Wood Cutting on the Easily Flooded Plain Woodland of the Sahelian Area, Cameroon

The study focused on fuel wood economic value and the influences of woody cutting on woody species in the flooded plains woodland area. Sahelian woodland suffers from cutting down trees for fuel wood, to insure household energy demands. Investigations were carried out near a sample of users of resources and an inventory of stems of exploited species in woodland. Households in 15 villages and four markets were explored and 496 actors included in the exploitation and the use of firewood and charcoal, as regard 204 men and 292 women, were interviewed individually. Fuel wood quantity and economic value was made through a register. Through 48 transects of 2 000 m length and 20 m each, the availability, the intensity of cutting down trees, measurements and observations were made and noted on stems. Stems which the circumference > 10 cm were counted and their diameter was measured. The sources of domestic energy mostly used were firewood and charcoal which remained easily accessible and available. Completely stem cut down and partial stems cut were noted as the exploitation mode. The charcoal was produced traditionally, using furnace. Significant quantity of firewood (2186.59 t) and charcoal (28340 t) were estimated. It varied periodically a year with a substantial drop. The quantity sale represent 95 % and brought annual income of 122035.8 $(Firewood) and 31 630$ (charcoal). The incomes contributed significantly in the rural households’ economy and brought an additive to their much reduced agricultural yields. A number of 33 woody species were noted as the mostly exploited for fuel wood. Among them Anogeissus leiocarpus, Balanites aegyptiaca, Prosopis Africana, Detarium microcarpum and Pseudocedrela kotschyi were firstly mention. The total number of stumps and the partial cut of stems were significant representing respectively 20.91 % and 9.64 % of stems counted. The exploitation was intensive and selective on stems. Cutting down of stems was constituted a major factor for requested species degradation. Results indicated evidence of the impacts of fuel wood exploitation on the woody species. The study concludes that fuel wood yield in the sahelian woodland has not yet reached alarming proportions and can be contained. It could be an imperative to set up an alternative system to ensure sustainable management of resources. Solutions through introduction and popularization of natural gas, biogas, solar energy and the improved hearths could effectively contribute to reduce the intensity of this activity and to guarantee the maintenance of the ecological balance on the already fragile sahelian ecosystems

Diversité Floristique Et Structurale De Deux Forêts Communautaires Sous Exploitation Au Cameroun: Cas De Kompia Et Nkolenyeng

The attribution of community forests to local populations has emerged as a new participative management system of plant biodiversity in Cameroon. Further to the intensification of anthropogenic activities in these forests, the logging impact on this biodiversity remains poorly known. This study was conducted in two different community forests located in the Kompia and Nkolenyeng villages, respectively. It aims to provide information on the state of the flora and plant structure of the community forests subjected to logging activities. Floristic inventories were carried out in nine biotope types using the variable-area sampling method. A total of 2772 individuals with dbh ≥ 10 cm were recorded in the community forests. In the whole biotopes, the species richness ranges from 19 to 98 species, the Shannon diversity index from 3.63 to 5.99 and the Pielou evenness from 0.65 to 0.93. The density of trees ranges from 73 ± 27 to 661 ± 119 stems ha-1 , the basal area from 15.68 ± 13.14 to 70.05 ± 28.76 m² ha-1 , the mean diameter of 18.85 ± 4.80 to 57.39 ± 20.70 cm and the canopy height from 12.26 ± 1.22 to 25.18 ± 1.02 m, on the average between biotopes. The two community forests showed decrease in tree density, a proliferation of the pioneer species, increase of small-diameter light-demanding species, a scarcity of large-diameter trees, and lowering of canopy height. These changes could compromise the sustainable management of these forests and their ability to ensure long-term local development. The large number of useful species identified in the two community forests is a reason to reinforce the preservation and management measures of the plant biodiversity of these forest areas

Composition floristique et structure des formations à Garcinia lucida dans la région de Bipindi-Akom II (Sud-Cameroun)

The Bipindi-Akom II region in South-Cameroon belongs to the Biafran atlantic district of the Guineo-congolian domain of dense humid evergreen forests. Inside this vegetation unit, Garcinia lucida is a remarkable understorey gregarious species, growing in low-lying ground and on slope of some hills. Four localities in which this species occurs have been sampled and 36 common species have been identified forming the floristic composition of such plant community. Representative species are, in addition to Garcinia lucida, Treculia obovoidea, Coelocaryon preussii and Raphia regalis. The analysis of the different strata showed that Garcinia lucida is the main dominant species at the shrub layer. No dominant species have been found at the tree layer. The population structure in the four localities indicates the stability of these formation but also the low occurence of emergent trees inside these Garcinia lucida facies.SCOPUS: ar.jinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishe

Socioeconomic Importance of the Banana Tree (Musa Spp.) in the Guinean Highland Savannah Agroforests

Home gardens are defined as less complex agroforests which look like and function as natural forest ecosystems but are integrated into agricultural management systems located around houses. Investigations were carried out in 187 households. The aim of the study was to identify the different types of banana home gardens existing in the periurban zone of Ngaoundere town. The results showed that the majority of home gardens in the area were very young (less than 15 years old) and very small in size (less than 1 ha). Eleven types of home gardens were found in the periurban area of Ngaoundere town. The different home garden types showed important variations in all their structural characteristics. Two local species of banana are cultivated in the systems, Musa sinensis and Musa paradisiaca. The total banana production is 3.57 tons per year. The total quantity of banana consumed in the periurban zone was 3.54 tons (93.5%) whereas 1.01 tons were sold in local or urban markets. The main banana producers belonged to home gardens 2, 4, 7, and 9. The quantity of banana offered to relatives was more than what the farmers received from others. Farmers, rely on agroforests because the flow of their products helps them consolidate friendship and conserve biodiversity at the same time

SPECIES COMPOSITION AND ABUNDANCE OF NON-TIMBER FOREST PRODUCTS AMONG THE DIFFERENT-AGED COCOA AGROFORESTS IN SOUTHEASTERN CAMEROON

The study has been conducted to clarify the species composition and abundance of Non-Timber Forest Products (NTFPs) of the cocoa agroforests in the Gribe village, southeastern Cameroon. A total of 40 cocoa-farmed plots were sampled and divided into four age-classes. The number of sampled plots by age class are : (a) 10 plots with 0–10-year-old plot, (b) 10, 10–20-year-old, (c) 10, 20–30-year-old and (d) 10, over 30-year-old. A vegetation survey on these plots recorded a total of 3, 879 individual trees. They were classified into 166 species, 131 genera and 45 families. The most diversified families were Rubiaceae (including 13 species), Annonaceae (12) Sterculiaceae (10), Euphorbiaceae (9), Caesalpiniaceae and Moraceae (8 for each). The top ten leading dominant species were Musanga cecropioides, Terminalia superba, Ficus mucuso, Celtis mildbraedii, Pterocarpus soyauxii, Triplochiton scleroxylon, Margaritaria discoidea, Markhamia lutea, Trilepisium madagascariense, and Ficus exasperata. The mean values of the Shannon-Wiener diversity index (H') increased with the age of cocoa plot : 4.8 for the age class of 0–10-year-old, 4.7 for 10–20-year-old, 5.1 for 20–30-year-old and 5.6 for over 30-year-old. An ethnobotanical survey revealed that majority of the recorded species were used either as food (54%), medicine (33%) or for other purposes. We conclude that the cocoa agroforests, maintained by the Gribe people, include a high diversity of NTFP species

VEGETATION STRUCTURE AND SPECIES COMPOSITION AT THE NORTHERN PERIPHERY OF THE BOUMBA-BEK NATIONAL PARK, SOUTHEASTERN CAMEROON

Forest conservation outside protected areas is taking center stage in global conservation discourse. This study was conducted to clarify the species composition, vegetation structure and plant diversity at the northern periphery of the Boumba-Bek National Park, whose timber and Non-Timber Forest Products (NTFPs) have been used by the local peoples and logging companies. A total of 16 transects measuring 5 km in length and 5 m in width were delineated. The survey recorded DBH of all tree individuals above 10 cm. The result shows a total number of 17, 583 trees with a density of 439.6 stems/ha (total area = 40 ha). These trees belong to 51 families, 169 genera and 247 species. Shannon-Wiener diversity index (H') ranged from 5.94 to 6.51 and higher diversity was recorded in the Agroforest Zone. The family importance index (FIV) marked highest score for Euphorbiaceae and Combretaceae. The importance index for species (IVI) was higher for Terminalia superba, Musanga cecropioides, Anonidium mannii and Celtis mildbraedii. The height-class distribution of the species shows that the majority of trees belong to the height-class of 5–20 m, which accounts for the average of 87.4% of total stems. The diameter-class distribution of the trees shows an inverse J-shape curve. The study concludes that this forest, despite having undergone disturbance in past years driven by logging and agriculture, is relatively rich and diversified

Socioeconomic Importance of the Banana Tree (Musa Spp.) in the Guinean Highland Savannah Agroforests

Home gardens are defined as less complex agroforests which look like and function as natural forest ecosystems but are integrated into agricultural management systems located around houses. Investigations were carried out in 187 households. The aim of the study was to identify the different types of banana home gardens existing in the periurban zone of Ngaoundere town. The results showed that the majority of home gardens in the area were very young (less than 15 years old) and very small in size (less than 1 ha). Eleven types of home gardens were found in the periurban area of Ngaoundere town. The different home garden types showed important variations in all their structural characteristics. Two local species of banana are cultivated in the systems, Musa sinensis and Musa paradisiaca. The total banana production is 3.57 tons per year. The total quantity of banana consumed in the periurban zone was 3.54 tons (93.5%) whereas 1.01 tons were sold in local or urban markets. The main banana producers belonged to home gardens 2, 4, 7, and 9. The quantity of banana offered to relatives was more than what the farmers received from others. Farmers, rely on agroforests because the flow of their products helps them consolidate friendship and conserve biodiversity at the same time