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Plant diversity in a Central African rain forest: Implications for biodiversity conservation in Cameroon local communities concerned and direct employment of about 1000 jobs that represent wages of about 1 billion FCFA/year ($ 1,8 millions) (ERE Développement, 2002; de Kam et al., 2002). HEVECAM and SOCAPALM are the two main agro-industrial companies located in the area. They are the major employers in the area, developed many infrastructures, and provided many services in their area of activities. They employ about 5625 workers who earn wages totalling about 5,5 billions FCFA/year ($ 9,7 millions). Stakeholders In the Campo-Ma’an area, stakeholder groups range from direct users to people who will be indirectly affected by any management decision. Although the Campo- Ma’an project will need the full support and participation of the local population to achieve its goal, it is of vital importance to involve other potential stakeholders such as the local administrative authorities, logging and agro-industrial companies, local common initiative groups, NGO’s and other institutions which are operating in the area. Economic activities and their influence on biodiversity conservation Despite the low population density, there are few employment opportunities. The local people are very poor and so far rely solely on the forest resources to meet their basic needs. As a result, local pressure on the Campo-Ma’an rain forest is increasing and there are several activities that are carried out in the area with varying ecological impacts on the forest ecosystem. These activities include agriculture, logging, poaching and hunting. Agriculture Clearance of natural vegetation to provide land for industrial and subsistence agriculture is the biggest threat to the Campo-Ma’an forest. Large-scale agroindustrial plantations have destroyed about 7.5% of the forest cover. Small private owners are also involved in the clearing of a considerable portion of the coastal and lowland forests for the establishment of small plantations of oil palm, rubber or cash crops such as cocoa. The local population practises shifting or “slash and burn” agriculture in the area. It is a major cause of deforestation and forest degradation around settlements since it involves land conversion from forest to permanent agriculture land, reducing the soil fertility and the natural vegetation cover. Logging Timber exploitation is the main economic activity in the area and is dominated by HFC and Wijma. Logging concessions represent about 31.4% of the area. The southwestern part of the National Park and the coastal zone has been selectively logged at least twice during the past 30 years. Less than one tree/ha is felled and logging is limited to about 60 tree species (Jonkers & van Leersum, 2000). Although logging damage is moderate and has limited effect on the forest biodiversity (Jonkers & van Leersum, 2000; van Gemerden et al., 2003) any degree of damage represents a capital loss in terms of trees and deterioration of the biotic and physical environment. Logging creates skid trails that allow easy access for poachers, and encourage settlers to establish forest camps, villages and farms. Furthermore, felling damage includes breakage of saplings and residual stems and hinders the growth of seedlings by discarded crowns of felled trees (Parren, 2003). 8
General introduction Hunting and fishing Hunting is a major activity in the area. Several villages and local people are known to rely heavily on hunting as an important source of income and for subsistence. It is for the moment a lucrative way through which the local communities derive direct economic benefit from the forest. The use of cable snare trapping is the most common form of hunting in the area, and guns are mainly used during the night to kill large mammals. These animals are sold in urban areas where bush meat is in great demand. The use of indiscriminate and wasteful methods such as cable snares on long trap lines, as well as poaching, have severely depleted the primate and forest elephant populations in the area (Matthews & Matthews, 2000; Ngandjui et al., 2001). Fishing is the major economic activity in coastal villages. It is the main protein source and almost all local populations rely heavily on it for subsistence and as source of income. Fishing is also practised in some villages inland along the Ntem, Bongola, Lobe, Biwome and other rivers. Non Timber Forest Products (NTFPs) The Campo-Ma’an area has about 250 NTFPs (Tchouto et al., 2002 unpublished). These forest products form an integral part of the rural economy, and contribute to all aspects of rural life, providing food, fuel, building material, medicine, craft material, other household items, ornamental and horticultural plants. The collection of NTFPs is mostly done in the area for local consumption, but few local people rely on it as a source of income. So far the collection of NTFPs has little or no effect on the Campo-Ma’an forest and its ecosystem (Tchouto et al., 2002 unpublished). Tourism and ecotourism There is much potential for the development of tourism and in particular ecotourism in the Campo-Ma’an area. The site’s advantages for ecotourism include the presence of a National Park, a coastline of 65 km with attractive beaches, many waterfalls (Lobe and Memve’ele), diverse ethnic groups with different cultural heritage and the presence of archaeological sites. So far, tourist activity is poorly developed and ecotourism is almost absent. Tourist industry is only focused on some beaches around Kribi. For the moment, the local community derives very little or no benefit from such type of tourism. 1.3. HISTORY OF BOTANICAL RESEARCH IN THE CAMPO-MA’AN AREA The Campo-Ma’an area has been visited by many botanists over more than one century. The first collectors were Germans such as Braun (1887), Dinklage (1889- 93), Zenker (1896-1922) and Staudt (1895-96). Their botanical explorations were largely confined around Kribi, Bipindi and Lolodorf areas because of easy accessibility. Later on, French, Dutch and other German botanists also collected around Kribi, along the coast from Kribi to Campo in the former Campo Faunal Reserve area, and in southwestern Cameroon. They included Schlechter (1900), Schultze-Rhonhof (1911), Mildbraed (1911 & 1914), Ledermann (1912), Fleury (1917), Letouzey (1962-68), W.J. de Wilde (1963-64), Raynal (1963 & 1965), Leeuwenberg (1965), Bos (1968-70) and J.J.F.E de Wilde (1964-76). Among these first botanists, Letouzey was the only one who visited the Ma’an area. These collections were used for the production of 37 volumes of the Flore du Cameroun. 9
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Plant diversity in a Central Africa
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Chapter 4 BIO-INDICATOR SPECIES AND
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Chapter 5 BIODIVERSITY HOTSPOTS AND
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Chapter 6 GENERAL CONCLUSIONS AND I
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REFERENCES
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ANNEXES
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SUMMARY Summary The fragile ecosyst
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Summary suggest that the Campo-Ma
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RESUME Résumé La biodiversité de
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Résumé nombreux auteurs qui argum
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SAMENVATTING Gildas Peguy Tchouto M
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