Download the publication - Tropenbos International

1.1. BACKGROUND
General introduction
During the last few decades, deforestation in tropical rain forest areas has
accelerated at an alarming rate. Extensive areas of forest are being cleared every
year and there is no reason to believe that this disastrous process will stop or even
reduce in the near future. It has been estimated that more than 11 million hectares of
forest have been cleared in the world between 1986-1990 of which 5 millions have
become fallow (FAO, 1993). Furthermore, some 15-20% of species is likely to
become extinct even before they are known to science (Davis et al., 1994). With the
growing awareness of the problem, tropical rain forest biodiversity is of great
concern and its conservation has become an issue of increasing priority, though little
has been done to counter the rapid disappearance of these rich ecosystems. The rain
forest in Cameroon covers about 175,000 km²representing about 37% of the
national territory (Gartlan, 1992). Uncontrolled logging and land conversion for
agriculture are leading to forest degradation and deforestation. Estimates put the
remaining areas of forest at about 160,000 km² with a further 60,000 km² currently
under concession to timber companies (Sunderland et al., 1997)
The Campo-Ma’an rain forest in south-western Cameroon covers about 7700 km²
and is situated in the middle of the Biafran rain forest belt that extends from
Southeast Nigeria to Gabon and the Mayombe area in Congo. The site is unique,
combining many vegetation types with species of high conservation priorities such
as endemic, rare, new and threatened plant species. It contains about 114 endemic
species, 29 of which are only known from the area, 29 only occur in the
southwestern part of Cameroon, and 56 are near endemics that also occur in other
parts of Cameroon (Chapter 5). The site is also known for its rich fauna with 4
endemic fish species and 2 endemic bat species (Vivien, 1991; Djama, 2001; de
Kam et al., 2002). In addition, there are about 300 bird species of which 24 are rare
or endangered (Languy & Demey, 2000). Thirteen threatened mammal species were
listed in IUCN (2002), and up to half of the total mammal species found in
Cameroon and two-thirds of those found in dense forest are recorded in the area
(Vivien, 1991; Matthews & Matthews, 2000). The explanation for this high
incidence of endemism and richness might stem partly from the fact that the site is
part of a series of postulated rain forest refuge areas in Central and West Africa
(Hamilton, 1982; Maley, 1987 & 1989; and Sosef, 1994).
The conservation value of the Campo-Ma’an forest is high at local, national,
regional and global levels. The area is recognised to be an important site within the
Guineo-Congolian Regional Centre of Endemism (White, 1979 & 1983). However,
despite its great biological importance, the Campo-Ma’an rain forest has suffered
and continues to suffer from intense human pressure that has led to the degradation
of most of the forest along the coast and the lowland forest around settlements. The
main conservation effort so far has been the creation of the Campo Faunal Reserve
in 1932 to protect its rich fauna, and the Ma’an Production Reserve in 1980 to
protect populations of the economically important timber species Aucoumea
klaineana (Okoumé). These two reserves are currently merged into a single
Technical Operational Unit (TOU) that was created in August 1999. Later on, the
Campo-Ma’an National Park was created within this TOU in January 2000. So far,
3