ethnobotanical survey of the takamanda forest reserve - Impact ...

The production of the highly priced njabe oil from Baillonella toxisperma is common among the
Bokis, Anyang, and Bashos. Though this species is present within the Ovande (Matene)
Community, it was not indicated as being exploited for its oil.
Njabe oil is used in stews, preparation of eru, and in a few cases, it is used to eat boiled bananas,
cassava or plantains. It is also used as a component in many traditional remedies throughout the
project area. It is normally prepared by collecting the seeds, drying them, crushing and squeezing
to release the oil.
Though this oil is cherished, the constant search for wood from this species for furniture and
other wood works, constitute a serious pressure on the population of this species in the wild and
consequently a threat to the future availability of this favoured oil.
The oil from the seeds of Poga oleosa is not commonly processed while that of Canarium
sweinfurthii is used as local candle for lighting households throughout the Project Area.
4.12 Wild Yams
Throughout the survey, only one species of wild yam was reported eaten. This species
Dioscorea sp. is commonly found in advanced secondary forest. Its yellowish tubers are
preferred boiled or roasted.
4.13 Uses of Wild Woody Plants
Woody plant are widely used by the villagers e.g for construction, furniture, fuel wood, as
boundary markers and for shading.
4.13.1 Construction
Throughout the project area villagers live in locally constructed thatched houses. The walls are
made of sticks, while the roofs are thatched with the stems of Bambusa vulgaris and the petioles
of Raphia hookeri.
The choice of the species is made with respect to durability, ability to withstand termites and rain
and in some cases, the ability to regenerate while in use.
A total of 27 species have been identified for use in local construction. They belong to 16 families
(Table 10). The most common species are, Strombosia grandifolia, Baphia nitida, Uapaca
guineensis and Greenwayodendron suaveolens.
The reliance on these species for local construction and the increasing population of the
inhabitants will greatly affect the population structure of these species in the forest. In fact,
during the survey, it was not uncommon to move farther into the forest in a bit to see and identify
some of these species.
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