TITLE:
Dynamics of Land Use and the Evolution of Agroforestry Practices in the Dja Biosphere Reserve (DBR) Southeast Cameroon
AUTHORS:
Njini Loveline Munjeb, Avana Tientcheu Marie Louise, Julius Tata Nfor, Yerima Bernard Palmer Kfuban, Jean-Michel Harmand
KEYWORDS:
Land Use/Land Cover, GIS and Remote Sensing Techniques, Agroforestry, Dja Biosphere Reserve
JOURNAL NAME:
Journal of Geoscience and Environment Protection,
Vol.8 No.5,
May
29,
2020
ABSTRACT: The study had as objective to investigate the land use/land cover change from 1980 to 2019 in the Dja Biosphere Reserve using GIS and remote sensing techniques and the evolution of agroforestry practices. Semi structured questionnaires were administered to 320 farmers who were randomly selected from 35 villages of the Dja Biosphere Reserve characterized by the presence of agroforestry systems. The land use map revealed six classes which were dense humid forest, perennial crop-based agroforestry practices, river, wetland, built up and bare areas. Between 1980 and 2008, dense humid forest lost -4.9% of its area to the benefits of perennial crop-based agroforestry practices, built up and bare land. Between 2008 and 2019, dense humid forest gain 1.77% of its area due to increase in perennial crop-based agroforestry practices and a subsequent increase in vegetation cover. Perennial crop-based agroforestry practices and built up increase progressively from 1980 to 2019. Farmers perceived hunting (36.3%), slash and burn agriculture (43.3%) and harvesting of tree-based products (20.3%) as the anthropogenic activities impacting the reserve negatively. The evolution of agroforestry practices were observed on the field, but the precise area under agroforestry practices in the study area need to be estimated. As a mitigation strategy to livelihood needs as well as the rehabilitation of degraded land, the conversion of pure cultivated agricultural land into agroforestry is a major opportunity.