TITLE:
Plant Biodiversity and Structure of Robusta Coffee (Coffea canephora var. robusta) Agroforests in Cameroon
AUTHORS:
Ngomeni Arlende Flore, Chimi Djomo Cédric, Kabelong Banoho Louis Paul Roger, Temgoua Lucie Félicité, Avana Marie Louise, Tchamba Ngankam Martin, Bidzanga Nnomo Lucien Emmanuel
KEYWORDS:
Associated Species, Species Richness, Horizontal Structure, Vertical Structure, Production Basin
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Forestry,
Vol.13 No.2,
April
30,
2023
ABSTRACT: Agroforests
are man-made ecosystems in which crops are associated with a main perennial
species like Robusta Coffee Agroforests (RCAs), which is counted among the main
modes of perennial crops production in Cameroon. Despite the rich ecosystem
services provided, the diversity of Associated Species (AS) found in these RCAs
and the structure of the landscapes they form remain little known in Cameroon.
The current study aimed to inventory AS and characterize the structure of RCAs
in four sites (Ayos, Malantouen, Melong and Nkongsamba) belonging to three
robusta coffee production basins in Cameroon. A systematic inventory with
dendrometric measurements of the wood AS and coffee trees was carried out on
120 one-hectare plot unit, i.e. 30 plots per
site. The results showed that 102 AS belonging to 83 genera and 41 families
were identified in these RCAs. The RCAs of Ayos in the dense rainforest zone
with bimodal rainfall pattern were the most diverse with 71 species, followed
by those of Melong and Nkongsamba with respectively 39 and 33 species
respectively in the dense rainforest zone with monomodal rainfall pattern, and
Malantouen with 33 species in the high savannahs of the west. Structurally,
average coffee tree and AS densities founded ranged from 1208 - 1456
plants/ha and 71 - 214 stems/ha and those of basal area from 7.29 - 17.40 m2/ha for coffee trees and 7.97 - 16.14 m2/ha for AS in function of site. Basis on the vertical stratification, the
proportion of the 3 - 6 m stratum, which is mainly represented by introduced AS, varied from 38% - 62%
depending on the site. The results of this study showed that RCAs contribute to
the conservation of plant biodiversity, given the specific richness identified
in these ecosystems.