TITLE:
Floristic Diversity and Conservation Status of Guineo-Congolese Species in Southeastern Cameroon: The Case of the Gari-Gombo Communal Forest
AUTHORS:
Boris Nyeck, Valery Noiha Noumi, Nicole Maffo Maffo, Victor Awe Djongmo, Cedric Djomo Chimi, Louis Zapfack
KEYWORDS:
Communal Forest, Conservation Status, Cameroon Floristic Diversity
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Forestry,
Vol.14 No.1,
January
29,
2024
ABSTRACT: The conservation of plant biodiversity has become
one of the most important objectives in the sustainable management of
Guinean-Congolese ecosystems. However, in the south-east zone of Cameroon,
there is a lack of rigor in the management of these forests, which can result
in the loss of species of high conservation value. The study was carried out in
communal forests in the south-east zone of Cameroon. Its aim was to carry out a
floristic inventory and then compare the list of species with the IUCN catalog.
Twenty-four plots, each with a surface area of 0.2 ha, were set up in the
Gari-Gombo communal forest. All timbers with a DBH ≥ 5 cm were systematically
counted. A total of 176 species, belonging to 144 genera and 45 families, were
surveyed. Fabaceae (42.08%), Malvaceae (39%), Euphorbiaceae (24.64%), Moraceae
(20.92%), Apocynaceae (18.64%), Cecropiaceae (16.60%), Ulmaceae (14.76%),
Meliaceae (14.61%), Violaceae (14.08%), Combretaceae (12.67%), Theobroma
cacao (21.17%), Baphia leptobotrys (18.06%), Rinorea sp.
(14.09%), Musanga cecropioides (12.18%), Terminalia superba (10.32%), Neosloetiopsis kamerunensis (10.14%), Celtis zenkeri (8.29%) and Alstonia boonei (7.77%) were the most important taxa. Nearly
90% of the species in this forest are Guinean species, with a dominance of
Guinean-Congolese species (66%). Fourteen (14) threatened species have been
identified in the FCGG. This study, which highlights the rich biodiversity of
communal forests, is important for guiding biodiversity conservation policies
in ecosystems used for production.