The study took place in the village of Gribé, in the district of Yokadouma in the Boumba and Ngoko Division (East Cameroon Region). The village is located at coordinates 03˚00'10" north latitude and 14˚49'25" east longitude ( Figure 1 ).

Gribé as a whole is subject to a Guinean-type equatorial climate, with an average annual temperature of 24˚C and average annual rainfall of up to 145.75 mm. The soils in the village of Gribé are ferralitic [13] . Gribé is part of the semi-caducifolia

rainforest [14] . The main wildlife species found in the vicinity of the village of Gribé are blue duiker (Cephalophus callipygus, C. dorsalis, C. leucogaster and C. nigrifrons), yellow-backed duiker (C. silvicultor) and wild boar (Potamochoerus porcus). Smaller animals, such as blue duiker (C. monticola) and porcupines (Atherurus africanus), are also hunted [15] .

Two ethnic groups live together in the Gribé village: the Baka (around 94 households with a total of 400 people) and the Konabembé (around 74 households with a total of 300 people) [16] . For the most part, they make their living from farming, hunting, gathering, petty trading, small-scale livestock farming and fishing [17] [18] . However, logging continues to play a key role and influence the socio-economic context, as Gribé has 15 forest management units divided between 10 logging companies covering a total area of 823.982 hectares. Moreover, access to NTFPs is almost unrestricted.

The method used for data collection was the ethnobotanical survey method through two activities: semi-structured interviews with Baka households and household monitoring.

Information and awareness-raising meetings were held in the Baka communities to obtain the consent of those concerned, and information was collected from anyone who voluntarily agreed to take part in the interviews. The people targeted by the interviews were adults and elderly people of both sexes who could provide reliable information on the use of wild plants. Semi-structured interviews per [19] - [21] were used to gather information on useful plants and to collect some of it. The information collected was based on a standardised framework, inspired by the form proposed by Betti for the UVACO-PFNL 2019 project, and specifically concerned: the identity of the informant, the categories of use, the characteristics of the plant material used for each recipe and the instructions for use of the organs. Information on organ availability and other uses was also collected ( Figure 2 ).

An interview guide was chosen by the canton chief to facilitate discussions with the local population and to accompany them on site when samples were collected. Information on medical use was collected using a standardised format based on the Pharmel sheets [22] . For each therapeutic indication, details of the recipe were carefully recorded and, wherever possible, the treating plant was sought out, seen, filmed and harvested [23] [24] . In the case of food plants, details were sought as to whether they could be used as a main dish, vegetable, spice or condiment, snack or drink [20] .

Specimens were collected “in situ”, firstly by taking photos of them with a digital camera and then by removing the organs of interest from the plant. A reference herbarium was compiled in order to reconstruct the florae of the plants inventoried at Gribé. The plants thus collected were identified firstly by transposing the vernacular names into commercial names for certain species; then using the floristic works [14] [23] [25] - [27] , the online databases https://www.ville-ge.ch/musinfo/bd/cjb/africa/recherche.php ; https://uses.plantnetproject.org/en/ , specialised websites (Protau4.org) and other data available from the National Herbarium of Cameroon (the vascular plants of Cameroon—A taxonomic checklist with IUCN assessments; compendium of plant names in the ethnic languages of Cameroon). This identification was confirmed by botanists at the National Herbarium of Cameroon. Samples were identified to family, genus and, where possible, species level according to APG IV.

The plant species thus identified were classified by biological type [28] [29] , morphological type, phytogeographical type [30] - [32] , habitat type [20] and type and mode of spread of diaspores [20] [33] - [35] .

The data collected was analysed, then recorded and processed according to the number of quotations and recipes. Each survey sheet contained a single item of information called a “quotation”, which corresponded to a line in the Excel version 213 spreadsheet and included all the information collected from an informant [20] [23] [36] . All the information collected was analysed using the aforementioned spreadsheet, which was then used to calculate frequencies as a percentage of quotations and to generate histograms. Ethnobotanical indices were also calculated.

- Ethnobotanical use value (EUV)

The EUV is used to determine which species have a high use value in a given environment. It was used to establish a hierarchy of importance for NTFP source species based on the formula used by [37] :

$VU\left(k\right)=\frac{{\displaystyle {\sum }_i^{n}Si}}{n}$

with:

VU(k): Ethnobotanical use value of a species k within a given use category;

Si: use score assigned by respondent i;

n: Number of respondents for the given use category. The use value of a given species (k), within a given use category, is defined by its average use score within this use category.

- Performance index (PI)

The performance index (PI) is used to highlight the most significant uses of a recipe for treating a disease. In the comparison between the florula (small flora) indicated to treat a given disease and the overall medicinal flora, the hypothesis tested (null hypothesis in the statistical sense) is that for a given therapeutic indication (disease), the list of plants cited for its treatment results from a random draw from the medicinal flora. (C1) was considered as the number of citations of the plant for a specific disease, (C2) as the total number of citations of the plant for all diseases, (C3) as the number of citations of a specific disease for all species, (C4) as the total number of citations, (P1) = C1/C2: the observed proportion, (P2) = C3/C4: the theoretical proportion as well as the performance index (PI). The proportions (for the species) measured for the medicinal flora are considered as theoretical proportions (P2%) and compared with those observed for the flowering plant cited against the chosen disease (P1%). The difference observed between these two proportions (D = P1 − P2) indicates whether or not the sample analysed is a random sample of the medicinal flora; the direction of the difference makes it possible to decide whether the group studied is preferred (D > 0) or rejected (D < 0). The proportions used here are ratios of the number of citations [20] [23] . For example, if P1% of citations of a species are collected as antimalarials, P1 is compared with P2%, the percentage of all citations of this species present in the medicinal flora. This shows whether the species studied is statistically preferred or rejected in the flora cited for its use as an antimalarial. Taking D = 0 as the minimum performance threshold for a species and 1 as the maximum value, a performance index (Ip) is proposed using an arbitrary scale ranging from 0 to 3 such that:

Ip = 0, if D < 0: Zero performance;

Ip = 1, if 0 ≤ D < 1/3: Average performance;

Ip = 2, if 1/3 ≤ D < 2/3: High performance;

Ip = 3, if D ≥ 2/3: Very high performance.

The farmer was followed in his daily activity around the village or in the forest to describe the practices of harvesting plant organs. This practice was characterised by photographs and a description of the harvesting technique by the farmer. Two main harvesting methods were selected [38] [39] . These were gathering and picking. These methods are sometimes combined for certain organs such as fruit. When, for this heading, the same informant mentioned either picking or collecting, the information was noted as picking/collecting. Picking involves cutting the stem, scraping, debarking and piercing the tree. Individuals whose plant organs are picked will be traumatised and therefore more vulnerable than those whose parts fall to the ground. Trees that have been completely felled are more vulnerable than those that have been partially limbed.

This survey included 76 of 168 households (45.23%), with a total of 178 informants participating in interviews. Of these respondents, 117 (65.74%) were men. Three age groups, including young people [20 - 40], adults [40 - 60] and the elderly [60 - 85], were defined to determine the age of respondents in the households. The results show that the elderly (81, 45.50%) are among the most represented informants, followed by (69, 38.76%) and 15.73% young people. The majority of informants in Gribé are Baka (149 Baka informants compared with 29 Konabembé informants). Four major activities, including gathering and/or collecting (77 informants, i.e. 43.25%), agriculture (58 informants, i.e. 32.58%), traditional medicine (29 informants, i.e. 16.29%) and hunting (7.88%), occupy the daily lives of these informants. However, in 71.00% of cases, the informants in the Gribé village practised at least 2 of the 4 activities.

Plants are used in Gribé for three main purposes: food, medicine and services. A total of 85 plant species were mentioned in 867 citations for these different uses. Figure 3 illustrates the proportions of plants listed by use category and frequency of mention. Medicinal plants (62) are the most important in terms of number of species (60.19%) but the least important in terms of number of citations (21.34%).

Nineteen wild plant species were identified as being consumed by Baka households. These were used to prepare 23 culinary recipes for 401 citations. The edible uses to which these are put and the organs used for these uses ( Table 1 ). Analysis of this table shows that the edible plants consumed by the Baka of Gribé are used in six ways, of which snacks (10 plant species mentioned in 177 citations) and condiments/spices (5 plant species for 170 citations) are the most frequently mentioned. The fruits of 14 of the species mentioned 313 times by the informants are

Key: ap = appetizers, sp = condiment/spice, md = maindish, dk = drink, oil = oil, veg = vegetable, fr = fruit, tu = tubers, ex = exudate, le = leaves, bk = bark, BT = Biological type (Tr = Tree, Ag = Annual grass, Pg = Perennial grass, Sb = Shrub, Li = Liana, Usb = Sub shrub), TBI = Type of biotope (Pf = Primary forest, Fal = Forest fallow, Hyf = Hydromorphous forest, Cul = Culture), PT = Phytogeographic type (Gc = Guineo-Congolese Central, Am = Afro-Malgache, Wg = Western Guinean, Sz = Sudanese-Zambesian), DT = Diaspora type (Sar = Sacochore, Pte = Pterochore, Scle = Sclerochore), MD = Modes of dissemination of diaspores (Zoo = zoochory, Ane = anemochory), Nq = Number of quotes.

the organs most often used to prepare the recipes cited by the Gribé informants. Leaves and tubers accounted for 13.73% and 8.82% respectively ( Figure 4 ). Panda oleosa (Pandaceae), was frequently cited (17.57%), followed by Gnetum Africanum (13.86%), Afrotyrax lepidophyllus (13.62%), Irvingia gabonensis (9.24%) and Trichoscypha acuminata (9.00%). All these species belong to 15 families, including Anacardiaceae, Dioscoreaceae, Irvingiaceae and Sapotaceae with two species each ( Table 1 ).

Sixty-two plant species have been identified as medicinal plants. They belong to 32 families, the most represented of which are Euphorbiaceae, Fabaceae, Annonaceae, Moraceae, Rubiaceae, Apocynaceae and Zingiberaceae, with 8, 6, 5, 4, 4, 3 and 3 species each respectively. Of the plants cited as medicinal plants in Gribé households, some are only used as associated plants in recipes. Elaeis guineensis Jacq. and Capsicum frutescens L., mentioned 16 and 17 times respectively, are used exclusively as secondary plants in the preparation of medicinal recipes. Alstonia boonei (28 citations) is the most popular cited medicinal species in Gribé, followed by Greenwayodendron suaveolens (Engl. & Diels) Verdc. (19 mentions), Tetrapleura tetraptera (Schum. & Thonn.) Taub. (9 mentions), Pycnanthus angolensis (Welw.) Warb. (8 mentions), Entandrophragma cylindricum (Sprague) Sprague (6 mentions) and Diospyros crassiflora Hiern. (5 mentions). The surveyed medicinal plants in Gribé are used to treat sixteen illnesses or therapeutic indications, of which malaria (21.62%), diarrhoea (11.89%) and kidney ailments (11.35%) are the most frequently cited ( Figure 5 ). In addition, the diseases treated by plants mentioned by the Gribé people fall into eight main disease groups, including the group of infectious and parasitic diseases (M.inf.par.) (28 plants), the group of sensitivities, symptoms and ill-defined states (Sén.sym.m.d.) (27 plants), Diseases of the genital-urinary organs (M.org.gé-uri.) (19 plants requested) and Diseases of the digestive system (M.ap.dig.) (10 plants requested) are the most important ( Table 2 ).

Treated diseases or therapeutic indications

Nineteen illnesses or therapeutic indications emerged from the surveys of Baka households in Gribé. The diseases are illustrated in Figure 5 , which shows the compartment occupied by each disease. Malaria (20.63%), kidney ache (13.76%), headache (11.64%), stomachache (10.58%) and dysentery (10.05%) occupy the most important compartments. Gonorrhoea, respiratory problems and gastric ulcers (0.53% each) occupied the smallest compartments ( Figure 5 ).

Plant organs of medicinal plants

The organs used to prepare plant-based medicines are bark, leaves, fruit, roots and exudates. Of these organs, bark is the most frequently used, accounting for 62.85% ( Figure 6 ). Leaves and fruits represented 17.14% and 15.23% respectively. The barks of Alstonia boonei were cited 28 times, those of Pycnanthus angolensis 08 times, while the fruits of Elaeis guineensis and Capsicum frutescens were cited 19 and 11 times respectively by the Baka of Gribé ( Table 2 ).

Pharmaceutical forms and routes of administration

To prepare phytomedicines, the Baka of Gribé uses seven pharmaceutical forms: decoction, maceration, ash, juice, raw organ, powder and ointment. Decoctions are the most used forms (43.00% of recipes), followed by macerations and ashes,

Key: Drs (D.rsp.sys.) = Diseases of the respiratory system, Dds (D.dig.sys.) = Diseases of the digestive system, Ipd (Inf.par.D.) = Infectious and parasitic diseases, Dnss (D.ner.sys.s.org.) = Diseases of the nervous system and sense organs, Dgo (D.ge-uri.org.) = Diseases of the genital-urinary organs, Dbn (D.bn.sf.org.) = Diseases of the bones and soft organs, Ses (Sen.sym.ill.d.) = Sensitivity, symptoms and ill-defined states, Dsct (D.s.cc.t.) = Diseases of skin and cellular tissue, fr = fruit, tu = tubers, ex = exudate, le = leaf, bk = bark, BT = Biological type (Tr = Tree, Ag = Annual grass, Pg = Perennial grass, Sb = Shrub, Li = Liana, Ssb = Sub shrub),TBI = Type of biotope (Pf = Primary forest, Fs = Secondary forest, Fal = Forest fallow, Hyf = Hydromorphous forest, Cul = Culture), PT = Phytogeographic type (Gc = Guineo-Congolese Central, Am = Afro-Malgache, Wg = Western Guinean, Pan = Pan-tropical), DT = Diaspora type (Sar = Sacochore, Pte = Pterochore, Bar = Barochore, Pog = Pogonochore), MD = Modes of dissemination of diaspores (Zoo = Zoochory, Ane = Anemochory, Aut = Autochory), Nq = Number of quotes.

Key: Drs (D.rsp.sys.) = Diseases of the respiratory system, Dds (D.dig.sys.) = Diseases of the digestive system, Ipd (Inf.par.D.) = Infectious and parasitic diseases, Dnss (D.ner.sys.s.org.) = Diseases of the nervous system and sense organs, Dgo (D.ge-uri.org.) = Diseases of the genital-urinary organs, Dbn (D.bn.sf.org.) = Diseases of the bones and soft organs, Ses (Sen.sym.ill.d.) = Sensitivity, symptoms and ill-defined states, Dsct (D.s.cc.t.) = Diseases of skin and cellular tissue, fr = fruit, tu = tubers, ex = exudate, le = leaf, bk = bark, BT = Biological type (Tr = Tree, Ag = Annual grass, Pg = Perennial grass, Sb = Shrub, Li = Liana, Ssb = Sub shrub), TBI = Type of biotope (Pf = Primary forest, Fs = Secondary forest, Fal = Forest fallow, Hyf = Hydromorphous forest, Cul = Culture), PT = Phytogeographic type (Gc = Guineo-Congolese Central, Am = Afro-Malgache, Wg = Western Guinean, Pan = Pan-tropical), DT = Diaspora type (Sar = Sacochore, Pte = Pterochore, Bar = Barochore, Pog = Pogonochore), MD = Modes of dissemination of diaspores (Zoo = Zoochory, Ane = Anemochory, Aut = Autochory), Nq = Number of quotes.

Key: Drs (D.rsp.sys.) = Diseases of the respiratory system, Dds (D.dig.sys.) = Diseases of the digestive system, Ipd (Inf.par.D.) = Infectious and parasitic diseases, Dnss (D.ner.sys.s.org.) = Diseases of the nervous system and sense organs, Dgo (D.ge-uri.org.) = Diseases of the genital-urinary organs, Dbn (D.bn.sf.org.) = Diseases of the bones and soft organs, Ses (Sen.sym.ill.d.) = Sensitivity, symptoms and ill-defined states, Dsct (D.s.cc.t.) = Diseases of skin and cellular tissue, fr = fruit, tu = tubers, ex = exudate, le = leaf, bk = bark, BT = Biological type (Tr = Tree, Ag = Annual grass, Pg = Perennial grass, Sb = Shrub, Li = Liana, Ssb = Sub shrub),TBI = Type of biotope (Pf = Primary forest, Fs = Secondary forest, Fal = Forest fallow, Hyf = Hydromorphous forest, Cul = Culture), PT = Phytogeographic type (Gc = Guineo-Congolese Central, Am = Afro-Malgache, Wg = Western Guinean, Pan = Pan-tropical), DT = Diaspora type (Sar = Sacochore, Pte = Pterochore, Bar = Barochore, Pog = Pogonochore), MD = Modes of dissemination of diaspores (Zoo = Zoochory, Ane = Anemochory, Aut = Autochory), Nq = Number of quotes.

Key: Drs (D.rsp.sys.) = Diseases of the respiratory system, Dds (D.dig.sys.) = Diseases of the digestive system, Ipd (Inf.par.D.) = Infectious and parasitic diseases, Dnss (D.ner.sys.s.org.) = Diseases of the nervous system and sense organs, Dgo (D.ge-uri.org.) = Diseases of the genital-urinary organs, Dbn (D.bn.sf.org.) = Diseases of the bones and soft organs, Ses (Sen.sym.ill.d.) = Sensitivity, symptoms and ill-defined states, Dsct (D.s.cc.t.) = Diseases of skin and cellular tissue, fr = fruit, tu = tubers, ex = exudate, le = leaf, bk = bark, BT = Biological type (Tr = tree, Ag = annual grass, Pg = perennial grass, Sb = shrub, Li = liana, Ssb = sub shrub),TBI = Type of biotope (Pf = Primary forest, Fs = Secondary forest, Fal = Forest fallow, Hyf = Hydromorphous forest, Cul = Culture), PT = Phytogeographic type (Gc = Guineo-Congolese Central, Am = Afro-Malgache, Wg = Western Guinean, Pan = Pan-tropical), DT = Diaspora type (Sar = Sacochore, Pte = Pterochore, Bar = Barochore, Pog = Pogonochore), MD = Modes of dissemination of diaspores (Zoo = Zoochory, Ane = Anemochory, Aut = Autochory), Nq = Number of quotes.

with 17.00% and 16.00% respectively.

Phytomedicines derived from the above pharmaceutical forms are administered orally (67.00% of citations), dermally (9.00%), rectally (8.00%), by scarification (intradermally) (7.00%), ocularly (4.00%) and nasally (3.00% of citations).

Plant performance according to the diseases treated

Plant performance was determined according to the diseases treated. However, only plants with high performance (Ip = 2) and very high performance (Ip = 3) were included in Table 3 . Thus, of the 17 high-performance plants indicated against malaria, only 8 showed good performance (Ip = 2). Santiria trimera and Schumanniophyton magnificum performed very well (Ip = 3) against dysentery. Chrysophyllum lacourtianum and Elaeophorbia drupifera performed very well against toothache ( Table 3 ).

Nineteen plant species were identified as service plants. They belong to 15 families, of which Annonaceae, Arecaceae, Euphorbiaceae and Fabaceae each have 2 species ( Table 4 ). Of the plant species listed as service plants, Marantochloa cordifolia (K. Schum.) Koechlin (45 citations) is the most popular. It is followed

Key: Cma = Construction material, Ama = Agricultural material, Mcu = Kitchen material, Pac = Packaging, Fur = Furniture, fr = fruit, st = stem, ro = root, le = leaf, bk = bark, br/tr = branch/trunk, BT = Biological type (Tr = Tree, Ag = Annual grass, Pg = Perennial grass, Sb = shrub, Li = Liana, Ss = Sub shrub), BTI = Biotope type (Pf = Primary forest, Fs = Secondary forest, Ff = Forest fallow, Hyf = Hydromorphic forest), PT = Phytogeographic type (Gc = Centro-Guineo-Congolese, Am = Afro-Malgache, WG = Western Guinean), DT = diasporous type (Sar = Sacochore, Pte = Pterochore, Bal = Ballochore), MD = Modes of dissemination of diaspores (Zoo = Zoochory, Ane = Anemochory, Aut = Autochory), Nq = Number of quotes.

by Entandrophragma cylindricum Sprague and Megaphrynium macrostachyum (Benth.) Milne-Redh. (33 citations each). Next came Massularia acuminata (G. Don) Bullock (31 citations), Streblus usambarensis (Engl.) C. C. Berget and Detarium macrocarpum Harms (17 citations each), Raphia regalis Becc. (16 citations) and Greenwayodendron suaveolens (Engl. & Diels) Verdc. (15 citations) ( Table 4 ).

The service plants surveyed in the Baka households of Gribé gave rise to 23 recipes, of which “digging and pruning the trunk of Entandrophragma cylindricum to obtain the shape of a mortar” and “pruning the branch of Massularia acuminata to obtain a pestle” were the most cited, with 30 and 29 citations respectively. The recipes for “covering huts with Marantochloa cordifolia leaves” and “using Marantochloa cordifolia leaves to wrap products” were cited by 22 and 21 households respectively.

The various recipes were prepared to satisfy five main uses. Figure 7 illustrates the types of use of service plants and shows the number of plants requested for each use. Interpretation of this figure shows that product packaging (43.32%) is the most frequently cited use in Baka households in Gribé.This use calls for 7 plants (i.e. 33.33% of the plants requested). Six plants (i.e. 28.57% of species) are solicited for the use of construction material, which represents only 12.00% of the uses mentioned by the Baka of Gribé ( Figure 7 ).

Plant organs of service plants

In their use of service plants, Baka households in Gribé make use of six plant parts, which include: branches and/or trunks, buttresses, leaves, stems, bark and fruit. Of these organs or parts, branches/trunks, leaves and stems are the most frequently used, with frequencies of quotation of 37.63%, 34.05% and 22.22% respectively ( Figure 8 ).

The surveyed florula in the Baka households of Gribé were characterised by biological types, phytogeographical distribution types as well as diaspora distribution types and modes.

Six morphological types were distinguished, including trees (Ar), shrubs (Aa), sub-shrubs (Sa), lianas (Lia), perennial grasses (Hv) and annual grasses (Ha). The 53 trees represent 62.35% of the morphological types. They are followed by shrubs (11 or 12.94%) and lianas (9 or 10.59%). Annual grasses represent only 1.18% ( Figure 9 ).

Six habitat types are home to the NTFPs cited in the Baka households of Gribé. These are very little disturbed dense forest species (primary forests) (72.94%), disturbed dense forest species (secondary forests) (17.65%), hydromorphic forest species (2.35%), cultivated species (3.53%), fallow species (2.35%) and ruderal species (1.18%). Forest species, numbering 79, account for 92.94% of species cited in Baka households in Gribé, and among species of other biotopes, cultivated species, of which there are 03, are the most represented ( Figure 10 ).

Eight phytogeographical types were distinguished among the plants cited by the Baka of Gribé. These were Afromalagasy (2.35%), Afrotropical (5.88%), Centroguineo-Congolese (77.65%), Guinean and Sudano-Zambian (1.18%), Western-Guinean (4.71%), Palaeotropical (1.18%), Pantropical (3.53%) and Sudano-Zambian (3.53%) species. Endemic species (Gc, At, Wg, Pan, Am and Gsz) dominate (95.29%), with 66 of them being Centroguineo-Congolian ( Figure 11 ).

Six types of diaspora were distinguished among the NTFPs cited by Baka households in Gribé. These were ballochores (5.88%), barochores (1.18%), pogonochores (1.18%), pterochores (5.88%), sarcochores (78.82%) and sclerochores (7.06%). Sarcochores are spread by zoochory, which at 78.82% is the main mode of dissemination. Sclerochores, pterochorores and pogonochores are spread by wind (anemochory), accounting for 14.12% of the modes of spread ( Figure 12 ).

Figure 13 illustrates the relative importance of plant species in the plant uses of Baka households in Gribé. Species with a percentage ≥ 2 are shown. Marantochloa cordifolia is the most important species cited in the uses of Baka households. It accounts

for 7.1% of citations. Next come Panda oleosa with 6.1%, and Entandrophragma cylindricum with 6.00% of citations.

The ethnobotanical use values of the species identified in the Baka households of Gribé were calculated. Fourteen species have the most significant use values. In ascending order, they are Entandrophragma cylindricum (VU = 1.25), Massularia acuminata (VU = 1.13), Panda oleosa (VU = 1.03), Gnetum africanum (VU = 1.00), Marantochloa cordifolia (VU = 0.94), Trichoscypha acuminata (VU = 0.91), Irvingia gabonensis (VU = 0. 81), Anonidium mannii (VU = 0.78), Greenwayodendron suaveolens (0.78), Afrostyrax lepidophyllus (VU = 0.75), Megaphrynium macrostachyum (VU = 0.78), Detarium macrocarpum (VU = 0.56), Raphia regalis (VU = 0.56), Streblus usambarensis (VU = 0.56). Table 5 shows the species with use values greater than or equal to 0.1 (VU ≥ 0.1).

Harvesting practices were described in terms of three parameters: plant organs harvested, harvesting methods and techniques, and harvesting areas. Eight plant organs were harvested by the Gribé people to make the various recipes. Figure 14 illustrates the frequency with which the different plant organs taken from the plants used in Gribé are cited. The figure shows that when the parameter “species from which the organs are taken” is taken into account, bark is the most frequently cited (43.24%). Bark was used for 48 species. On the other hand, when it comes to the “revenue” parameter, fruit (33.76%) is the organ most used ( Figure 14 ). Surveys on the availability or otherwise of plant organs requested by the Gribé populations reveal that they are available (66.45%) (much more so for leaves and bark), seasonal (28.21%) (for fruit), rare (3.63%) (for roots and trunks) and very rare (1.71%) (for trunks).

Figure 15 illustrates the harvesting methods and techniques observed. Picking (54.06%) was the harvesting method most commonly used by the Gribé populations. In the picking mode, the figure illustrates a number of harvesting techniques: scraping the bark (1.91%), debarking the tree (19.48%), notching the bark (2.18%), stripping leaves and stems (19.04%), uprooting (1.83%), cutting branches (7.60%) and felling the tree (2.01%). Collecting fruit and/or seeds.

Trunks and/or branches were the most popular areas for harvesting organs (61.38%). The debarking technique used in these areas was monitored and described. Figure 15 shows the different debarking techniques. Analysis of this figure shows that 1/4 debarking is the technique most widely used by farmers. Anarchic debarking (21.00%) is practised and anhelation of the tree represents only 1.00% of the practices adopted by the Gribé farmers ( Figure 16 ).