Tree diversity and conservation value of Ngovayang's lowland forests, Cameroon

Gonmadje Christelle, Doumenge Charles, McKey Doyle B., Tchouto Mbatchou Gildas Peguy, Sunderland Terence Clarence Heethom, Balinga Michael, Sonké Bonaventure. 2011. Tree diversity and conservation value of Ngovayang's lowland forests, Cameroon. Biodiversity and Conservation, 20 (12) : 2627-2648.

Quartile : Q2, Sujet : BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION / Quartile : Q2, Sujet : ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES / Quartile : Q2, Sujet : ECOLOGY

Liste HCERES des revues (en SHS) : oui

Thème(s) HCERES des revues (en SHS) : Psychologie-éthologie-ergonomie

Résumé : The Ngovayang Massif of southern Cameroon is a range of small hills near the Atlantic coast, in the Lower Guinea floristic region. This region is known to harbor forests with high levels of biodiversity and endemism, but this Massif is botanically poorly known. We assessed tree species diversity, floristic composition and level of endemism of the Ngovayang forest, comparing it with other sites in Central Africa. Five 1-ha permanent plots within old-growth lowland forests of the Ngovayang Massif were censused. A total of 2,658 individuals with dbh C 10 cm were recorded, belonging to 293 species, 170 genera and 60 families. The mean number of stems was 532 ± 75 stems ha-1. Taking into account other data available, the list of vascular plants known in the Massif reaches a total of 450 species. We found 47 species of high conservation value, including Cameroon endemics and other rare and threatened species. Species richness and endemism are comparable to those of the richest known sites in Central African forests. The forests of Ngovayang were found to be particularly rich in Fabaceae-Caesalpinioideae. Topographic heterogeneity, high precipitation and atmospheric humidity owing to the proximity of the ocean, and permanence of a forest cover during past geological times probably all contribute to explaining the Massif's high tree diversity and endemism. This study highlights the botanical importance of the poorly studied Ngovayang forest within the Lower Guinea region, justifying efforts for improved assessment of this value and for the development of suitable national conservation strategies.

Mots-clés Agrovoc : forêt tropicale humide, Fabaceae, inventaire forestier, organisme indigène, gestion des ressources naturelles, biodiversité, flore, Caesalpinioideae

Mots-clés géographiques Agrovoc : Cameroun, Afrique centrale

Classification Agris : P01 - Conservation de la nature et ressources foncières
F70 - Taxonomie végétale et phytogéographie
K01 - Foresterie - Considérations générales

Champ stratégique Cirad : Axe 6 (2005-2013) - Agriculture, environnement, nature et sociétés

Auteurs et affiliations

• Gonmadje Christelle, Université de Yaoundé (CMR)
• Doumenge Charles, CIRAD-ES-UPR BSef (FRA)
• McKey Doyle B., CEFE (FRA)
• Tchouto Mbatchou Gildas Peguy, Ecole nationale des eaux et forêts (CMR)
• Sunderland Terence Clarence Heethom, CIFOR (IDN)
• Balinga Michael, CIFOR (BFA)
• Sonké Bonaventure, Université de Yaoundé (CMR)

Source : Cirad - Agritrop (https://agritrop.cirad.fr/562981/)

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