BackgroundUnderstanding the variation in distribution and abundance of non-timber forest products (NTFP) species is a crucial step in achieving their conservation and sustainable use. At the northern periphery of the Boumba-Bek National Park in Southeast Cameroon, little is known about which habitat type contain the highest abundance of NTFP species. In this study, we assessed habitat diversity and variation in the abundance of eight priority NTFP species comprising: Afrostyrax lepidophyllus, Baillonella toxisperma, Irvingia gabonensis, Panda oleosa, Pentaclethra macrophylla, Ricinodendron heudelotii, Scorodophloeus zenkeri and Tetrapleura tetraptera. The inventory was done along 16 linear transects of 5000 m × 20 m, and all the individuals, from juveniles (DBH < 5 cm) to mature trees (DBH > 5 cm) of the eight NTFPs were recorded. Habitat types were characterized along transects following basic forest classification system used in ecology and then measured.ResultsIn total, 13 different habitat types were identified with young secondary forests and periodically flooded forests representing 32.70% and 26.31% respectively. The least represented habitat was young fallows with Chromolaena odorata (0.08%). Seven NTFPs (A. lepidophyllus, B. toxisperma, I. gabonensis, P. oleosa, P. macrophylla, R. heudelotii and T. tetraptera) were predominantly represented in young secondary forests whereas S. zenkeri was more abundant in young Marantaceae secondary forests. The different types of young secondary forests identified seem to be favourable for the growth of the eight NTFPs.ConclusionsThis study demonstrated that habitat fragmentation driven by human activities such as industrial logging and shifting cultivation destroy the forest ecosystems and has a strong influence on the sustainability of the major NTFPs in the locality.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (10.1186/s12898-019-0219-y) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
Ethnopharmacological and ethnobotanical approach of medicinal plants used in the traditional treatment of Buruli ulcer in Akonolinga (Cameroon) ABSTRACTFew data are available concerning plants used in the traditional treatment of Buruli ulcer in Cameroon. This study aimed to identify species and characterize anti-Buruli ulcer recipes in the Akonolinga district. The H. N. BAYAGA et al. / Int. J. Biol. Chem. Sci. 11(4): 1523-1541, 2017 1524 ethnopharmacological survey has enabled to identify 25 plant species used against Buruli ulcer. The plant parts mostly used were stem bark (41.1%), stem (26.8%) and leaves (25%). Decoction (64.3%) and pounding (23.2%), the most dominant preparing method, were administrated externally, mostly by massage and disinfection (64.3%) and by local poultice application (14.3%). The analysis of relative frequency of citation, as well as the search of similarity and convergence of use, have shown that Musa parasidiaca, Mitracarpus villosus, Aframomum melegueta, Elaeis guineensis and Spathodea campanulata were among species exhibiting remarkable convergence of use between different geographical regions; while seven others, Petersianthus macrocarpus, Momordica cabraei, Cassia spectabilis, Citrus medica, Terminalia superba, Ceiba pentandra and Ipomoea aquatica, formed another most significant species group. In highlighting those 12 species of interest, this study has direct bearing in drug design and innovation by the ethnopharmacological reasoning, thereby contributing to species selection and direction for prior chemical, pharmacological and clinical assessments leading to plant-based drug development that Africa needed for its pandemic pathologies.
This article presents discussions of mushrooms as a source of food, income, as well as medicine among the Bamoun people of the highlands of West Cameroon, where the vegetation is mainly savannah mixed with forest galleries. Like most tribes in tropical Africa, the Bamoun people use a wide range of natural products as mushrooms. This study attempts to identify the various mushrooms exploited by the Bamoun. Ethnomycological surveys and field trips were conducted over 4 years in several villages in the Noun Division. Samples of wild mushrooms were collected from both the savannah and the forest galleries. These were described, preserved, and identified. The study shows that the Bamoun people use at least 40 species of mushrooms for either food or medicine. These species belong to 8 genera: Auricularia, Cantharellus, Ganoderma, Pleurotus, Lactarius, Lactifluus, Russula, and Termitomyces. Species of genera Lactarius, Lactifluus, Russula, and Termitomyces are most often used for food, whereas Ganoderma spp. and Pleurotus tuber-regium are mainly exploited for medicinal purposes. This survey provides an overview of the diversity of mushrooms and their importance to the local people of this area. Since some of the species mentioned by the local population were not fruiting at the time of our field trips, additional investigations are needed to further clarify the diversity and the usage of mushrooms in this region.
Dans le cadre de la Stratégie et le Plan d’Action National sur la Biodiversité, afin d’améliorer la compréhension et la documentation des écosystèmes, l’objectif de cette étude est l’identification et la cartographie les habitats naturels du Cameroun. Les matériels utilisés ont été les référentiels constitués de la classification standard des habitats de l’Union Internationale pour la Conservation de la Nature (UICN) pour la nomenclature, et les cartes phytogéographique, du relief et de l’hydrographie pour les habitats terrestres et aquatiques pour les cartes thématiques respectivement. Les méthodes ont été d’adapter la classification de l’UICN à celle des phytochories pour la nomenclature ; et la fabrique des délimitations sur des fonds de cartes existantes pour la cartographie. Les résultats obtenus sont la reconnaissance de différents types d’habitats naturels du Cameroun : trois cartes qui présentent les délimitations des habitats naturels terrestres par écosystème, et aquatiques par bassin hydrographique ; et que la répartition des habitats terrestres est corrélée avec la nature des sols. Ces données complètent les connaissances sur les écosystèmes et sont un outil pour l’application de l’approche par écosystème. C’est une contribution à la cartographie des milieux naturels du Cameroun en rapport avec la gestion durable de la biodiversité.Mots clés. Cameroun, habitat naturel, écosystème, phytochorie, hydrographie, cartographie. English Title: Natural habitats of the ecosystems of CameroonWithin the framework of the National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan, to improve the understanding and documentation of the ecosystems, the objectives of this study are the identification and the mapping of natural habitats of Cameroon. The materials used have been the referentials made up of the classification standard scheme of the habitats of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) for nomenclature, and the phytogeographic, relief and hydrography maps for terrestrial and aquatic habitats respectively. The methods have been to adapt the IUCN classification to that of phytochoria for nomenclature; and fabricate boundaries on existing maps for cartography. The results obtain are the recognition of different natural habitat types in Cameroon: three maps showing the boundaries of terrestrial natural habitats by ecosystem, and aquatic by watershed; and that the distribution of terrestrial habitats is correlated with the nature of the soil. These data improve the knowledge on ecosystems, and are an instrument for the implementation of the ecosystem approach. It’s a contribution to the mapping of natural environments of Cameroon in relation with the sustainable management of the biodiversity.Keywords: Cameroon, natural habitat, ecosystem, phytochoria, hydrography, mapping
Au Tchad, à cause de ses retombées financières une attention particulière est prêtée aux arbres à karité (Vitellaria paradoxa C.F.Gaertn.). Cependant, cette culture est menacée par les plantes vasculaires parasites de la famille des Loranthaceae. La présente étude a été effectuée dans 3 sites dans la région du Mandoul pour évaluer l’ampleur des attaques de Loranthaceae (gui africain) sur des arbres en fonction des classes de circonférence du tronc à 1,5 cm du sol. Elle a consisté à dénombrer sur une de surface, les arbres à karité infestés et les touffes de parasites rencontrées sur ces arbres, afin de déterminer leur taux et leur intensité d’infestation. Les résultats obtenus montrent que Tapinanthus dodonaeifolius (DC) Danser a été trouvée comme la seule espèce de Loranthaceae qui parasite les arbres karité étudiés dans la zone d’étude. Le taux moyen d’infestation estimé à 73% augmente avec l’âge des arbres karité. La moyenne d’intensité de l’infestation/arbre (2,75 touffes à Békôh, 2,27 à Yomi and 2,04 à Bébopen) montre que Tapinanthus dodonaeifolius constitue une réelle menace pour les peuplements de karité dans la zone d’étude. Il reste à rechercher le seuil d’infestation qui provoque une réduction significative de la fructification. Pour l’instant, bien que pénible à cause de la hauteur des arbres adultes, la lutte mécanique contre les Tapinanthus par la coupe systématique des branches infestées est urgente dans les parcs à karité dans cette zone d’étude.
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