Abstract
A study was conducted in the western highland region of Cameroon with the aim to assess sustainability of Gnidia glauca exploitation in its natural habitat. In 33 plots of 40 x 40 m, the unexploited, exploited and dead trees were evaluated for vitality using a multi-criteria vulnerability assessment method. An ethnobotanical survey was conducted with 60 respondents in six villages around Mount Oku area. Data were submitted to ANOVA and means separated using Duncan test. The results revealed that 95 % of G. glauca trees were unexploited and only 3.92% showed signs of exploitation, among which 1.08% were dead. Among the exploited stems, 18% showed a completely dead crown, whereas 73% were described to be regular and healthy. Wood (29%) and bark (28%) were the main products being exploited. However, the species’ bark was the most frequently harvested product (64%). G. glauca was shown to be more vulnerable in forests (2.6) than in savanna (2.4). The motivating factors for the species’ domestication were the fragility of its habitat, the potential high future demand for its products and the unsustainable exploitation techniques being applied. It is therefore recommended to promote the species uses, conservation and cultivation within its national distribution range for local livelihood improvement. Key words: Ethnobotany, Gnidia glauca, sustainable management, vulnerability, Cameroon.
Highlights
The result of the present study indicates that G. glauca exploitation does not vary with season
Both products could be available at all seasons, previous studies on Prunus africana and Parkia biglobosa exploitation showed that bark peeling was easier in the rainy season and bark harvesting during the Simonkoh Jikijem Elak Ngemsiba Lake Vekovi Mean P (ANOVA)
In spite of the unsustainable exploitation technique of G. glauca in the Kilum Ijim forest, the area still have a high proportion of living and exploitable individuals that is worth harvesting for community livelihood
Summary
The Oku mountain forest provides diverse ecological functions as it plays a vital role for local human populations, providing them with drinking water, firewood and wood for construction, honey, medicine and food plants. This forest is part of the spiritual and cultural heritage at Cameroon level (Gardner et al, 2001). Among the exploited products of this mountain forests are non-timber forest products, mostly collected from their natural environment This mount Oku forest, already naturally isolated from other forested areas within the country due to its mountainous characteristics, is highly fragmented by the progression of farm lands, repeated fires, increasing wood harvesting (Gardner et al, 2001) and unregulated exploitation of forest products (Stewart, 2009)
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