Woody Plants Recovery in Abandoned Farms of Different Ages in the Mount Cameroon Region

Abstract

Twenty-seven abandoned farms of 400 m2 each, grouped into five different age classes (0- 2, 3-5, 6-10, 11-30 and >30 years) were assessed in 1995 in the Mount Cameroon area, along with three 400 m2 of primary forest plots, in order to assess primary forest biodiversity recovery after shifting cultivation. Three distinct groups of woody species characterised agricultural fallows: pioneers, mid-successional species and shade-tolerant species. Harungana madagascariensis, Solanum torvum and Vernonia conferta were the common pioneer species in fallows less than 10 years; Cecropia peltata, Macaranga occidentalis, Musanga cecropioides and Polyscias fulva were the abundant mid-successional species in fallows between 11-30 years, and Cyathea maniniana, Dicranolepis sp., Dracaena sp., Homalium sp., Uvariodendron sp. were the most common shade-tolerant species in fallows over 30 years. Species richness increased slowly with age of fallows but remained below that of primary forest even after 30 years.