Biodiversity Management and Plant Dynamic in a Cocoa Agroforest (Cameroon)

Aims: To evaluate plant diversity and to show the structural variation of the vegetation in a cocoa agroforest of various ages.

Study Design: Slash and burn agriculture is one of the processes of deforestation and degradation of forests. Cocoa agrosystems that consist to plant cocoa for commercialisation by farmers are also the measures of attenuation and adaptation to climate changes. It is important to harvest the catalogue of species that can be found in a cocoa agrosystem.

Place and Duration: Pendiki subdivision from 10 September 2013 to 20 January 2014.

Methodology: Three types of cocoa were selected; young, adult and old cocoa agroforests. Sampling was done along plots of 625 m2 (25 x 25 m2). A total of 36 plots were realized with 12 plots for each category of cocoa agroforest. Each plot was subdivided into sub-plots of 5 x 5 m2. Floristic inventory concerned herbs, shrubs and trees with DBH superior or equal to 3.2 cm. A total surface of 2.25 ha was investigated.

Results: A total of 414 species including 109 timbers and 306 herbs and divided into 256 genera and 87 families were harvested. Young cocoa agroforests were more diversified than old cocoa plantations. Some big trees were scattered in the cocoa agroforests (Ceiba pentandra, Albizia zygia, Canarium schweinfurthii). Some species of the IUCN red data list were found in the study site (Afzelia bipindensis, Entandophragma cylindricum, Nesogordonia papaverifera).

Conclusion: Although the conservation of biodiversity in the cocoa agroforests of Pendiki is not a priority for the cocoa farmers, the agricultural practices favour the preservation of biodiversity. Such agricultural practices could be considered as an attenuation measure to climate changes; the evaluation of the stock of carbon in such agrosystem is being carried out.