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The State of Cameroon's Biodiversity for Food and Agriculture

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The State of Cameroon's Biodiversity for Food and Agriculture COUNTRY REPORTS THE STATE OF CAMEROON’S BIODIVERSITY FOR FOOD AND AGRICULTURE This country report has been prepared by the national authorities as a contribution to the FAO publication, The State of the World’s Biodiversity for Food and Agriculture. The report is being made available by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) as requested by the Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture. The information in this report has not been verified by FAO, and the content of this document is entirely the responsibility of the authors, and does not necessarily represent the views of FAO, or its Members. The designations employed and the presentation of material do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of FAO concerning legal or development status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. The mention of specific companies or products of manufacturers, whether or not these have been patented, does not imply that these have been endorsed by FAO in preference to others of a similar nature that are not mentioned. MINISTRY OFAGRICULTURE AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT (MINADER) THE STATE OF BIODIVERSITY FOR FOOD AND AGRICULTURE IN CAMEROON November 2015 MINISTRY OFAGRICULTURE AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT (MINADER) THE STATE OF BIODIVERSITY FOR FOOD AND AGRICULTURE IN CAMEROON November 2015 i CITATION This document will be cited as: MINADER (2015). The State of Biodiversity for Food and Agriculture in the Republic of Cameroon. For further information contact the following address Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development Telephone: +(237) 222 231 190 Fax: +(237) 222 225 091 E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.minader.gov.cm COVER PICTURES Top left: Coffea montekupensis (Cheek &al., 2004) Top middle:Tryonomys swinderianus (Vivien J., 1991) Top right: Gnetum Africana (Bechem &al., 2012) Bottom left:Parapenaeopsis atlantica (Njeng G.A., 2015) Bottom middle: Garcinia kola (Awono &al., 2000) Bottom right: Psittacus erithacus (Hartwig &al., 1990) ii TABLE OF CONTENTS ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS .................................................................................................................. vii LIST OF TABLES ................................................................................................................................................. ix LIST OF FIGURES ................................................................................................................................................ ix LIST OF PLATES..................................................................................................................................................ix FOREWORD ....................................................................................................................................................... ix ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .................................................................................................................................... xii EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .................................................................................................................................... xiii GLOSSARY OF TERMS ...................................................................................................................................... xvi PROCEDURE USED IN PREPARING THE REPORT ............................................................................................ xix INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................................... .............1 CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION TO THE COUNTRY AND TO THE ROLE OF BIODIVERSITY FOR FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ............................................................................................................................................. ......3 1.1.Background ................................................................................................................................................. 3 1.1.1. Geography ........................................................................................................................................... ....3 1.1.2. Hydrology ................................................................................................................................................. 6 1.1.3. Human activities......................................................................................................................................7 1.1.4. Population and Administration ............................................................................................................... 7 1.1.5. Economy ................................................................................................................................................... 7 1.2. Background Information Sheet ................................................................................................................ 8 1.2.1. Principal Products from Cameroon’s Biodiversity ................................................................................... 9 1.2.2. Role of Biodiversity for Food and Agriculture ....................................................................................... 12 1.2.3. Generalitieson the Biodiversity ofCameroon ......................................................................................... 12 1.2.4. Production Systems Present in the Country ........................................................................................... 20 1.2.5. Description of various production systems ............................................................................................ 21 1.2.6. Area under Production ........................................................................................................................... 26 1.2.7. Export Local Consumption and Effects on Biodiversity and Services ..................................................... 28 1.2.8 Impact of production activities on biodiversity.......................................................................................28 CHAPTER 2:DRIVERS OF CHANGE ................................................................................................................... 30 2.1 Drivers Affecting Extent and Distribution of Forest/Wildlife Productionin Cameroon ......................... 30 2.2 Effect of climate change on associated biodiversity .............................................................................. 31 2.3 Effect of Drivers of change on ecosystem services .................................................................................. 33 2.4. Effect of Drivers of change on wild foods................................................................................................38 2.5. Main drivers affecting availability, diversity and knowledge of wild plants and animals.....................39 2.6. Drivers with significant effect on involvement of women . ................................................................... 41 2.7. Drivers with most significant effect on use and maintenance of traditional knowledge......................42 iii 2.8. Drivers which significantly improve food security and sustainability ................................................... 44 2.9. Counter-measures to reduce adverse consequences of drivers ............................................................ 46 CHAPTER 3: THE STATE AND TRENDS OF BIODIVERSITYFOR FOOD AGRICULTURE IN CAMEROON ............ 49 3.1. Cameroon biodiversity status, trends and threats ................................................................................. 49 3.1.1. General Characteristics ............................................................................................................... 49 3.2.Biodiversitystatus ............................................................................................................................ 51 3.2.1. Ecosystems ................................................................................................................................. 51 3.2.2. Habitats ..................................................................................................................................... 53 3.2.3. Species ....................................................................................................................................... 54 3.3. Trends ........................................................................................................................................... 54 3.3.1. Conservation .............................................................................................................................. 56 3.3.2. Habitat Recovery Measures ........................................................................................................ 56 3.3.3. Artificial Regeneration Programs ................................................................................................. 58 3.4. ChangesandTrendsinBiodiversityComponents .................................................................................. 58 3.4.1. Marine and Coastal Ecosystem .................................................................................................... 58 3.4.2. Tropical Humid Dense Forest Ecosystem ...................................................................................... 59 3.4.3. Tropical Woodland Savannah Ecosystem ....................................................................................
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