The Study was carried out between [2002][2003][2004][2005][2006][2007][2008]

No abstract

The study focused on the assessment of household energy types, sources, uses and their implications on sustainable forest management in the Buea Municipality of the South West Region of Cameroon. The study was carried out in the months of May-September 2005 and November-April 2006. The study made use of the random sampling technique for the administration of questionnaires. Along side the administration of the questionnaire, some selected Participatory rural Appraisal (PRA) tools were employed. Results revealed that, Fuel wood (FW), Kerosene (K), Sawdust (SD), Cooking gas (CG), Charcoal (CH), Rubber (RB), Electricity (EL), were the main energy types/sources identified in the Buea Municipality. Saw dust and Fuel wood were found to be the most frequently consumed energy type/source in the Buea Municipality with a resultant effect on deforestation. On an aggregate weighting, the area was found to consume a total of about 253m 3 of FW, 744Litres of K, 14602Kg of SD, 6360Litres of CG, 20625Kg of CH, 3861g of RB, and 40,299KW of EL in a month. Monthly total household expenditure on the various energy types/sources for the study area was evaluated at about 10496640 FRS CFA (US$ 20993). The quantity supplied and consumed of the identified energy types/sources were observed to be adversely affected by income levels of consumers, market prices for these energy types/sources, seasons and the disappearing forest.

A b s t r a c t A r t i c l e I n f oTropical montane forests contain some of the world's richest plant communities but knowledge of the population and distribution of their diversity is still fragmentary. Among such species is Prunus africana which is of great economic and health value to forest communities and the world at large. The aim of the study was to evaluate the abundance, pattern of distribution, bark thickness and health status of Prunus Africana along elevational gradient on the slopes of mount Cameroon. In this study, three classes of elevations (1700 -2000m, 2000-3000m and 3000m and above) were selected using a digitized map of mount Cameroon and a global positioning receptor (Garmin GPSMAP 60CX). Sampling plots were selected in three different blocks of the mountain using management inventory method under adaptive cluster sampling technique. Five square plots measuring 100m by 100m were examined in three different classes of elevation. In each plot, record of all Prunus trees, diameter at breast height, bark thickness and health status were examined. ANOVA, Correlation, and Chi-square were the statistical models used in the data analysis. The result showed that a total number of 177 trees were recorded from the entire national park surface area (450,000m 2 ). The height density (6.2 stem/ha) was recorded at the lowest class of elevation while the least density (1.2 stem/ha) was recorded at the highest class of elevation. It also revealed that variations in elevation accounted for 0.001cm change in bark thickness. The highest mean bark thickness (1.12cm) was recorded at the highest class of elevation while the least mean bark thickness (0.86cm) was recorded at the least elevation. The highest mean diameter at breast height (51.22cm) was registered at the highest class of elevation while the least mean diameter at breast height (36.57cm) was recorded at the lowest class of elevation. Healthy trees had the highest population (83.87%) at the lowest class of elevation while the least population (61.11%) was found at the highest class of elevation.

The study assessed the Non-Timber Forest Products (NTFPs) of the Ejagham Forest Reserve and its Adjoining Forest in general and those traded between Cameroon and Nigeria in particular. This was carried out within a period of ten months, December -April 2006 (for the dry season) and June -October 2007 (for the wet season). The line transects questionnaires, and a selection of some Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) tools were used for the collection of data while the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) was used for data analysis. The study identified about 36 NTFPs species in the area that are sourced by local people for local and external trade and household consumption. From the list of 36, Irvingia, Gnetum, Carpolobia, Masularia, and Ricinodendron species were identified as the five tradable NTFPs of the study area involved in Trans-boundary trade between Cameroon and Nigeria. These NTFPs were observed to be sourced from the primary and secondary forests, fallow and farm lands. The collection, harvesting and gathering methods for these NTFPs were observed to be traditional and associated with resource degradation.