Benthic Algal Community in Relationship to Perturbation in the Tiko Mangrove Estuary Cameroon

Abstract

Mangrove forests are among the most productive natural ecosystems in the world and offer invaluable ecological functions, yet are seriously threatened. Anthropogenic activities within mangroves can cause alteration of physicochemical parameters of sediments which in turn affect the assemblage of biological communities. This study was designed to assess the impact of anthropogenic disturbances within the Tiko mangroves on the benthic algal community. Perturbations were assessed through questionnaires. Two sets of composite sediment samples were collected for physicochemical and algal analyses from seven sites within the mangroves following standard methods. Seven drivers of change were identified (agriculture, human settlement, logging, fuel wood collection, fishing, fish smoking and petty trading) as the main perturbations of the ecosystem. A total of 141 benthic species were identified at the different sites. The Bacillariophyta were the most abundant with 60 algal species followed by Chlorophyta with 38 algal species. The most dominant species were Chlorobotrys regularis (50) and Microcytis sp (38).Site 3 (settlement site) was the most diversed with 72 species. The mean abundance of benthic algae ranged from 0.59 ± 0.17 to 2.08 ± 0.58. High concentrations of nutrients and the presence of Bacillariophyta and Microcystis suggest pollution. There is a need to monitor activities carried out around the mangrove ecosystem with respect to quantity and quality of waste discharged into the environment since this is a highly sensitive environment.

Accumulation of Heavy Metals by Some Aquatic Macrophytes in Two Streams along the Tiko-Douala Highway, Cameroon

“…The main occupations of the population include; fishing, subsistence, and industrial agriculture, livestock, and trading [25,26]. The climate is equatorial, characterized by a short dry season from December to February and a rainy season from March to November, with an annual rainfall of 2000 mm to 4000mm [27]…”

Assessment of ecotoxicological effects of agrochemicals on bees using the PRIMET model, in the Tiko plain (South-West Cameroon)

“…The majority of the forest land (80%) of the Tiko municipality has been converted to oil palm, rubber and banana plantations by Cameroon Development Corporation (CDC) and only few patches of secondary forests exist. In addition to the CDC plantations, there are also small-scale farms producing cocoa and food crops ( Neba et al., 2021 ). Because of pest attacks and in order to increase the yield, pesticide use in agriculture is inevitable.…”