Abstract

Non-timber forests product collection contributes enormously to livelihood and at the same time, the collection of these non-timber forests products leads to the degradation and in some cases the extinction of these non-timber forests products. This study assess the collection of non-timber forest products and impacts on forest within six selected communities in the Korup National Park and Ngoyla sub-division.

A multi-stage was used in this study. Primary data was obtained from semi-structured questionnaires this was complemented by focus groups discussions and observations. The data was analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The study found that the main NTFPs collected were bush mangoes, bushmeat, eru, njansang and fuelwood. Most collection practices were not sustainable like the complete harvesting of entire eru stems and leaves, cutting of branches that supports eru stems, cutting of fresh firewood branches and the use of wire traps and Dane guns.

These collection practices have detrimental effects on flora and fauna as it leads to the degradation of some species and rendering other species (e.g eru). Non-timber forest product collectors faced challenges in respecting intuitional mechanisms regulating the collection of non-timber forest products.

The study concluded that non-timber forest product collection practices have damaging impacts on fauna and flora life. The study recommended that laws should be brought up (by competent authorities) that regulates the collection non-timber forest products and the cost to obtain collection permit should be reduced in order to avoid the degradation of these products.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background to the study

Besides the environmental services forests provides, the forest acts as a means of reducing poverty as the rural communities depend on the resources for livelihood (Uprety et al., 2010). Globally, between 1.095 billion and 1.745 billion people rely on forests for their livelihoods and about 200 million rural communities are almost fully dependent on forests (Langat et al, 2016).

Amongst the resources being exploited from the forest, Non-Timber Forest Products (NTFPs) contributes enormously to livelihood sustenance (through food security, income, health and sustainable human development) and access to forest is made possible especially to the poor and marginalized (especially women) who most often do not have tenure rights (Uprety et al., 2010).

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations defines non-timber forest products as being “goods of biological origin other than wood derived from forests, other than wooded land and trees outside the forest” (FAO, 2017). Similarly, Ingram et al, 2010 defines NTFPs as “spontaneous forest products of biological origin (vegetable: including plants and fungi, and animals: including meat, insects and forest fish), other than timber, derived from forests, other wooded land and trees outside forests”.

Moreover the Ministry of Forests and Range for British Columbia (2008) defines NTFPs as “Any commodity obtained from the forest that does not necessitate harvesting trees. It includes game animals, fur-bearers, nuts and seeds, berries, mushrooms, oils, foliage, medicinal plants, peat, fuelwood, forage.

NTFPs are collected from an extensive range of ecosystems; from the wild or cultivated in forest plantations, agro forestry schemes and from trees outside the forest. NTFPs are put into two wide groups, namely, flora and fauna species. They include a range of forest extracts including bark, rots, tubers, leaves, wild fruits, flowers, seeds, resins, honey, mushrooms, bush meat and firewood (Mulenga et al., 2012). Some NTFPs are used as food while others are sold to have income to provide their daily needs and as a means for self-generating employment particularly for rural people and especially women (FAO, 2014).

The collection of NTFPs around the world is done by forest communities that are reliant on the forests. Uprety et al. (2010) states that globally, an estimated 350 million people mostly in the less developed countries are involved in the gathering of NTFPs and depend on them as their principal source of income, food, nutrition and medicine thereby making these forest communities largely dependent on NTFPs. NTFPs like edible foods; medicinal plants; floral greenery; horticultural stock; fiber of plants; fungi; resins; fuel wood; small wood used for poles, carvings are been collected globally.

Despite the fact that NTFPs are used and are important to improve the livelihood of forest communities, they are faced with challenges during the collection of NTFPs such as; injury caused by attack of wild animals and regulations of forestry laws in the collection of NTFPs from restricted forest areas (Gupta et al., 2015).

Besides these challenges, the continuous collection of NTFPs puts pressure and possess threat to the forest ecosystem and in the absence of proper management in the collection, these NTFPs are becoming vulnerable, endangered and even extinct (Dangi1, 2008). With ever increasing collection of NTFPs in India, the quality of the habitat of dependent species is degraded as a result of reduction in quantity of available food thereby making these species vulnerable (Ghazala and Soumya, 2004).

Moreover, the gathering of NTFPs changes biological processes at different levels. For example, harvesting NTFPs could change the demographic and genetic patterns of populations, alter community and ecosystem level processes and lastly alter the growth and reproduction of collected individuals (Ticktin, 2004). The types of plants part harvested affects the ability for species to tolerate harvest (the harvest of NTFP such as bark, stems and apical meristems).

In Africa, forests contains a range of NTFPs like fruits, gums and resins, honey and bee wax, aromatic and medicinal plants, dying and tanning materials, bamboo, fuelwood, household, materials building and bush meat. These products are of acute importance to the livelihoods of forest communities and accounts for a significant share of household income (FAO, 2003). Threats to wild populations of NTFP species in Africa principally stems from overharvesting pressures and the lack of management of individual NTFP species. Throughout Africa, numerous medicinal plant species are becoming increasingly scarce and threatened due to a rise collection to meet the demand from growing urban populations. The increased collection of NTFPs in Eastern Africa has negatively impacted plant species that are in high demand by forest communities and city dwellers, thereby altering forest structure and integrity (Hall et al., 2003). Likewise, the collection of

 

firewood for charcoal production in forest patches has upsetting effects on the overall ecosystem (Naughton-Treves et al., 2007).

The exploitation of NTFPs in Cameroon has led to some wild species to be classified as vulnerable and their international trade restricted to reduce the ecological pressures on wild populations. Examples are Prunus africana and Pericopsis elata, which are the two Conventions on International Trade in Endangered Species recorded plant species in Cameroon (Ingram and Schure, 2010). Gnetum spp. and Irvingia gabonensis are highly collected with poor harvesting techniques and according to Evariste and Bernard-Aloys (2016) have become vulnerable.

1.2 Statement of the Problem

Forests provide much more than just wood (timber). Fruits, nuts, fibers, animals and medicines are all NTFPs found in the forest other than timber. Worldwide, millions of forest inhabitants and forest dependent peoples derive a significant portion of their revenue from the harvest of these products (Yale school of forestry and environmental studies, 2017).

The exploitation of forest products is always associated to wood/timber forests products; which in most cases access is reserved to some categories of persons (polictical, elites etc.) while a vast majority of the population depends on NTFPs.

Globally, an estimate between 1.095 billion and 1.745 billion people in forest communities rely on forests for their livelihoods and about 200 million indigenous communities are nearly fully dependent on forests (Langat et al., 2016).

NTFPs are collected by forest dwelling communities either for subsistence or commercial purposes (Piya et al., 2011). In India, 275 million to 350 people living in forest communities rely on forest for edible fruits, tubers, flowers, roots and leaves for food and medicines, firewood for cooking (Atrayee and Chowdhury, 2013).

The fast commercialization of the NTFPs and unsustainable collection of some NTFPs species has created a problem especially for those species whose barks and roots are traded thereby leading to degradation and the extinction of these species (Piya et al., 2011).

Rural populations of Central Africa have historically practiced independent hunting activities mainly for bush meat (food security). These rural communities carry out orthodox practices like fire to flush animals out of the forests and also by using wire traps and guns leading to reduction of animal species and degradation (Tieguhong and Zwolinski, 2009).

In addition, most of forest fruits harvested are those consumed by large mammals and birds therefore high levels of NTFP collection may alter the diversity and composition of bird and mammal populations (Ticktin, 2004). Moreover, this harvest can change forest structure, regeneration and composition. Bark ringing of trees may cause the formation of canopy gaps, altering forest structure and allowing an influx of invasive species which can be felt can be felt by all levels including the gene, species, habitat and ecosystem level (Ticktin, 2004).

Over harvesting of NTFPs and poor collection practices has detrimental consequences in the forest. This effects are aggravated with the fact that forest communities collect so much NTFPs because of increasing demands from cities and if NTFPs are left to market forces more and more species will be threatened by extinction (Convention on biodiversity, 2001).

The Cameroon Government and stakeholders finalized a plan to develop and manage NTFPs where rights and legal access to commercialize specific NTFP are granted in the form of exploitation and harvest permits, and management conventions for communal and community forests in Cameroon (Tieguhong et al., 2012). Despite these laws and polices implemented by the government of Cameroon; they are not efficient enough. This has promoted the unsustainable harvest of NTFPs by forest communities (Ingram, 2012).

Even with the forestry law been implemented for the collection and commercialization of NTFPs, management plans (see appendix 2) were developed for the protection and management of the KNP and Ngoyla forests and improving the livelihood of the forest communities (KNP, 2008). These management plans are not efficient due to the fact that; not all communities respect these management plans, moreover insufficient forest guards to implement the management plans has also made them inefficient. This has put pressure on the KNP peripheral zone and the Ngoyla forest.

Without effective and sustainable collection of NTFPs, forests will lose some of its NTFPs species. This study attempts to fill these gaps on NTFPs in Cameroon.

1.3 Objectives of the study

Main objective: To assess the collection of Non-timber Forest Products and the impacts on fauna and flora in the East and Southwest regions of Cameroon.

1.3.1    Specific objectives

1. To identify and rank in order of importance the major NTFPs collected.
2. To evaluate the quantity of NTFPs collected or harvested weekly per household. To assess the collection practices of the various NTFPs.
3. To assess the impacts of collection on fauna and flora.
4. To identify challenges forest communities face in respecting NTFP’s laws

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