Sustainability of Non-timber Forest Product Harvesting in the Campo Ma’an National Park: Implications for Conservation

Abstract

Non-timber forest products (NTFPs) support the livelihoods, food security, healthcare and cultural practices of communities surrounding Campo Ma’an National Park, yet their sustainability is constrained by limited ecological information. This study established an ecological baseline by documenting NTFP uses, abundance, distribution and vulnerability. Ethnobotanical surveys were conducted with 676 Indigenous participants from 67 villages, and botanical inventories were completed in 110 plots between 6 May 2024 and 20 February 2025. Fifty-five NTFPs were identified. Medicinal uses accounted for 40% of recorded products, food for 36%, social uses for 11%, and construction and packaging for 3.6% each. Trees represented 81.8% of the recorded growth forms, while fruits were the most frequently harvested plant part. Twenty-one NTFPs occurred in all four park sectors. Marantaceae spp. produced an estimated 286 million leaves annually, and Coula edulis produced approximately 85 million kg of fruit. Most species were subject to moderate harvesting pressure. Sacoglottis gabonensis, Picralima nitida, Garcinia lucida, Allanblackia floribunda and Garcinia kola had comparatively high overall vulnerability. Allanblackia floribunda, Garcinia kola and Ricinodendron heudelotii were highly vulnerable under internal ecological constraints, whereas Eremospatha spp., Alstonia boonei and Diospyros crassiflora were most vulnerable under external harvesting pressures. Species-specific monitoring, regulated harvesting and community-based management are required to reduce local depletion and support long-term conservation.