Environmental Challenges of Tree Nursery, Reforestation and its Impacts in the Limbe Municipality, South West Region, Cameroon

Abstract

With the increasing rate of global warming and climate change in the world and Limbe municipality in particular, tree nursery in the Limbe Botanic Garden and reforestation is of great importance to combat the negative environmental impacts. There are frequent landslides, flooding, rapid deforestation, and destruction of animal habitats leading to climate change and global warming in the town of Limbe. This study is focus on exploiting the challenges of tree nursery, reforestation and its impacts in order to reduce the increasing rate of carbon dioxide and other environmental disasters brought about by rapid deforestation. A community based cross-sectional survey was conducted from February to August 2021 using quantitative and qualitative approaches. With the use of a simple random sampling method, 400 questionnaires were administered. Focus group discussion (FGD) was held with tree growers, the chief of forest conservator in the Limbe Botanic Garden and also with the local population in charge of forest exploitation. The results obtained from the questionnaires indicated that 57% of the challenges of tree nursery and reforestation were as a result of limited species of trees being nursed and transplanted. In contrast, 24% and 19% of the respondents also indicated that the difficulty faced in the maintenance of Limbe Botanic Garden (LBG) is the fact that there is limited renovation strategies employed. And that the causes of deforestation in Limbe, is brought about by rapid exploitation of the forest for timber purposes. To overcome these challenges, a joint effort of government and stakeholder’s participation, together with the local population is urgently needed in order to achieve sustainable tree nursery and reforestation in the municipality.