Floristic Diversity and Carbon Stock of Woody Stands in Some Sacred Forests in the West Cameroon Region

Abstract

The vegetation of West Cameroon has been almost entirely destroyed, and the only remaining forests are mostly so-called "sacred" forests, which play a role in regulating the climate. The aim of this study was to assess the wood diversity and carbon stored by sacred forests in the Ndé division. The inventories were carried out on 34 plots of 900 m2 each. To do this, all woody individuals with a diameter ≥ 10 cm at 1.30 m above ground level were counted. Floristic diversity was assessed using diversity indices. Allometric equations were used to estimate biomass in order to deduce the carbon stored by these forests. At the end of the surveys, 77 species belonging to 57 genera and 32 families were recorded. Dracaena arborea and Cola sp. were the most common species (64.71% and 94.12% respectively). The density of individuals varied from 299 stems/ha to 341 stems/ha in the forests studied. Basal area varied from 42.19 m²/ha to 53.28 m²/ha. Shannon index values are low in both forests (around 2±0.38 bit), indicating low specific diversity at the sites studied. Carbon values ranged from 286.89 tC/ha to 215.67 tC/ha in these sacred forests. Cola sp. and Dracaena arborea recorded the highest carbon values. Of the species recorded, 03 are vulnerable. This study reveals the importance of sacred forests for the conservation of biodiversity and their capacity to store carbon in order to contribute to the mitigation of greenhouse gases.