State of Prunus africana Regeneration within the Cloud Forest of Mt Cameroon

Abstract

Mount Cameroon (4100 m) is a vital biodiversity hotspot featuring Prunus africana , an Afromontane forest species, with bark extracts that treat benign prostatic hyperplasia. While Cameroon is a major exporter of prunus bark, unsustainable harvesting, exacerbated by illegal exploitation, has caused significant population declines, resulting in strict CITES regulations and temporary European Union import bans to force better management practices. However, little is known about the natural regeneration of the species on Mt Cameroon after the 2011/2012 bark exploitation under CITES regulation. The current study was designed to evaluate the natural regeneration of P. africana within the cloud forest of Mt Cameroon from the seedling stage. Two 1 ha permanent forest plots, setup between 1800 and 2100 m asl and divided into sixteen 25 × 25 m subplots made for easy assessment. Adult and juvenile census of P. africana trees in the plots (DBH ≥ 10 cm) was done, heights estimated across all subplots, while seedlings and saplings were censored using 5 × 25 m units over the entire plot. Collar diameter was measured for seedlings and small saplings, while the dbh of bigger saplings was measured. Plot one recorded 49 P. africana (5 adults, 8 juveniles and 36 seedlings + saplings), while plot two counted 124 individuals (19 adults, 61 juveniles and 44 seedlings + saplings) for corresponding regeneration indices of 0.47 and 0.69. While all subplots in plot 2 had at least 1 prunus plant (range 1 - 20), only 12 out of 16 subplots had a prunus plant (range 0 - 7) in plot 1. The basal areas and stand volumes were 0.78 m 2 , 2.7 m 3 and 5.7 m 2 , 14.3 m 3 for plots 1 and two respectively. These results emphasize the need for rigorous implementation of sustainable exploitation of Prunus africana on Mt Cameroon and a possible review of the fallow period.