Plantation Agriculture as a Driver of Deforestation and Degradation of Central African Coastal Estuarine Forest Landscape of South-Western Cameroon - The Land/Ocean Interactions in the Coastal Zone of West and Central Africa - page 162

Plantation Agriculture as a Driver
of Deforestation and Degradation of Central
African Coastal Estuarine Forest Landscape
of South-Western Cameroon

Patience U. Ajonina, Francis A. Adesina,
and Oluwagbenga O. I. Orimoogunje

Abstract
Plantation agriculture has a long history of establishment in Cameroon and is increasing at an
unprecedented rate with detrimental impacts on coastal estuarine forest landscape. Remote
sensing data from Landsat imageries and geographic information system (GIS) techniques
were used to analyse changes in the areal extent of plantations within the coastal Atlantic
estuarine forest complex area of Cameroon between the periods 1986, 2000 and 2011 to
ascertain the extent of deforestation due to plantation agriculture. Given the base year of 1986
(67,792 ha of plantation), the results showed a 67 and 47 % decrease in the dense coastal
estuarine forest coverage in 2000 (14,032 ha) and 2011 (24,564 ha), respectively, in the area
and an increase in the area occupied by plantations (51,295 ha in 2000 and 68,340 ha in
2011) giving an annual loss of 3.4 % estuarine forest complex and an increase in plantation
area of 0.03 % from the periods 1986 to 2011. There is need for better plantation
management practices and policies to curb further loss in estuarine forest cover with
consequent implications on the Wouri estuary.

Keywords

Plantation agriculture Coastal estuarine forests Impact Deforestation Degradation

Forest conversion

Introduction

rainforest are the second largest remaining humid tropical
forest in the world after the Amazon basin (FAO 1995 ).
They are also known not only for their rich biodiversity but
also for the essential ecosystem services such as nutrient and
water cycling as well as climate moderation necessary for
the proper functioning of the biosphere and the welfare and
well-being of humans (Daily 1997 ; Millenium Ecosystem
Assessment 2005 ; DeFries et al. 2004 ). Whenever the forest
is opened up for agricultural purposes including plantations,
the subsisting natural equilibrium in the forest ecosystem is
disrupted and the services rendered impaired. Plantation
agriculture in particular is established by clearing large areas
of natural plant cover for the cultivation of a crop such as oil
palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.), rubber (Hevea brasiliensis),
cocoa (Theobroma cacao), coffee (Coffea

The tropical rainforest including coastal estuarine forests
constitutes the most valuable ecosystem of the planet con-
taining 50-90 % of animal and vegetal species on earth
(CIDA 2001 ). They represent over 57 % of global forest
cover and are home to over 500 million people (CIDA
2001 ). Central and West Africa's 200 million ha of tropical

&

sp.) and other

perennial crops. There are many perspectives of what

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