Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
References
to a lesser extent, pre-existing cropland. More importantly,
their study revealed that the conversion of primary forests
and logged forests to oil palm plantations decreases the
species richness of forest birds by 77 and 73 %, respec-
tively. A similar analysis conducted for Indonesia between
1990 and 2005 revealed that oil palm-cultivated area in
Indonesia increased by 3,017,000 ha (FAO 2007 ). The
effect of deforestation on estuaries is much more rapid in
the tropics than in temperate zones because of intense
rainfall. Deforestation has been shown to increased soil
erosion and sediment loads in rivers typically by a factor of
10 (Wolanski and Spagnol 2000 ).
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Conclusion
Estuaries form a transition zone between river environments
and maritime environments and are subject to both marine
influences, such as tides, waves and the influx of saline water;
and riverine influences, such as flows of fresh water and
sediment largely influenced by deforestation. The inflows of
both sea water and fresh water provide high levels of nutri-
ents in both the water column and sediment, making estuaries
among the most productive natural habitats in the world. The
sea water entering the estuary is diluted by the fresh water
flowing from rivers and streams. The pattern of dilution
varies between different estuaries and depends on the volume
of fresh water, the tidal range and the extent of evaporation of
the water in the estuary.
Plantation agriculture is a major driver of deforestation
and biodiversity loss in south-western Cameroon. Based on
the changes observed, better management practices can be
put in place to ensure the sustainability of resources and the
proper functioning of the estuarine ecosystem for the well-
being of man and the environment.
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Acknowledgment This was part of the PhD thesis in the Department
of Geography, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria. We are
indebted to the Acting Head of Department, Dr. O. A. Ajala for
constant support and others in the department including Professors O.
Ekanade, L. K. Jeje, Aloba and Dr. A. Adediji. I also acknowledge the
technical support and field assistance of the staff of the Cameroon
Wildlife Conservation Society (CWCS) Coastal Forests and Mangrove
Programme especially Eugene Diyouke, Laisin Bruno, Kalieu Robert,
Ni Thaddeus and Ndze Emmanuel. I am also thankful to the Admin-
istration of the Cameroon Development Cooperation for access to the
plantations.
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