Author(s)

Lucie Félicité Temgoua¹, Gordon Ajonina², Hans Berinyuy Woyu¹

¹Department of forestry, Faculty of Agronomy and Agricultural Sciences, University of Dschang, Dschang, Cameroon.
²Cameroon Wildlife Conservation Society, Mouanko, Cameroon.

This study was carried out in Ajei upland watershed community forest in the North West Region of Cameroon with the aim to analyze spatial and temporal dynamics of land cover and land use from 1988 to 2018 and to identify and characterize the agents, drivers and pressures of this change. The databases used were made up of 3 Lands at satellite images (5 TM of 1988, 7ETM+ of 2003 and 8OLI of 2018). Field survey, interview and focus group discussion methods were used to identify the activities carried out by the local population and to determine agents, drivers and pressures of land use and land cover change. The Ajei community forest is consisted of four main land cover namely; dense vegetation, sparse or degraded vegetation, savanna and bare soil. Between 1988 and 2018, the proportions of dense vegetation and savanna decreased and that of bare soil and sparse vegetation increased. Analysis showed ongoing deforestation with forest cover loss of about 240 ha in 30 years. For the considered time periods 1988-2003 and 2003-2018, deforestation rates were 1.83% per year and 1.49% per year respectively, signifying on average 8 hectares of forest cover undergoing conversion each year. This lost results from the actions of farmers, cattle grazers and wood extractors who through farming, grazing and lumbering activities pressurize and convert the dense forest cover. Economic motives notably the need to increase household income from a frequent demand for farm and wood products in nearby markets represent the drivers of forest cover change. Controlling grazing activities notably in the dry season to check out the use of fires, community sensitization especially among cattle headmen on the importance of the community forest, reforestation activities through natural regeneration or tree planting are needed in the forest.

Land Use, Land Cover Change, Agents, Drivers, Pressures

Temgoua, L. , Ajonina, G. and Woyu, H. (2018) Land Use and Land Cover Change Analysis in Ajei Upland Watershed Community Forest, North West Region, Cameroon. Journal of Geoscience and Environment Protection, 6, 83-99. doi: 10.4236/gep.2018.69007.