TITLE:
Land Use and Land Cover Change Analysis in Ajei Upland Watershed Community Forest, North West Region, Cameroon
AUTHORS:
Lucie Félicité Temgoua, Gordon Ajonina, Hans Berinyuy Woyu
KEYWORDS:
Land Use, Land Cover Change, Agents, Drivers, Pressures
JOURNAL NAME:
Journal of Geoscience and Environment Protection,
Vol.6 No.9,
September
7,
2018
ABSTRACT: 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.