Upper Nyong valley forest in Cameroon: ethnobotanical uses and implications for biodiversity conservation.

The Upper Nyong valley belongs to the forest ecological area of Cameroon. Local people living around use drastically natural resources to enhance their livelihoods. According to the Cameroon forest law, more than 30% of natural area must be transformed into park and reserves. In the process of transformation, ecological studies can be conducted to evaluate potential resources available. This paper highlighted some results of a floristic survey conducted in the Upper Nyong valley through the Cameroon wildlife conservation project (CWCS), in order to evaluate the ecological and ethnobotanical uses of forest products and derived resources. The methodology used was based on linear transects and quadrats. As a result, 352 useful plants were inventoried and categorized into medicinal, food, traditional furniture, threatened and industrial plants. As implications and relevance to management, this study would help in the implementation of protected forest network coupled with the decentralization of forest resources. This could be the most sustained alternative for the conservation of this heritance from generation to generation. The immediate impact of this work is to stimulate governmental process for the implementation of this part of Cameroon valley into reserve. To achieve this goal, it is important to improve local people’s livelihoods and sustainable management of these natural resources by making up community forest.