Distribution et dynamique de la flore ligneuse à la périphérie du Parc national de Waza (Cameroun)

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to characterize the distribution of the woody flora and the spatio-temporal dynamic of the woody vegetation cover on the periphery of Waza National Park. The study was organized around two main complementary methods : (i) botanical inventories which made it possible to detect the organization and the structure of the woody vegetation ; (ii) the processing and analysis of satellite imagery (Landsat) with the aim of characterizing land use and its evolution between 1987 and 2016. The study reveals that woody species that are endangered in this area are more likely to outside the park and more particularly in home gardens, where the populations protect the few remaining individuals, given their importance. On the other hand, the spatial distribution of woody flora is a function of the anthropogenic pressure gradient. However, factors such as insufficient controls and high livestock carrying capacity on the periphery may result in illegal incursions into the park and the consequence may be the reversal of this gradient. The study also shows that Waza National Park and its periphery have lost an average of 478 ha of woody cover each year since 1987, and that the bare soil area increases by an average of 319 ha per year. Finally, it proposes a redefinition of zoning not only to bring it into line with the requirements of the biosphere reserves, but also to make the park management strategy more efficient.

Keywords

• anthropogenic pressure
• dynamic
• Waza National Park
• woody flora