These local forest knowledge systems can interpret the responses of the natural
environment, and thus guide resource management practices for farming, hunting
and the collection of forest products (Dounias and Hladik 1996; Carrière 1999;
Kanmegne 2004). The ability of farmers to interpret environmental responses also
affects the integration of forest conservation and agriculture aspects, based on the
coexistence of trees, crops and other species of flora and fauna. In this sense, the
management of biodiversity and natural resources is based on certain ecological
beliefs, ideological values and perceptions, which collectively guide human activities to enable the effective coexistence of plants and wildlife, in order to maintain
land/forest productivity and facilitate vegetation recovery (Mala 2016; 2017).
This evolving knowledge has gradually led to the domestication of many local
crop species and varieties, affecting substantially the structure, composition and
diversity of forest landscape mosaics (see also Dounias 1996; Dounias and Hladik
1996; Carrière 1999). In this respect, the forest landscape mosaics in the humid
forest zone of southern Cameroon are not only the outcomes of biophysical processes, but are also influenced, to a large extent, by human activity (Van Germeden
et al. 2003) (see also Chap. 9, Vol. 1). Furthermore, this local knowledge has shaped
in many ways agricultural practices, for example by informing local land use
decisions, forest uses, pest/disease management and understanding of soil fertility
(Sects. 10.3.2–10.3.4). This highlights the coherence and ecological rationality of
many traditional practices related to agriculture and natural resource management,
which comes in contrast to external expert approaches and conceptions towards
agro-ecological sustainability that have often stigmatized the functionality of these
relationships (GEF 1993; ASB 1995; Nolte et al. 1997) (Sect. 10.1).
Our findings also suggest that ecological transformation is predetermined by only
one of the previous transformation (e.g. forest farm, fallow, cocoa farms), or it is
based on a series of transformed ecological units. Many of the ecological dynamics
of the forest landscape mosaics are effectively due to the succession of human
transformation, rather than just the result of natural processes (see also Chap. 9,
Vol. 1). For example, when the local farmers clear the forest to make a farm, this
marks the beginning of a new process of ecological transformation (Sect. 10.3.3).
This eventually affects agro-ecological resilience through multiple factors ranging
from changes of vegetation structure and floristic composition and diversity, to the
structuring of human–nature relationships as exemplified in other parts of Cameroon
(Dounias 1996; Carrière 1999; Mala and Oyono 2004; Mala 2009, 2016, 2017) (see
also Chap. 6, Vol. 2).
The above challenge reflects to some degree the conceptions of biodiversity
management evolving around the theory of equilibrium in natural processes (Olsson
et al. 2004; Wallington et al. 2005; Roux et al. 2006) (Sect. 10.1). In fact these tight
nature–human relationships and extensive agro-diversity management approaches
are rooted in a rich body of local knowledge, which suggests the strong
interdependency and inter-connectivity between land use components (e.g. farms,
fallows, forest) (Léonard and Oswald 1996; Mala et al. 2010; Kaufmann 2014). This
inter-connectivity makes a strong case against the segregation of forest conservation
and agricultural issues within the forest landscape mosaics of humid tropical SSA.
10 Forest–Agriculture in the Centre–South Region of Cameroon: How Does. . .
341
environment, and thus guide resource management practices for farming, hunting
and the collection of forest products (Dounias and Hladik 1996; Carrière 1999;
Kanmegne 2004). The ability of farmers to interpret environmental responses also
affects the integration of forest conservation and agriculture aspects, based on the
coexistence of trees, crops and other species of flora and fauna. In this sense, the
management of biodiversity and natural resources is based on certain ecological
beliefs, ideological values and perceptions, which collectively guide human activities to enable the effective coexistence of plants and wildlife, in order to maintain
land/forest productivity and facilitate vegetation recovery (Mala 2016; 2017).
This evolving knowledge has gradually led to the domestication of many local
crop species and varieties, affecting substantially the structure, composition and
diversity of forest landscape mosaics (see also Dounias 1996; Dounias and Hladik
1996; Carrière 1999). In this respect, the forest landscape mosaics in the humid
forest zone of southern Cameroon are not only the outcomes of biophysical processes, but are also influenced, to a large extent, by human activity (Van Germeden
et al. 2003) (see also Chap. 9, Vol. 1). Furthermore, this local knowledge has shaped
in many ways agricultural practices, for example by informing local land use
decisions, forest uses, pest/disease management and understanding of soil fertility
(Sects. 10.3.2–10.3.4). This highlights the coherence and ecological rationality of
many traditional practices related to agriculture and natural resource management,
which comes in contrast to external expert approaches and conceptions towards
agro-ecological sustainability that have often stigmatized the functionality of these
relationships (GEF 1993; ASB 1995; Nolte et al. 1997) (Sect. 10.1).
Our findings also suggest that ecological transformation is predetermined by only
one of the previous transformation (e.g. forest farm, fallow, cocoa farms), or it is
based on a series of transformed ecological units. Many of the ecological dynamics
of the forest landscape mosaics are effectively due to the succession of human
transformation, rather than just the result of natural processes (see also Chap. 9,
Vol. 1). For example, when the local farmers clear the forest to make a farm, this
marks the beginning of a new process of ecological transformation (Sect. 10.3.3).
This eventually affects agro-ecological resilience through multiple factors ranging
from changes of vegetation structure and floristic composition and diversity, to the
structuring of human–nature relationships as exemplified in other parts of Cameroon
(Dounias 1996; Carrière 1999; Mala and Oyono 2004; Mala 2009, 2016, 2017) (see
also Chap. 6, Vol. 2).
The above challenge reflects to some degree the conceptions of biodiversity
management evolving around the theory of equilibrium in natural processes (Olsson
et al. 2004; Wallington et al. 2005; Roux et al. 2006) (Sect. 10.1). In fact these tight
nature–human relationships and extensive agro-diversity management approaches
are rooted in a rich body of local knowledge, which suggests the strong
interdependency and inter-connectivity between land use components (e.g. farms,
fallows, forest) (Léonard and Oswald 1996; Mala et al. 2010; Kaufmann 2014). This
inter-connectivity makes a strong case against the segregation of forest conservation
and agricultural issues within the forest landscape mosaics of humid tropical SSA.
10 Forest–Agriculture in the Centre–South Region of Cameroon: How Does. . .
341