84
industrial discharges and various organic by-products, sand-pits, irresponsible factory building and warehouses, perpetual extension of sea-port, all have additional
negative consequences on the performance of mangrove ecosystems. This work
aims to describe the main factors of mangrove degradation and to assess their effects
on the dynamics and evolution of this coastal ecosystem.
3.2 Mangrove Characteristics
3.2.1 Mangrove Distribution
Geographically, Cameroon belongs to both central and western Africa. The Atlantic
front, with about 400 km long, is located at the southern part of the Gulf of Guinea,
imbedded between Nigeria and Equatorial Guinea.
This country has an important biodiversity because of climate and relief variation. Mangrove areas represent about 1–1.5% of the tropical rain forest. Cameroon
mangroves border the Atlantic Ocean, and occupy a surface area estimated from
2300 to 2700 km
2
. The two main areas of mangroves are in the northern part of the
coast. From the mouth of Sanaga river to the one of the Ntem river, mangrove stands
are very reduced and could not appear clearly in aerial photographs or satellite
imageries. The Rio del Rey estuary mangroves covered between 1400 and 1600 km
2
while the Cameroon Estuary mangroves occupied about 1000 km
2
(Fig. 3.1).
3.2.2 Climate
The climate of the coast of Cameroon is influenced in part by the proximity of both
the Atlantic Ocean and Mount Cameroon, and secondly by the permanent presence
of the meteorological equator where converge the Azores anticyclone and that of St.
Helena. The main geographical factors in rainfall are similar to those generally
determine the distribution of climates. It’s admitted that in Cameroon, the distribution of climates depends on the precipitations and incidentally the thermal regime
which essentially depends on altitude and latitude (Suchel 1972).
The climate is a specific equatorial, with a long rainy season (March–November)
and a short dry season (December–February), often punctuated with showers.
Rainfall is abundant and regular (more than 200 days of rain per year). Mean annual
rainfall reaches 5 m and mean annual temperature is above 26 °C around Douala.
Humidity remains high throughout the year (absolute maximum close 100%). In
general, wind speed is low except during Saint Helene anticyclone setting phases
(March–April), and dies back later in the season (September–October). Winds give
almost a constant direction to coastal currents that carry and deposit large amounts
of materials (mud, clay, sand). This situation occurs in “the mouths of Cameroon”
N. Din et al.
industrial discharges and various organic by-products, sand-pits, irresponsible factory building and warehouses, perpetual extension of sea-port, all have additional
negative consequences on the performance of mangrove ecosystems. This work
aims to describe the main factors of mangrove degradation and to assess their effects
on the dynamics and evolution of this coastal ecosystem.
3.2 Mangrove Characteristics
3.2.1 Mangrove Distribution
Geographically, Cameroon belongs to both central and western Africa. The Atlantic
front, with about 400 km long, is located at the southern part of the Gulf of Guinea,
imbedded between Nigeria and Equatorial Guinea.
This country has an important biodiversity because of climate and relief variation. Mangrove areas represent about 1–1.5% of the tropical rain forest. Cameroon
mangroves border the Atlantic Ocean, and occupy a surface area estimated from
2300 to 2700 km
2
. The two main areas of mangroves are in the northern part of the
coast. From the mouth of Sanaga river to the one of the Ntem river, mangrove stands
are very reduced and could not appear clearly in aerial photographs or satellite
imageries. The Rio del Rey estuary mangroves covered between 1400 and 1600 km
2
while the Cameroon Estuary mangroves occupied about 1000 km
2
(Fig. 3.1).
3.2.2 Climate
The climate of the coast of Cameroon is influenced in part by the proximity of both
the Atlantic Ocean and Mount Cameroon, and secondly by the permanent presence
of the meteorological equator where converge the Azores anticyclone and that of St.
Helena. The main geographical factors in rainfall are similar to those generally
determine the distribution of climates. It’s admitted that in Cameroon, the distribution of climates depends on the precipitations and incidentally the thermal regime
which essentially depends on altitude and latitude (Suchel 1972).
The climate is a specific equatorial, with a long rainy season (March–November)
and a short dry season (December–February), often punctuated with showers.
Rainfall is abundant and regular (more than 200 days of rain per year). Mean annual
rainfall reaches 5 m and mean annual temperature is above 26 °C around Douala.
Humidity remains high throughout the year (absolute maximum close 100%). In
general, wind speed is low except during Saint Helene anticyclone setting phases
(March–April), and dies back later in the season (September–October). Winds give
almost a constant direction to coastal currents that carry and deposit large amounts
of materials (mud, clay, sand). This situation occurs in “the mouths of Cameroon”
N. Din et al.