104
3.4 Major Factors of Mangrove Degradation
More than 90% of world’s mangroves are located in developing countries where
impoverished human populations depend on their resources for subsistence (Duke
et al. 2007; Walters et al. 2008). Human impacts on mangroves, including climate
change, have received much attention of late mainly because mangrove deforestation is occurring at a rate of 1.2% per year, which implies that most forests will
disappear within this century (Alongi 2002, 2015). At a global level, natural and
anthropogenic drivers of mangrove destruction and degradation include sea-level
rise, the harvest of forest products for local (wood, charcoal, and tannins) and industrial (woodchips and lumber) consumption, conversion of mangrove forests into
agricultural, aquacultural, industrial and urban areas (Di Nitto et al. 2008, 2014;
Rakotomavo and Fromard 2010; Paul and Vogl 2011; Goessens et al. 2014; Santos
et al. 2014) and other activities such as river damming and herbicide use (Abuodha
and Kairo 2001; Koedam et al. 2007).
In Cameroon, natural disasters and several anthropogenic activities have been identified in relation with mangrove ecosystems depletion. Wood harvesting, urban infrastructures, fishing, sand and gravel extraction, conflicts, petroleum exploitation, coastal
erosion, climate change, invaded aquatic plants and agriculture appear to be the most
important factors of mangrove degeneration. In addition, most of these parameters are
making place to secondary destructive factors, generally linked to poverty such as
dwellings, livestock, sustenance agriculture, collecting Non- Timber Forest Products,
digging, landfill, dyke construction and large clear-felling which also contributed
widely to mangrove degradation (Din 2001; Feka and Manzano 2008; NfotabongAtheull et al. 2009; Din et al. 2016; Fusi et al. 2016; Ngo-Massou et al. 2016).
3.4.1 Logging
This activity began in the mangroves of Cameroon at the dawn of the twentieth
century (Din et al. 2008). In 1919, a French company based in Manoka devastated
the Cameroon mangrove estuary for the home country needs. In less than a decade,
more than 3000 tons of wood were sold in the form of railway sleepers. The consequences of this activity are still visible in this borough.
The recent introduction of modern transportation and cutting equipments has
accelerated the degradation of several primary formations. Mangroves of the Wouri
estuary are strongly flattened. Rhizophora spp., flammable species fresh, are most at
risk followed by Avicennia germinans. Several species of mangrove forests generally
have a very hard wood which is flammable fresh and this feature causes the cutting
of trees still standing and accelerates the degradation of the forest. The modern sector
degradation and the urban demographic pressure induced poverty which increase the
number of loggers and consumers who cannot buy kerosene or cooking gas.
N. Din et al.
3.4 Major Factors of Mangrove Degradation
More than 90% of world’s mangroves are located in developing countries where
impoverished human populations depend on their resources for subsistence (Duke
et al. 2007; Walters et al. 2008). Human impacts on mangroves, including climate
change, have received much attention of late mainly because mangrove deforestation is occurring at a rate of 1.2% per year, which implies that most forests will
disappear within this century (Alongi 2002, 2015). At a global level, natural and
anthropogenic drivers of mangrove destruction and degradation include sea-level
rise, the harvest of forest products for local (wood, charcoal, and tannins) and industrial (woodchips and lumber) consumption, conversion of mangrove forests into
agricultural, aquacultural, industrial and urban areas (Di Nitto et al. 2008, 2014;
Rakotomavo and Fromard 2010; Paul and Vogl 2011; Goessens et al. 2014; Santos
et al. 2014) and other activities such as river damming and herbicide use (Abuodha
and Kairo 2001; Koedam et al. 2007).
In Cameroon, natural disasters and several anthropogenic activities have been identified in relation with mangrove ecosystems depletion. Wood harvesting, urban infrastructures, fishing, sand and gravel extraction, conflicts, petroleum exploitation, coastal
erosion, climate change, invaded aquatic plants and agriculture appear to be the most
important factors of mangrove degeneration. In addition, most of these parameters are
making place to secondary destructive factors, generally linked to poverty such as
dwellings, livestock, sustenance agriculture, collecting Non- Timber Forest Products,
digging, landfill, dyke construction and large clear-felling which also contributed
widely to mangrove degradation (Din 2001; Feka and Manzano 2008; NfotabongAtheull et al. 2009; Din et al. 2016; Fusi et al. 2016; Ngo-Massou et al. 2016).
3.4.1 Logging
This activity began in the mangroves of Cameroon at the dawn of the twentieth
century (Din et al. 2008). In 1919, a French company based in Manoka devastated
the Cameroon mangrove estuary for the home country needs. In less than a decade,
more than 3000 tons of wood were sold in the form of railway sleepers. The consequences of this activity are still visible in this borough.
The recent introduction of modern transportation and cutting equipments has
accelerated the degradation of several primary formations. Mangroves of the Wouri
estuary are strongly flattened. Rhizophora spp., flammable species fresh, are most at
risk followed by Avicennia germinans. Several species of mangrove forests generally
have a very hard wood which is flammable fresh and this feature causes the cutting
of trees still standing and accelerates the degradation of the forest. The modern sector
degradation and the urban demographic pressure induced poverty which increase the
number of loggers and consumers who cannot buy kerosene or cooking gas.
N. Din et al.