Plant diversity and conservation concerns in a semi-deciduous rainforest in Cameroon: implications for sustainable forest management

Plant diversity conservation has become one of the most critical objectives of forest management in an ecologically sustainable way. However, biodiversity conservation and sustainable management issues are sometimes neglected in Cameroon's communal forests because their botanical importance, and high-priority species for conservation are poorly known. In the present study, done in the Doume Communal Forest (DCF) situated in eastern Cameroon, we explore its potential in terms of plant diversity as well as conservation value. Forest inventories done in thirty 1-ha plots were analysed using diversity indices, species and family importance values index as well as IUCN conservation status. A total of 22,064 stems with a diameter ≥ 1 cm were recorded within thirty 1-ha sampling plots, belonging to 307 species, 194 genera and 72 families. The DCF is particularly rich in members of the Malvaceae, Annonaceae, Meliaceae and Apocynaceae. The list of the plant species known from the DCF reaches 330 species, with 290 identified at the species level. It was found out that 49 species can be considered high-priority species for conservation and that these species include species that are rare and threatened in Cameroon, and even one species endemic to the country. This study highlights the botanical importance of communal forests in Cameroon and recommends that botanical assessments of these forests are performed to contribute to the sustainable management and conservation of their biodiversity.