<p>In most developing countries, forest resources are a major source of livelihood for forest dwellers. Forests provide fuel wood, farm products, meat, timber and plants of high medicinal value, including Prunus africana. The collection of medicinal plants is also an important source of cash income for some forest communities, and widely relied on to cure illnesses (Poffenberger, 1993). Because of this, the poor forest dwellers in particular are forced to exert pressure on their surrounding environment to make ends meet. Indiscriminate exploitation of forest resources has cost some forest dwellers dearly as they are now experiencing marked reduction of wildlife, forest cover, soil fertility and most importantly water supply, which is a key to life. Prunus africana has a very high economic and medicinal value locally as well as internationally. The exploitation of this species is a very profitable activity in most parts of Africa where it occurs, including the Mount Cameroon region. In recent years, most youths and young men in the Mount Cameroon region have seemingly become less interested in their usual income generating activities (farming, hunting, etc.) because of reduced productivity and have taken up Prunus harvesting as their major source of income. Increase in demand for this species by the French pharmaceutical company (Plantecam), weak institutional capacity to control exploitation, uncontrolled access into the forest, scramble for diminished stock by legal and illegal exploiters, destruction of wild stock by unsustainable practices, and insufficient regeneration of the species in the past have almost driven this species to extinction in certain parts of Cameroon and made it severely threatened in others. Prunus africana is presently threatened with extinction in the entire Mount Cameroon region. In response to this, the Mount Cameroon Project (MCP) and the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MINEF) helped some communities (Bokwoango and Mapanja) in the Mount Cameroon region to form Prunus africana harvesters’ unions with the aim of preserving the resource and improving the socio-economic benefits. The principal aim of the Bokwoango Prunus africana harvesters’ union is to ensure sustainable exploitation of Prunus africana while saving money for important development projects for individual members, their families and the entire community. This piece of work highlights the different facets of Prunus africana management in Cameroon in general and the Bokwoango community in particular. The study examines the socio-economic impact of Prunus africana management in the Bokwoango community and shows specifically the management role played by the Bokwoango Prunus africana harvesters’ union to reduce the rate of exploitation of Prunus africana and also to ensure benefit sharing of the earnings from sales of Prunus bark. It at the same time brings out the constraints encountered by harvesters as well as the opportunities that can make the union become more viable to the socio-economic development of the Bokwoango community. Results of this study show that for the short period that the Bokwoango Prunus africana harvesters’ union has existed, the socio-economic changes in this community are encouraging if one compares the present situation with that before the formation of the union. Most importantly, there has been increased awareness on the great need to conserve not only the threatened Prunus africana species but also other threatened plant and animal species in the region through sustainable hunting, harvesting and regeneration. Some proposals are made for efficient natural resource management and improvements on livelihood through alternative income generating activities. The study ends with recommendations for policy and institutional reforms as well as suggestions for further research in sustainable management of Prunus africana.</p>

In most developing countries, forest resources are a major source of livelihood for forest dwellers. Forests provide fuel wood, farm products, meat, timber and plants of high medicinal value, including Prunus africana. The collection of medicinal plants is also an important source of cash income for some forest communities, and widely relied on to cure illnesses (Poffenberger, 1993). Because of this, the poor forest dwellers in particular are forced to exert pressure on their surrounding environment to make ends meet. Indiscriminate exploitation of forest resources has cost some forest dwellers dearly as they are now experiencing marked reduction of wildlife, forest cover, soil fertility and most importantly water supply, which is a key to life. Prunus africana has a very high economic and medicinal value locally as well as internationally. The exploitation of this species is a very profitable activity in most parts of Africa where it occurs, including the Mount Cameroon region. In recent years, most youths and young men in the Mount Cameroon region have seemingly become less interested in their usual income generating activities (farming, hunting, etc.) because of reduced productivity and have taken up Prunus harvesting as their major source of income. Increase in demand for this species by the French pharmaceutical company (Plantecam), weak institutional capacity to control exploitation, uncontrolled access into the forest, scramble for diminished stock by legal and illegal exploiters, destruction of wild stock by unsustainable practices, and insufficient regeneration of the species in the past have almost driven this species to extinction in certain parts of Cameroon and made it severely threatened in others. Prunus africana is presently threatened with extinction in the entire Mount Cameroon region. In response to this, the Mount Cameroon Project (MCP) and the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MINEF) helped some communities (Bokwoango and Mapanja) in the Mount Cameroon region to form Prunus africana harvesters’ unions with the aim of preserving the resource and improving the socio-economic benefits. The principal aim of the Bokwoango Prunus africana harvesters’ union is to ensure sustainable exploitation of Prunus africana while saving money for important development projects for individual members, their families and the entire community. This piece of work highlights the different facets of Prunus africana management in Cameroon in general and the Bokwoango community in particular. The study examines the socio-economic impact of Prunus africana management in the Bokwoango community and shows specifically the management role played by the Bokwoango Prunus africana harvesters’ union to reduce the rate of exploitation of Prunus africana and also to ensure benefit sharing of the earnings from sales of Prunus bark. It at the same time brings out the constraints encountered by harvesters as well as the opportunities that can make the union become more viable to the socio-economic development of the Bokwoango community. Results of this study show that for the short period that the Bokwoango Prunus africana harvesters’ union has existed, the socio-economic changes in this community are encouraging if one compares the present situation with that before the formation of the union. Most importantly, there has been increased awareness on the great need to conserve not only the threatened Prunus africana species but also other threatened plant and animal species in the region through sustainable hunting, harvesting and regeneration. Some proposals are made for efficient natural resource management and improvements on livelihood through alternative income generating activities. The study ends with recommendations for policy and institutional reforms as well as suggestions for further research in sustainable management of Prunus africana.

Orientador: Vera Lex Engel / Banca: Edson José Vidal da Silva / Banca: Raquel Rejano Bonato Negrelle / Resumo: Muitos estudos têm estimado limites de colheita de produtos florestais não-madeireiros (PFNMs) baseados em dados demográficos das espécies fontes. Heliconia velloziana Emygdio (Zingiberales: Heliconiaceae) é utilizada como flor de corte e no paisagismo, e já foi alvo do extrativismo na comunidade rural na região do estudo (Distrito de Taiaçupeba, Mogi das Cruzes, SP). Nosso objetivo geral foi fornecer bases para a elaboração de planos de manejo sustentável para populações silvestres de Heliconia velloziana, através de: avaliação do conhecimento etnobotânico sobre H. velloziana; análise de sua fenologia reprodutiva em relação as variáveis climáticas; avaliação do rendimento e dos efeitos ecológicos do extrativismo sobre taxas vitais de populações silvestres da espécie alvo em diferentes micro-hábitats. Objetivou-se também verificar o potencial para manejo sustentável da espécie e sugerir um regime de rendimento sustentado específico. Para acessar o conhecimento local sobre H. velloziana, foram realizadas entrevistas informais e semiestruturadas, além de observação participante. Os efeitos ecológicos da colheita experimental sobre taxas vitais e a fenologia reprodutiva foram avaliados através de amostragem aleatória estratificada, em uma área total amostral de 0,12ha (12 parcelas de 10x10m) em seis sítios amostrais abrangendo dois estratos (planície e encosta). Em cada sítio, uma população foi submetida à colheita experimental e outra foi mantida como controle. Os aspectos melhor conhecidos pela comunidade local sobre a espécie alvo foram: nome popular, variação intraespecífica, reprodução clonal, visitantes florais, atrativos florais, floração seqüencial, distribuição e abundância local. A espécie foi considerada útil pelos entrevistados para complementação... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Abstract: Many studies have estimated harvesting limits for non-timber forest products (NTFPs) based on demographic data of the source species. Heliconia velloziana Emygdio (Zingiberales: Heliconiaceae) is used as a cut flower and gardening, and has already been targeted for extractivism by the rural community of the study region. Our general goal was to provide bases for the elaboration of Heliconia velloziana wild populations sustainable management plans, through: assessing ethnobotanical knowledge about H. velloziana; analyzing its reproductive phenology in relation to climatic variables; assessing the yield and ecological effects of harvesting on vital rates of wild populations of the target species in different micro-habitats. We also aimed to verify sustainable management potential of the species and suggest a specific sustained yield regime. To access local knowledge on H. velloziana, informal and semi-structured interviews were done, besides participant observation. The experimental harvesting ecological effects on vital rates and the reproductive phenology were assessed through stratified random sampling, in a total sampling area of 0,12ha (12 10x10m plots) in six sampling sites enclosing two strata (lowland and hillside). At each site, one population was submitted to experimental harvesting and the other was kept as control. The best known aspects by local community about the target species were: common name, intra-specific variation, clonal growth, flower visitors, floral attractants, sequential flowering, local distribution and abundance. The species was considered useful by the interviewed as familiar income complementation through extractivism, besides other secondary uses. It was identified a rich knowledge about the species' management system, once used, that was considered simple and consisted of two to three... (Complete abstract click electronic access below) / Mestre

Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-11T19:30:20Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2009-09-02Bitstream added on 2014-06-13T19:18:58Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 souza_sexf_me_botfca.pdf: 1158580 bytes, checksum: e01b29e6f87f5b46e937d7e437df136e (MD5) / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) / Muitos estudos têm estimado limites de colheita de produtos florestais não-madeireiros (PFNMs) baseados em dados demográficos das espécies fontes. Heliconia velloziana Emygdio (Zingiberales: Heliconiaceae) é utilizada como flor de corte e no paisagismo, e já foi alvo do extrativismo na comunidade rural na região do estudo (Distrito de Taiaçupeba, Mogi das Cruzes, SP). Nosso objetivo geral foi fornecer bases para a elaboração de planos de manejo sustentável para populações silvestres de Heliconia velloziana, através de: avaliação do conhecimento etnobotânico sobre H. velloziana; análise de sua fenologia reprodutiva em relação as variáveis climáticas; avaliação do rendimento e dos efeitos ecológicos do extrativismo sobre taxas vitais de populações silvestres da espécie alvo em diferentes micro-hábitats. Objetivou-se também verificar o potencial para manejo sustentável da espécie e sugerir um regime de rendimento sustentado específico. Para acessar o conhecimento local sobre H. velloziana, foram realizadas entrevistas informais e semiestruturadas, além de observação participante. Os efeitos ecológicos da colheita experimental sobre taxas vitais e a fenologia reprodutiva foram avaliados através de amostragem aleatória estratificada, em uma área total amostral de 0,12ha (12 parcelas de 10x10m) em seis sítios amostrais abrangendo dois estratos (planície e encosta). Em cada sítio, uma população foi submetida à colheita experimental e outra foi mantida como controle. Os aspectos melhor conhecidos pela comunidade local sobre a espécie alvo foram: nome popular, variação intraespecífica, reprodução clonal, visitantes florais, atrativos florais, floração seqüencial, distribuição e abundância local. A espécie foi considerada útil pelos entrevistados para complementação... / Many studies have estimated harvesting limits for non-timber forest products (NTFPs) based on demographic data of the source species. Heliconia velloziana Emygdio (Zingiberales: Heliconiaceae) is used as a cut flower and gardening, and has already been targeted for extractivism by the rural community of the study region. Our general goal was to provide bases for the elaboration of Heliconia velloziana wild populations sustainable management plans, through: assessing ethnobotanical knowledge about H. velloziana; analyzing its reproductive phenology in relation to climatic variables; assessing the yield and ecological effects of harvesting on vital rates of wild populations of the target species in different micro-habitats. We also aimed to verify sustainable management potential of the species and suggest a specific sustained yield regime. To access local knowledge on H. velloziana, informal and semi-structured interviews were done, besides participant observation. The experimental harvesting ecological effects on vital rates and the reproductive phenology were assessed through stratified random sampling, in a total sampling area of 0,12ha (12 10x10m plots) in six sampling sites enclosing two strata (lowland and hillside). At each site, one population was submitted to experimental harvesting and the other was kept as control. The best known aspects by local community about the target species were: common name, intra-specific variation, clonal growth, flower visitors, floral attractants, sequential flowering, local distribution and abundance. The species was considered useful by the interviewed as familiar income complementation through extractivism, besides other secondary uses. It was identified a rich knowledge about the species` management system, once used, that was considered simple and consisted of two to three... (Complete abstract click electronic access below)