Rozane Sakou Wandji
Doume Communal Forest (DCF) represent forest management centered on commercial wood resources with an obligation to deal with local populations' aspirations, interests, and uses. Indeed, the communal forest (CF) is a framework for effective participatory forest management where sustained tree harvesting must be combined locally to enhance riparians' well-being. A study has identified DCF as a hosting endemic and high priorities species for conservation. Despite its biodiversity value, population livelihood support, and carbon sink function, the DCF has received very little conservation attention and is far from secure. Indeed, licensed forest exploitation operating within its boundaries and intrusion of local populations accelerate land encroachment and degradation.
In addition, recent studies showed an increasing rate of deforestation and degradation over the last two decades, reducing the forest cover rate. These anthropogenic activities are responsible for the loss of forest lands; consequently, the threatened species' habitat may likely lead to the extinction of these species. Furthermore, these activities have degraded local communities and biodiversity environments and compromised ecosystem service provisioning. Therefore, this project aims to develop agroforestry and reforestation program that could reduce the forest pressure and improve its recovery and population densities.