Understanding the variation in distribution and abundance of non-timber forest products (NTFP) species is a crucial step in achieving their conservation and sustainable use. At the northern periphery of the Boumba-Bek National Park in Southeast Cameroon, little is known about which habitat type contain the highest abundance of NTFP species. In this study, we assessed habitat diversity and variation in the abundance of eight priority NTFP species comprising: Afrostyrax lepidophyllus, Baillonella toxisperma, Irvingia gabonensis, Panda oleosa, Pentaclethra macrophylla, Ricinodendron heudelotii, Scorodophloeus zenkeri and Tetrapleura tetraptera. The inventory was done along 16 linear transects of 5000 m × 20 m, and all the individuals, from juveniles (DBH < 5 cm) to mature trees (DBH > 5 cm) of the eight NTFPs were recorded. Habitat types were characterized along transects following basic forest classification system used in ecology and then measured. In total, 13 different habitat types were identified with young secondary forests and periodically flooded forests representing 32.70% and 26.31% respectively. The least represented habitat was young fallows with Chromolaena odorata (0.08%). Seven NTFPs (A. lepidophyllus, B. toxisperma, I. gabonensis, P. oleosa, P. macrophylla, R. heudelotii and T. tetraptera) were predominantly represented in young secondary forests whereas S. zenkeri was more abundant in young Marantaceae secondary forests. The different types of young secondary forests identified seem to be favourable for the growth of the eight NTFPs. This study demonstrated that habitat fragmentation driven by human activities such as industrial logging and shifting cultivation destroy the forest ecosystems and has a strong influence on the sustainability of the major NTFPs in the locality.

中文翻译：

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使用样点抽样确定喀麦隆东南部Boumba-Bek国家公园附近栖息地类型中一些关键的非木材森林产品的分布

了解非木材林产品（NTFP）物种的分布和丰度变化是实现其保护和可持续利用的关键一步。在喀麦隆东南部的Boumba-Bek国家公园的北部边缘，人们对哪种栖息地类型包含最多的NTFP物种知之甚少。在这项研究中，我们评估了8种优先NTFP物种的栖息地多样性和多样性，这些物种包括：沙棘（Afrostyrax lepidophyllus），毒杆菌（Baillonella toxisperma），加尔各答（Irvingia gabonensis），大熊猫（Panda oleosa），大叶五角虫（Pentaclethra macrophylla），大叶蓖麻（Ricinodendron heudelotii），S蛇菌（Scorodophloeus zenkeri）和四足纲（Tetrapleuratetraptera）。沿着16个5000 m×20 m的线性样条进行清点，记录了从8个NTFP的幼体（DBH <5 cm）到成熟树木（DBH> 5 cm）的所有个体。根据生态学中使用的基本森林分类系统，沿着样地对生境类型进行特征描述，然后进行测量。总共确定了13种不同的生境类型，其中次生林和定期淹水林分别占32.70％和26.31％。代表性最小的栖息地是带有香椿（Chromolaena odorata）的年轻休闲地（0.08％）。七个NTFPs（lepidophyllus，B。toxisperma，I。gabonensis，P。oleosa，P。macrophylla，R。heudelotii和T.tetraptera）主要分布在年轻的次生森林中，而S. zenkeri在Marantaceae的次生森林中更为丰富。 。确定的不同类型的年轻次生林似乎对八个NTFP的生长有利。