Use values of woody species used in agroforestry: cocoa agroforests in central Cameroon.
Jagoret P., Kwesseu J., Messie C. A., Michel I., Malézieux É.
Author Affiliation: Cirad, UMR System 2, place Viala 34060 Montpellier Cedex 2, France.
Bois et Forêts des Tropiques : 45-54
Abstract : In humid tropical regions, the value to farmers of agroforestry systems is often difficult to assess. Based on an inventory of plant species in 14 cocoa agroforests in central Cameroon, this study developed a participatory assessment using a PRA (Participatory Rural Appraisal) scoring system to quantify the value given by farmers to each species according to their uses. Altogether, 86 species were identified. The five species most commonly found were African plum, Dacryodes edulis at 18% of the trees identified, avocado, Persea americana at 11%, limba, Terminalia superba at 10%, the fig tree, Ficus mucoso at 5% and Albizia adianthifolia at 3%. Twenty-two species (26%) were not used at all by the farmers, who defined seven different uses for the other species. Among these, the highest use value was attributed to the cocoa tree (20%). The next five tree species with high use values were, in decreasing order, the ayous, Triplochyton scleroxylon, sapelli, Entandrophragma cylindricum, African plum, Dacryodes edulis, oil palm, Elaeis guineensis, and mango, Mangifera indica. The use profile for cocoa agroforests showed that these are mainly managed by farmers for sales of timber and non-timber products and for home consumption of non-timber and medicinal products. These results show that technical innovations to improve cocoa agroforestry systems must take into account their multiple functions and their complexity.