How Tightly Linked Are Pericopsis elata (Fabaceae) Patches to Anthropogenic Disturbances in Southeastern Cameroon?

Forests

Nils Bourland²  François Cerisier²  Kasso Daïnou²  Alexandre Livingstone Smith¹  Wannes Hubau³  Hans Beeckman³  Yves Brostaux⁶  Adeline Fayolle²  Achille Bernard Biwolé²  Fousséni Fétéké²  Jean-François Gillet²  Julie Morin-Rivat²  Philippe Lejeune²  Eric Ntoudé Tiba⁵  Joris Van Acker⁷  Jean-Louis Doucet²  Plinio Sist⁴  Robert Nasi⁴ 

[1] Royal Museum for Central Africa, Section of Prehistory and Archaeology, Tervuren B-3080, Belgium; E-Mail:;Département BIOSE, Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech, University Liège, Gestion des Ressources Forestières, Gembloux B-5030, Belgium; E-Mails:;Royal Museum for Central Africa, Service of Wood Biology, Tervuren B-3080, Belgium; E-Mails:Département BIOSE, Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech, University Liège, Gestion des Ressources Forestières, Gembloux B-5030, Belgium;;Nature Plus asbl, Walhain-Saint-Paul B-1457, Belgium; E-Mail:;Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech, University Liège, Unité de Statistique, Informatique et Mathématique appliquées, Gembloux B-5030, Belgium; E-Mail:;Laboratory of Wood Technology, Department of Forest and Water Management, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Ghent B-9000, Belgium; E-Mail:

关键词: Afrormosia;    Assamela;    Central Africa;    tropical rain forest;    autecology;    forest history;    shifting cultivation;    past human disturbances;    charcoal;   

DOI  :  10.3390/f6020293

来源: mdpi

【 摘 要 】

While most past studies have emphasized the relationships between specific forest stands and edaphic factors, recent observations in Central African moist forests suggested that an increase of slash-and-burn agriculture since 3000–2000 BP (Before Present) could be the main driver of the persistence of light-demanding tree species. In order to examine anthropogenic factors in the persistence of such populations, our study focused on Pericopsis elata, an endangered clustered timber species. We used a multidisciplinary approach comprised of botanical, anthracological and archaeobotanical investigations to compare P. elata patches with surrounding stands of mixed forest vegetation (“out-zones”). Charcoal samples were found in both zones, but were significantly more abundant in the soils of patches. Eleven groups of taxa were identified from the charcoals, most of them also present in the current vegetation. Potsherds were detected only inside P. elata patches and at different soil depths, suggesting a long human presence from at least 2150 to 195 BP, as revealed by our charcoal radiocarbon dating. We conclude that current P. elata patches most likely result from shifting cultivation that occurred ca. two centuries ago. The implications of our findings for the dynamics and management of light-demanding tree species are discussed.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© 2015 by the authors; licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.