Mapping and Botanical Study of Pressures Causing Mangrove Dynamics of Tiko (Southwest Cameroon)

Abstract

This research aims to highlight the effect of human activities and speculative fishing on the dynamic of Tiko mangrove landscapes.The study is based on the collection of bibliographical and factual data (field observations, botanical records) and the diachronic analysis of satellite images of the locality over the past five decades.The NDVI method was used to illustrate the dynamics of land use between 1976, 1986, 1996, 2006 and 2016.Botanical surveys were carried out in three transects 100 m long by 10 m wide, representing respectively, the dense, less dense and degraded mangrove woody stands.The analysis shows a loss of 102.4 km 2 of mangrove in the period from 1976 to 2016.In the same time interval, the study notes an increase in less dense and degraded mangrove areas, which evolve respectively from 102.9 to 153 and 8.1 to 131 km 2 .According to the results of the diachronic analysis and field observations, the degradation of the mangrove is linked to the increasing human pressure in the region.It is particularly reflected in the increase in agricultural areas on the mainland, and the growing development of speculative fishing which is associated with the processing by smoking of fish products on the seaboard.The diversification of income-generating activities, the implementation of innovative tools (improved smokehouses, cold rooms powered by solar energy) and reforestation are solutions that can promote sustainable management of the mangrove.