Projects

Conservation, sustainable management and use of Non-Timber Forest Products (NTFP) in Central Africa : case of Garcinia kola (2017-2019) - Funded by Agence Universitaire de la Francophonie (France)

Project leader: M-L Avana (University of Dschang, Cameroon)

Scientists involved from our team : J Duminil, B Yogom Tientcheu

NTFP ('NTFP species' for short) are threatened by deforestation and climate change. These threats will surely inflate in upcoming years due to increased human pressure in the region. Conservation and sustainable management strategies for NTFP species need to be developed, but are currently impeded due to large knowledge gap. In particular the influence of human management practices on their genetic diversity is still largely unknown. The project (2017-2019) aims at developing an integrated approach to ensure sustainable management of one emblematic species in Central Africa: Garcinia kola. Specifically, we will: (i) characterize local management practices and folk classification (definition of ethnovarieties) of species diversity; (ii) map species' biological diversity along its cultivated (agroforests) / wild (forests) distribution; (iii) determine fruit and seed post-harvest packaging process and its influence on their organoleptic properties; (iv) promote local knowledge and biological diversity of the species; (v) develop strategies of conservation, sustainable management and use of species' genetic resources, notably in a domestication perspective.

Associated publications:

Yogom B, Avana-Tientcheu ML, Mboujda MF, Momo ST, Fonkou T, Tsobeng A, Barnaud A, Duminil J (2020) Ethnicity differences in use values and management practices of bitter kola (Garcinia kola Heckel) in Cameroon. Economic Botany 74:429-444