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Land use land cover change and the resilience of social-ecological systems in a sub-region in South west Cameroon

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Abstract

The old paradigm of horizontal expansion of agricultural land and built-up areas over highland and lowland ecosystems remains highly prevalent in Cameroon, causing significant changes in LULC and undermining the resilience and sustainability of social-ecological systems. We analysed satellite imagery of 1986 and 2018 to examine the extent and spatial patterns of LULCC in Fako sub-region of Cameroon. In addition, we explored the likelihood of LULCC and magnitude of impact of the drivers and predictors of LULCC in the sub-region by engaging 25 stakeholders in a focus group survey. Other cultivated areas of cropland, built-up, oil palm, and banana plantation covers increased by 21,360 ha (10.5%), 3152 ha (1.6%), 5721 ha (2.8%), and 1823 ha (0.9%), while dense forest, rubber and tea plantation covers decreased by − 44,945 ha (− 22.1%), − 15,557 ha (− 7.7%), and − 110 ha (− 0.1%), respectively, from 1986 to 2018. Most of the deforestation and LULCC was caused by expansion of other cultivated areas of cropland by smallholders, contrary to the widely publicised narrative of agro-industrial and built-up areas expansion. The spatial pattern of LULCC showed that expansion of other cultivated areas of cropland and agro-industrial plantations were highest in the north and east zones, respectively, while expansion of built-up areas and decrease in agro-industrial plantation covers were highest in the central, south and western coastal zones of Fako division. The variations in the spatial patterns of LULCC between the sub-divisions are attributed to differences in rates of population growth and urbanisation, topography, size of farming population, proportion of cultivable land, socio-economic opportunities, and strength and resilience of local economy. The presence of the Mount Cameroon (4095 m), with high value forests, endemism, and conservation attractiveness restricted increased LULCC with elevation, while LULCC increased with nearness to the sea and national road networks. The likelihood of change from one LULC to oil palm plantation, banana plantation, and other cultivated areas and from rubber plantation, dense forest, lowland grassland to other land uses was 95% and 90%, respectively. Population growth, agricultural and farmland expansion, and infrastructural development were ranked as the three most important drivers of degradation under the business as usual scenario, while sustainable land management, good governance, and reforestation were ranked as the three most important predictors of LULCC reduction under the green economy scenario. In general, production and living space functions significantly increased at the expense of ecological land cover. Prioritising and increasing the legal protection of the mountain and coastal land-boundary ecosystems while providing for production and living land are invaluable for the sustainability of the social-ecological systems in the western highlands of Cameroon.

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Data availability

The data on land use land cover change and focus group survey generated and analysed during this current study are included in this published article (and the questionnaire supplementary information files).

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Acknowledgements

I acknowledge the voluntary participation of staff of the Environment and Rural Development Foundation (ERuDeF), the University of Buea, Institute of Agricultural Research for Development (IRAD-Ekona), Regional Delegation of Environment and Nature Protection and that of Forestry, and retired civil servants of Agriculture and Municipal council staff in the five sub-divisions of Fako division in the survey. The opinions provided by stakeholders in the survey are their own and do not represent the views of their organisations of employment.

Funding

This work was supported by the University of Buea Research Grant (Decision No. 2019/0932/UB/DFinA/DFSMS/FO/FIN/AA) of 2019.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Geography, Faculty of Social and Management Sciences, University of Buea, P.O. BOX 63, Buea, Cameroon

    Ewane Basil Ewane

  2. Department of Forest Resources, College of Natural Resources, Yeungnam University, 280 Daehak-ro, Gyeongsangbuk-do 712-749, Gyeongsan-si, South Korea

    Ewane Basil Ewane

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Correspondence to Ewane Basil Ewane.

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Highlights

• Most of the deforestation and LULCC was caused by expansion of other cultivated areas of cropland by smallholders, contrary to the widely publicised narrative of agro-industrial plantation and built-up area expansion from 1986 to 2018.

• Dense forest and rubber plantation covers decreased, while oil palm and banana plantation covers increased, owing to local economics and increase in local and international palm oil demand.

• Spatial patterns of change in LULC classes were highly variable within the sub-region, but common temporal trends in LULCC were observed on the most part.

• Differences in biophysical and socio-economic factors explained the variability in the spatial patterns of LULCC among sub-divisions.

• Changes in LULC decreased with elevation, but increased with nearness to the sea and national road networks.

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Ewane, E.B. Land use land cover change and the resilience of social-ecological systems in a sub-region in South west Cameroon. Environ Monit Assess 193, 338 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-021-09077-z

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