Revisiting the Performance of Natural Fallows in Central Africa

This study aimed to provide quantitative information on the ecological performance of natural fallow systems along a resource use intensification gradient in southern Cameroon, and their socioeconomic value to farming communities in that area. The effect of the resource use intensity was particularl...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Scandinavian journal of forest research 2004-08, Vol.19 (sup4), p.14-24
Main Authors: Ngobo, Martine P., Weise, Stephan F., Mcdonald, Morag A.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Biodiversity
Fallow
Ordination Analyses
Productivity
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Summary:This study aimed to provide quantitative information on the ecological performance of natural fallow systems along a resource use intensification gradient in southern Cameroon, and their socioeconomic value to farming communities in that area. The effect of the resource use intensity was particularly evident on the availability and distribution of short and long fallows across the three study resource domains. Of the 174 useful specs identified in this study, nearly 58% were collected in fallows of less than 10 yrs old. Species and functional diversity were significantly associated with vegetation structure and plant community composition in 5-7-yr-old fallows under different land use intensity regimes. The pattern of the responses of maize, groundnut and cassava to the three fallow types did not differ over the 2 yrs of the study, all crops producing higher yield in fields established after clearing Chromolaena odorata-dominated fallows than in fields following bush fallows.
ISSN:0282-7581
1651-1891
DOI:10.1080/14004080410034029