WOODY PLANT DIVERSITY AND CARBON STOCKS OF LIVE HEDGES IN HIGHLY DEGRADED AREAS IN THE WESTERN HIGHLANDS OF CAMEROON

In the highlands agroecological zone of Cameroon, natural landscapes have disappeared in favour of other land use types, including live hedges (LHs), which are among the relics used to preserve biodiversity and enhance resilience to global change. However, the contribution of LHs to resilience remains unknown. Hence, the objective of this study was to characterise plant diversity and carbon stocks in LHs, emphasising their typology. Trees with diameters ≥ 5 cm were collected from 132 LHs of 50 m each along a linear system, i.e. a total sampled area of 6.6 km (16.5 ha). LH carbon stocks were estimated using allometric equations. Five LH types were identified, namely Eucalyptus hedge, Markhamia hedge, Podocarpus hedge, fir/pine hedge and mixed hedge. A total of 79 species belonging to 58 genera and 31 families were identified in the LHs, with 8 (10%) being threatened according to the IUCN Red List. The species richness was significantly different between LHs (Kruskal–Wallis, p ˂ 0.001), with the mixed LH having the most diversity (65 species). The Shannon–Wiener index showed low plant diversity in the LHs. Carbon stocks were estimated at 134.25 tC.km−1 (54.10tC.ha−1), which was significantly different among LHs (ANOVA, p ˂ 0.0001). Given the potential of LHs in terms of diversity and carbon storage, emphasis should be placed on monitoring this agroforestry practice to ensure its sustainability and, thus, enhance its contribution to global change mitigation and payments for environmental services.