Stand Structure and Carbon Stock in Logged and Unlogged Areas of Managed Tropical Forests in Cameroon: The case of FMUs 10 038 and 10 054 in East Cameroon

In Cameroon, forest resource management is carried out in production forests, particularly within Forest Management Units (FMUs). However, the impact of logging on stand structure and carbon stocks before and after logging remains poorly documented. The objective of this study is to assess the influence of logging activities on stand structure and carbon stock in logged and unlogged forest stands within UFAs 10 038 and 10 054. Six permanent plots measuring 200 x 200 m were established in logged and unlogged stands. Three plots were therefore established in the logged stands and three in the unlogged stands. Within each permanent plot 20 m x 20 m quadrats were established at the four sides of the plot’s base to inventory all woody species with a DBH ≥ 10 cm. The results showed that species richness is higher in the unlogged stands (152 species) than in the logged (141 species). Two of the stands studied exhibited an inverted “J”-shaped structure. There is no significant difference between logged and unlogged in terms of density and basal area. The carbon stored in unlogged stands (55.61 tC/ha with a mean of of 18.53 tC/ha) is not significantly different from that in logged (52.32 tC/ha with a mean of of 17.44 tC/ha). These study indicate that well-planned forest harvesting, implemented in accordance with the principles of sustainable forest management, can enable timber production without significantly degrading stand structure or reducing carbon stocks.