Impact of Rice Cultivation on Woody Vegetation in the Sudanian-Sahelian Zone of Cameroon

Rice is a staple food for populations in the Sudano-Sahelian zone of Cameroon, but the expansion of its cultivation may contribute to the degradation of natural vegetation. This study analysed the impact of rice cultivation on the structure and floristic composition of woody vegetation in the rice-producing basins of Lagdo and Yagoua. Floristic surveys were conducted in three vegetation types—rice fields, savannahs and fallow land—at both locations. Three randomly selected 50 m × 50 m plots were surveyed within each vegetation type. Overall, 723 woody individuals belonging to 67 species, 47 genera and 24 families were recorded. Savannah vegetation showed the highest floristic diversity, whereas rice fields showed the lowest. The Shannon diversity index was 3.69 bits in savannah, 2.00 bits in fallow land and 0.64 bits in rice fields. In Lagdo, the species with the highest ecological importance values included Anogeissus leiocarpus (21.05%), Balanites aegyptiaca (14.53%) and Mangifera indica (13.94%). In Yagoua, Balanites aegyptiaca (72.25%), Acacia seyal (23.27%) and Anogeissus leiocarpus (16.66%) were prominent. The rice field at Lagdo contained two woody species, whereas none was recorded in the Yagoua rice field. These findings indicate lower woody-plant diversity in rice-growing areas than in surrounding savannah and fallow vegetation and highlight the need for sustainable management of woody vegetation within rice-producing landscapes.