Biodiversity

The Convention on Biological Diversity [Convention on Biological Diversity] has defined biodiversity as follows:

Biodiversity fulfils an essential role in our existence and is present at all levels of life:

• Biodiversity is important for the functioning of the earths living ecosystems, e.g. purification of water, production of oxygen, recycling of nutrients etc.
• Biodiversity is the source of all agricultural crops and livestock. Likewise, essential processes like pollination and pest control are dependent on biodiversity.
• Biodiversity is used by man as an indispensable source of materials, income, and health. Last but not least, biodiversity plays an important role in cultural, social, and religious aspects of peoples around the world and for personal well being of all.

The African continent is famous for its rich wildlife and natural beauty and contains many groups of animals that can be found only in Africa and nowhere else on earth. These so-called endemic species can be found in different parts of Africa, but Cameroon is among the top ten countries in Africa that are rich in biodiversity.

The Cameroon Mountains form a mountain range stretching through the North-West and South-West province of Cameroon and with outliers in the island of Bioko (Equatorial Guinea) and the Obudu and Mambilla Plateau's (Nigeria). The Cameroon Mountains contain the largest remaining patch of the African Montane Forest and form a separate ecoregion (Cameroon Highlands Forests) as recognised by the WWF.WWF defines an ecoregion as a "large unit of land or water containing a geographically distinct assemblage of species, natural communities, and environmental conditions. The 'Global 200 ecoregions' is a science-based global ranking of the Earth's most biologically outstanding terrestrial, freshwater and marine habitats. It provides a critical blueprint for biodiversity conservation at a global scale. The Cameroon Mountains are home to a large number of endemic plant and animal species that can be found only here and nowhere else on earth. The Cameroon Mountains Endemic Bird Area (EBA) is third richest area for birds in mainland Africa. Most of the ecoregion lies within a narrow rectangle of some 180 km by 625 km, oriented southwest to northeast and originating about 50 km inland of Mount Cameroon. At the southern extremity, the ecoregion covers the Rumpi Hills, the Bakossi Mountains, Mount Nlonako, Mount Kupe and Mount Manengouba. It then extends northeast towards the Mambila Plateau, with an extension north to the Bamenda-Banso highlands and outliers northeast to Mambila and northwest to the Obudu Plateau of Nigeria. The main trend of the ecoregion continues northeast along the western flank of the Adamawa Plateau to Tchabal Gangdaba with two small outliers further east (Stuart 1986, Gartlan 1989, Stattersfield et al. 1998). The highest point within this ecoregion is Mount Oku at 3,011 m in the Bamenda-Banso highlands. Most of the remainder is below 2,600 m in elevation. At about 800 m to 1,000 m the ecoregion grades into lowland vegetation communities of other ecoregions. In the majority of cases, however, the lower boundary of these forests is now determined by conversion to agricultural land.

Bamenda Highlands

The Bamenda Highlands form a physically distinct region in the Cameroon Mountains, with many species that are unique to this region. Approximately 120 endemic plant species and rare woods, such as mahogany, ironwood, cam wood and mimosup grow here. The Kilum-Ijim forests of the Bamenda Highlands are the last strongholds of Alpine bamboo, Arundinaria alpina, in West Africa. A small tree, Oxyanthus sp.nov, was recently discovered in the Bamenda Highlands region, and is now known from only two sites there. Many dozens of species of plants and trees have been identified only from this region and probably this region still harbours species that are unknown to science. Sixty-two mammal species have been recorded from the forests of the Mount Oku area alone (the Kilum-Ijim Forest), at least six of which are restricted to Mount Oku and a further ten species are endemic to the Cameroon Mountains. Eleven small mammal species are considered strictly endemic to Bamenda Highlands: Eisentraut's striped mouse, an African wood mouse species, Mount Oku mouse, Mittendorf's striped grass mouse, two brush-furred mouse species, Oku mouse shrew, Rumpi mouse shrew, western vlei rat, Hartwig's soft-furred mouse, and Isabella's shrew.

The area is extremely rich in bird life, with a total of 36 birds endemic to the Cameroon Mountains and a total of 4 bird species strictly endemic to the Bamenda Highlands. The best known endemic birds in the region are the Bannerman Turaco and the Banded Wattle-eye. Very high levels of endemism are observed among amphibians, with nearly 40 species as strict endemics to the Bamenda Highlands. Nine species of reptile are considered narrow endemics, only occurring in parts of the Bamenda Highlands. Fishes have not been exhaustively studied in the area, but the data that are known indicate a high level of endemic and unique species. Lake Barombi Mbo near the town of Kumba has been studied in detail, and contains 11 species of cichlid fish in 4 genera, endemic to this lake alone and found nowhere else. Other lakes and mountain rivers may contain more rare and unique species of fish that still await discovery. Some 950 species of butterflies are found in the Cameroon Mountains. This is a quarter of all butterfly species found in tropical Africa and contains 100 species endemic to the area.

Cross river area

The Cross river area is bordering the Bamenda Highlands and consists of lowland and submontane forest. The area claims one-third of Africa's primate species, including the Drill, chimpanzee, Preuss's guenon and a unique population of gorillas, recently identified as an endemic subspecies, Gorilla gorilla diehli. Large mammals such as the African Forest Elephant still occur here in reasonable numbers.

Mount Cameroon, Mount Kupe, Mount Manengouba, Rumpi Hills, Bioko Island.

The Cameroon Mountains contain many isolated peaks, massifs and even islands that all are home to unique biodiversity that can be found only in these areas and not even in other areas of the Cameroon Mountains. Mount Cameroon is the second highest mountain in Africa and is home to an exceptional rich and unique plant- and wildlife. The mountain is famous for its two endemic birds, the Mount Cameroon Francolin and the Mount Cameroon Speirops and is the last stronghold of the endemic Preuss's monkey.