|
<<<,Home page
<<<Website Contents
1 | 2 | 3|
4 | 5 | 6|
7 |8 | 9|
10 |11| 12
13| 14 | 15
16 | 17 | 18
19 | 20 | 21
22 | 23 | 24
25 | 26 | 27
28 | 29 | 30
31 | 32 | 33
34 | 35 | 36
37 | 38 |39|
40 | 41 | 42
43 | 44 | 45
46 | 47 | 48
49 | 50 | 51
52 | 53 | 54
|
Theme: THE DEGRADATION OF WETLANDS AND ITS SOCIO ECONOMIC AND ENVIRONMENTAL IMPLICATIONS IN NDOP CENTRAL SUBDIVISION, NORTH WEST PROVINCE CAMEROON
Page 45
From the table 12, it can be perceived that several fauna species existed in this region. A good number of them existed in the years before and up to the 1970s. After this period, the fauna biodiversity considerably dropped to a present situation where only very small-sized fauna species do exist. The degradation of this wetland component as will be seen later on; can be associated with the increase in several anthropogenic activities which are destroying the wetlands at an alarming rate. It is important to note at this level that the role of fauna species in the existence of every ecosystem is cardinal and their extinction in some cases is tantamount to the degradation of the ecosystem. Studies by Zona & Handerson (1989) have proven that this is responsible for the extinction of several African palm species, whose existence was realised to be thanks to the fact that rodents transport their seeds and deposit them in areas where they can easily germinate. This animal-mediated seed propagation is also common in Ndop Central Subdivision with raphia palms which, (until late) were not planted by men, but were simply transported and deposited by animals and birds (Mphoweh.J.N. 2005).
The change in the fauna biodiversity of this region is illustrated on figure 10. It appears as a triangular situation, reflecting the years before and up to the 1970s, as a period during which the size (in terms of population numbers and corporal dimensions) of fauna species were quite large. But as time went by, these two parameters decreased to a present situation in which most species have been eliminated, leaving behind only small-sized species; (mostly birds) which are not hunted nor consumed due in part to some cultural taboo. E.g. the owl which still exists because it is believed to be an ill omen and the cattle egret because it feeds on cow ticks.
Photos 3 A, B, C, D, E are relics of some of these animals which existed in the area. Only very important animal skins as explained by museum guides in the palaces were preserved. The importance is some times attributed to how large and wild the animals were and to the greatness of the hunter in capturing such a beast. This in part justifies why this list on the biodiversity is not exclusive, given that some animals have been forgotten because their skins were never preserved. Some only served as game and were entirely consumed, leaving no traces.
55 | 56 | 57 | 58 | 59 | 60| 61 | 62 | 63| 64 | 65 | 66| 67 | 68 | 69 | 70 | 71 |72 |73 | 74 | 75
76 | 77 | 78 | 79 | 80 | 81 | 82 | 83 | 84 | 85 | 86 |87 | 88 | 89 | 90 |91 | 92 | 93 | 94 | 95
<<<Back to table of contents || Go to next page>>>
|