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Conservation By Cultivation:
Pygeum Tree Planting Project

Tina Fongod

The Bioresources Development and Conservation Programme (BDCP) has taken another major step in its conservation programs leading to the establishment of the Pygeum Project. This is located about 14km froi-n the North West Provincial Capital of Bamenda, and on completion would cover a total land surface area of one and a half acres. The project started with only one specie - Prunus africana which is an endangered medicinal plant that is almost extinct. A total of one thousand trees have been planted with another 200 expected to be planted by the end of the year. At the completion of the tree planting exercise next year there will be an estimate of 2000 trees. The plants are in three developmental stages. The first set were planted in March 1996, the second set in June and they measure about I in on the average. The others are still very young and small. Several problems have been encountered along the way among which are the scarcity of labor, bush fires, insects and pest. Last year about 800 trees were planted but were unfortunately consumed by wildfire. As a precautionary move, fire tracing which would entail proper clearing about 10 meters away from the site has begun. For purposes of proper attention intercropping was also incorporated. This means that in the bid to take good care of the maize and yam crops we would inevitably be taking care of the trees as well. This is a purely traditional family practice which will stop after harvesting the food crops in August. Presently, we are fichting the destructive actions of insects and working on channelling a nearby stream for irrigation and fire fighting purposes during the harsh dry season. Generally, the plants are bloominc,. The project is directed by Dr. Elias M. Nwana.

"Tropical forests...this is where life on earth reaches it utmost expressions, where systems are richest in numbers of species and where bilological systems reach their greatest complexity. Here science is likely to find kinds of arrangements of life to be found nowhere else. Surely, to the extent that biology, the study of life, is of valus to us as living entities ourselves, it makes sense not to erase the evidence from which to build our knowledge?

Thomas E. Lovejoy

Biological Resources is published monthly by The Bioresources Development and Conservation Programme. The information contained here is intended to contribute to the development of an integrated approach to biological resources management in which human needs and habitat conservation can both be accomodated.

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