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.
Your comments and questions
are welcome. Write to the Editor, Biological Resources.
For further information, contact:
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Bioresources Development and Conservation Programme
11303 Amherst Avenue, Suite 2
Silver Spring, Maryland 20902
U.S.A.
Phone: 301-962-6201
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Email: bdcp@bioresources.org
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