Perceived ecosystem service bundles across forested landscapes in transition: A case study in southern Cameroon.

Abstract

There is limited understanding of how agrarian communities and Indigenous Peoples perceive and value ecosystem services (ESs) across different land uses. We take a socio-cultural approach using ranking exercises and interviews to assess how communities living around a national park in Southern Cameroon perceive ESs and associated bundles (ESBs) of forest and agricultural land uses. Results show ethnicity, livelihood strategy and geographic location influence how communities value and perceive ESs and the ESBs supplied by their landscape. The shift from forest to agriculture involves a trade-off in ESs, where timber and non-timber forest products are replaced by crop provisioning and the diversity of ESBs is reduced. Furthermore, the restricted access to forests leads to a loss of important ESs which alternative food- and income-generating activities cannot substitute. We emphasize the need for local populations to be actively engaged in resource management and development strategies with their perceptions and needs acknowledged.