Land Use Agricultural Effect on Herbaceous Communities Diversity along the Edges of Freshwater Wetlands within Urban Area of Yaounde (Cameroon)

Abstract

Edges of freshwater wethlands in the urban area of Yaounde provide valuable opportunities for studying plant communities. This study quantifies the herbaceous plant community along the edge of freshwater wetlands in urban aerea of Yaounde, aiming to explore floristic composition and examine species richness and diversity responses to land use agricultural. We employed phytosociological methods and the plant functional types classification system. The database obtained was used for analysis by means of clustering and ordination techniques. We identified 98 plant species belonging to 74 genera in 32 families. Four wethland communities were both identified and described. We examine the effect of land use on species richness and diversity through one way Anova analyses. Significant variations in species richness and diversity were observed across plant community groups. Five plant functional types were identified in the study area with dominance of therophytes. Phytogeographically, the pantropical type prevails. In conclusion, our study elucidates the characteristics of herbaceous vegetation at the edges of freshwater wethlands in Yaounde, emphasising the pivotal roles of agricultural activities as significant driver influencing plant community structures across our study sites. So, appropriate wethland management strategies could mitigate potential negative effects of land use.