Analysis of Land Cover Change and Its Implication on the Environment around the Dja Biosphere Reserve, Southeastern Cameroon

Abstract

Land cover change is a growing concern around the world. This is especially true for protected areas which are rapidly degrading owing to pressure from anthropogenic activities. The aim of this study was to analyze land cover change for the periods 1980, 2008 and 2020 and its implication on the environment in and around the Dja Biosphere Reserve in south eastern Cameroon. This was done using remote sensing and geographical information systems techniques to quantify and measure the extent of land cover change in the study area for forty years. Household surveys were equally undertaken through the administration of questionnaires to farmers in villages located within the Dja Biosphere Reserve. Collected data was analyzed through the use of GIS software as well as Microsoft Excel. From the land cover maps, four classes were found: dense forest, cultivated areas, water surface, and buildings and bare soils. The transition matrix between 1980 and 2008 showed that 6477.81 ha of dense forest was lost to cultivated areas and between 2008 and 2020, 722.84 ha of dense forest was lost. Between 1980 and 2008 cultivated areas lost 0.07% and gain 0.72% between 2008 and 2020. Building and bare soils increase by 0.28% between 1980 and 2020. The Kappa index of agreement was 0.91 % between 1980 and 2008 and 0.88% between 2008 and 2020. Slash and burn agriculture (43.3%), hunting (36.3%) and harvesting of tree-based products (20.3%) were identified by farmers as the human activities with the most negative impact on the reserve. Results revealed that, there are still opportunities to safe this vulnerable reserve from the negative effects of land cover change through the practice of agroforestry.