Abstract

The southern slope of Mount Bamboutos, Cameroon, a critical tropical montane ecosystem, faces escalating landcover degradation, threatening carbon stocks and biodiversity. This study integrates remote sensing (Landsat/SPOT imagery: 1992-2023) with dendrometric inventories from 30 plots (20mx20m) to quantify landcover changes and associated carbon stock variations. Results show a 23.62% decline in dense montane forest over three decades, with modified agroforestry and grassland/cropland expanding by 28.04% and 56.50%, respectively. Agroforestry systems dominated by Eucalyptus grandis and Persea americana exhibited the highest aboveground carbon density (2.15kg/m²), despite lower biodiversity (Shannon H′=1.70). Dense forests demonstrated the greatest species richness (H′=3.67) but lower carbon density (0.38kg/m²), while grassland/cropland stored minimal carbon (0.20kg/m²). Tree structural parameters (DBH, height, density) strongly predicted carbon stock (R=0.738, p<0.001). Projections suggest cropland/grassland may exceed 50% coverage by 2050, further reducing carbon sequestration capacity. The findings underscore the need for integrated REDD+initiatives, forest restoration, and sustainable agroforestry practices to safeguard ecosystem services. Spatially explicit carbon maps and targeted strategies are proposed to inform climate mitigation policies in Cameroon’s montane landscapes.

Keywords:Carbon stock dynamics; Landcover change; Mount Bamboutos; Agroforestry; REDD+; Remote sensing; Biodiversity conservation; Aboveground biomass; Cameroon highlands; Climate mitigation