Country: Cameroon
Administrative region: Littoral (Region)
Central co-ordinates: 3.60000 N, 9.76000 E
Area: 2715km²
Qualifying IPA Criteria
IPA assessment rationale
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Site description
Douala-Edea National Park is a large reserve of mangroves, swamp forest and humid littoral forest on the Gulf of Guinea coast immediately south of the major city, Douala. The site was first gazetted as a reserve in 1932 but was upgraded to a National Park in 2018 (Ajonina & Usungo, 2001). It incorporates the deltas of the four major rivers from north to south, the Wouri, Dibamba, Sanaga and Nyong and is divided into two main parts by the Sanaga. To the north of the Sanaga, incorporating the Manokoa reserve, is one of the two major areas of mangrove forest in cameroon, the other being the Ndongere/Cross delta zone, and an important element of the Central African mangroves ecoregion (Dopa, 2021). South of the Sanaga the site is slightly higher lying, rising to nearly 100m, with more humid forest and less mangroves and swamp forest. Lake Tissongo is also found within this southern part.
The national park boundary forms a complex shape with exclusions for the coastal strip of villages either side of the Sanaga for an area around the town of Manoka. The boundary also incorporates the river and banks of the Sanaga reaching inland towards Edea for 40-50 km, as well as a 10 km wide strip of coastal waters. These boundaries are followed here for convenience and because of the importance of coastal protection to the mangrove habitat. The Lake Ossa wildlife reserve is not included here although it might be considered separately.
Lac Ossa?
Botanical significance
Ctenolophon englerianus (NT) is a large swamp tree only recorded in Cameroon from Doula-Edea and potentially also lost from Nigeria (Hills, 2021). The timber and bark are used for canoes and construction. Although relatively widespread and gregarious where it occurs (Onana & Cheek, 2021) it has restricted to a narrow habitat range. It is also notable for it's phylogenetic significance (likely contribution to Evolutionary Diversity) as one of only two species in the mono-generic Ctenolophonaceae family. A good fossil record demonstrates the genus has survived in tropical Africa since the late Cretacious while it has appeared and disappeared elsewhere (Arabia, South America and India) and only more recently reached SE Asia where the other extant species is found (Kubitzki, 2013).
Diaphananthe dorotheae at Chutes de Dehane on Nyong a little outside the boundary.
Isonema buchholzii - north of Douala, can't really include
Beilschmiedia letouzeyi
Campylospermum longestipulatum
Ardisia ototomoensis?
Ardisia atrobullata - route razel, not assessed.
Costus bicolor is recorded only from this site but specimens were lost in the Berlin fire and it is considered insufficiently known by Maas & Maas 2016.
Pleurostylia serrulata
Dactyladenia chevalieri has been recorded here. Although this species is not threatened, this is the only record in Cameroon.
Habitat and geology
3000-4000 mm rain p.a. and monthly averages 24-29 deg C (Ajonina & Usungo, 2001).
Rivers Nyong, Sanaga, Diamba
Conservation issues
Sixty villages and 10,000 people within the reserve (Ajonina & Usungo, 2001). Fishing, fish smoked with mangrove wood
https://www.crtv.cm/2021/10/biodiversity-cameroons-lake-ossa-choking-with-salvinia-molesta/
Oil has supposedly prevented gazettement
Site assessor(s)
IPA criterion A species
| Species | Qualifying sub-criterion | ≥ 1% of global population | ≥ 5% of national population | 1 of 5 best sites nationally | Entire global population | Socio-economically important | Abundance at site |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bulbophyllum platybulbon (Schltr.) Govaerts & J.M.H.Shaw | A(i) |  |
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| Duguetia dilabens Chatrou & Repetur | A(i) | |
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| Octoknema dinklagei Engl. | A(i), A(iv) | |
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| Englerodendron graciliflorum (Harms) Estrella & Ojeda | A(i) | |
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| Mussaenda conopharyngiifolia Stapf | A(i) | |
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| Newtonia scandens Villiers | A(iii) | |
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| Isonema buchholzii Engl. | A(i) | |
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| Beilschmiedia preussii Engl. | A(i) | |
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| Cuviera talbotii (Wernham) Verdc. | A(i) | |
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| Isomacrolobium leptorrhachis (Harms) Aubrév. & Pellegr. | A(i) | |
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| Piptostigma goslineanum Ghogue, Sonké & Couvreur | A(i) | |
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| Rinorea amietii Achound. | A(i) | |
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| Sabicea rufa Wernham | A(i) | |
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| Sabicea medusula K.Schum. ex Wernham | A(i) | |
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| Tridactyle lagosensis (Rolfe) Schltr. | A(i) | |
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| Pauridiantha divaricata (K.Schum.) Bremek. | A(i) | |
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| Asystasia lindauiana Hutch. & Dalziel | A(i) | |
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| Amanoa strobilacea Müll.Arg. | A(i) | |
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| Nesogordonia papaverifera (A.Chev.) Capuron ex N.Hallé | A(i) | |
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| Lophira alata Banks ex Gaertn.f. | A(i) | |
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Bulbophyllum platybulbon (Schltr.) Govaerts & J.M.H.Shaw
Qualifying sub-criterion:
A(i)
≥ 1% of global population:
≥ 5% of national population:
1 of 5 best sites nationally:
Entire global population:
Socio-economically important:
Abundance at site:
Duguetia dilabens Chatrou & Repetur
Qualifying sub-criterion:
A(i)
≥ 1% of global population:
≥ 5% of national population:
1 of 5 best sites nationally:
Entire global population:
Socio-economically important:
Abundance at site:
Octoknema dinklagei Engl.
Qualifying sub-criterion:
A(i), A(iv)
≥ 1% of global population:
≥ 5% of national population:
1 of 5 best sites nationally:
Entire global population:
Socio-economically important:
Abundance at site:
Englerodendron graciliflorum (Harms) Estrella & Ojeda
Qualifying sub-criterion:
A(i)
≥ 1% of global population:
≥ 5% of national population:
1 of 5 best sites nationally:
Entire global population:
Socio-economically important:
Abundance at site:
Mussaenda conopharyngiifolia Stapf
Qualifying sub-criterion:
A(i)
≥ 1% of global population:
≥ 5% of national population:
1 of 5 best sites nationally:
Entire global population:
Socio-economically important:
Abundance at site:
Newtonia scandens Villiers
Qualifying sub-criterion:
A(iii)
≥ 1% of global population:
≥ 5% of national population:
1 of 5 best sites nationally:
Entire global population:
Socio-economically important:
Abundance at site:
Isonema buchholzii Engl.
Qualifying sub-criterion:
A(i)
≥ 1% of global population:
≥ 5% of national population:
1 of 5 best sites nationally:
Entire global population:
Socio-economically important:
Abundance at site:
Beilschmiedia preussii Engl.
Qualifying sub-criterion:
A(i)
≥ 1% of global population:
≥ 5% of national population:
1 of 5 best sites nationally:
Entire global population:
Socio-economically important:
Abundance at site:
Cuviera talbotii (Wernham) Verdc.
Qualifying sub-criterion:
A(i)
≥ 1% of global population:
≥ 5% of national population:
1 of 5 best sites nationally:
Entire global population:
Socio-economically important:
Abundance at site:
Isomacrolobium leptorrhachis (Harms) Aubrév. & Pellegr.
Qualifying sub-criterion:
A(i)
≥ 1% of global population:
≥ 5% of national population:
1 of 5 best sites nationally:
Entire global population:
Socio-economically important:
Abundance at site:
Piptostigma goslineanum Ghogue, Sonké & Couvreur
Qualifying sub-criterion:
A(i)
≥ 1% of global population:
≥ 5% of national population:
1 of 5 best sites nationally:
Entire global population:
Socio-economically important:
Abundance at site:
Rinorea amietii Achound.
Qualifying sub-criterion:
A(i)
≥ 1% of global population:
≥ 5% of national population:
1 of 5 best sites nationally:
Entire global population:
Socio-economically important:
Abundance at site:
Sabicea rufa Wernham
Qualifying sub-criterion:
A(i)
≥ 1% of global population:
≥ 5% of national population:
1 of 5 best sites nationally:
Entire global population:
Socio-economically important:
Abundance at site:
Sabicea medusula K.Schum. ex Wernham
Qualifying sub-criterion:
A(i)
≥ 1% of global population:
≥ 5% of national population:
1 of 5 best sites nationally:
Entire global population:
Socio-economically important:
Abundance at site:
Tridactyle lagosensis (Rolfe) Schltr.
Qualifying sub-criterion:
A(i)
≥ 1% of global population:
≥ 5% of national population:
1 of 5 best sites nationally:
Entire global population:
Socio-economically important:
Abundance at site:
Pauridiantha divaricata (K.Schum.) Bremek.
Qualifying sub-criterion:
A(i)
≥ 1% of global population:
≥ 5% of national population:
1 of 5 best sites nationally:
Entire global population:
Socio-economically important:
Abundance at site:
Asystasia lindauiana Hutch. & Dalziel
Qualifying sub-criterion:
A(i)
≥ 1% of global population:
≥ 5% of national population:
1 of 5 best sites nationally:
Entire global population:
Socio-economically important:
Abundance at site:
Amanoa strobilacea Müll.Arg.
Qualifying sub-criterion:
A(i)
≥ 1% of global population:
≥ 5% of national population:
1 of 5 best sites nationally:
Entire global population:
Socio-economically important:
Abundance at site:
Nesogordonia papaverifera (A.Chev.) Capuron ex N.Hallé
Qualifying sub-criterion:
A(i)
≥ 1% of global population:
≥ 5% of national population:
1 of 5 best sites nationally:
Entire global population:
Socio-economically important:
Abundance at site:
Lophira alata Banks ex Gaertn.f.
Qualifying sub-criterion:
A(i)
≥ 1% of global population:
≥ 5% of national population:
1 of 5 best sites nationally:
Entire global population:
Socio-economically important:
Abundance at site:
Recommended citation
(2024) Tropical Important Plant Areas Explorer: Douala-Edea (Cameroon). https://tipas.kew.org/site/douala-edea/ (Accessed on 27/07/2024)