Mont Eléphant

A(i)Site contains one or more globally threatened species

Three endemic or near-endemic plant species, as well as a number of other threatened plant species, qualify Mount Elephant as a potential IPA under criteria A(i). Mount Elephant contains two threatened habitat types, lowland rain forest and vertical rock, therefore the area would probably also qualify under criteria C. The species composition of the lowland rainforest, which is very rich in tree species from the Leguminosae subfamily Detarioideae, as well as poor in pioneer tree species (X.M. van der Burgt, pers. obs.), is an indication that the rainforest was relatively little disturbed by past human activities and past climatic change. The high density of timber trees and the presence of non-timber forest products, suggests the area might also qualify under criterion B(iii), likely containing > 3% of Cameroon's socially, economically, or culturally valuable plant species.

Mount Elephant is a 480 m hill in Ocean Division, Cameroon's South Region, 11 km from the coast, southeast of Kribi. The slopes are gradual on the north, east and west sides, but on the south side there is a long vertical rock wall about 50 m high. The area demarcated here covers 23 km2, encompassing the hilly terrain but it is feared much of this area may already have been lost.

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The site is part of the African Atlantic coastal forest, a vegetation type rich in rare and endemic species (Letouzey, 1968, 1986). Forest in this area is particularly rich in tree species in the Leguminosae subfamily Detarioideae. Begonia montis-elephantis (CR, Begoniaceae; Wilde 2002) and Mitriostigma monocaule (CR, Rubiaceae; Sonké et al 2009) are endemic, and Hypolytrum unispicatum (EN, Cyperaceae; Sosef & Simpson 2005) is near-endemic to the vertical rock wall at the South side of the hill (but also known from a single site in Equatorial Guinea). These species are highly threatened, because forest fires lit by farmers and oil palm plantation staff are advancing closer in the forest strip at the base of the vertical rock wall. In September 2017, the fires had advanced to 50 m from the base of the cliff. When these fires reach the base of the cliff, the trees will die, and the environment will become generally too sunny for these three shade-loving species. Begonia montis-elephantis may therefore soon become extinct. Three attempts have been made to collect seeds of these species for seed-banking; in February 2016, November 2016 and October 2017, but without success. Other rare species such as Didelotia ledermannii may now be extinct at this location, having not been recorded for many decades. Several species reach the northern limit of their distribution in this region and are therefore nationally rare, such as Gilbertiodendron scutatum (VU) which has only been recorded in Cameroon at this site.

Mount Elephant lies at the northern edge of the ancient Congo Craton, at the border of the paleo-proterozoic Nyong unit (part of the Ntem complex) and a northwest oriented, south-east thrusting tongue of the neoproterozoic Yaoundé group; these are metasedimentary and meta-igneous rocks, predominantly gneiss, amphibolite, biotite, quartzite and micaschists (Nzenti et al., 2016; Teutsong et al., 2020). More detailed mapping appears to show Mount Elephant as a small intrusion of meta-syenite bordering an area of Biotite-hornblende gneiss and TTG (Moudiouh et al., 2020). Personal observation suggests the bedrock is of some kind of light-coloured and layered stone, which is being quarried by hand in two quarries at the top of the cliff. The stone is quarried by hand, carried to the roadside and sold in nearby villages and cities in Cameroon. The slabs are cut into egg-shaped plates which are used to grind food. Irregularly shaped pieces are used to cover floors and walls (X.M. van der Burgt, pers. obs.).
Soils in this area are mapped as haplic ferralsols (Yerrima & Ranst, 2005) but may vary locally on the raised terrain.
The climate is equatorial with c. 2,900 mm of rain per year at Kribi and a main dry season between late November and February but with all months receiving c. 60 mm or more (Tchouto, 2004; WMO, 2021). At Kribi there is only a slight reduction in precipitation in July rather than a distinct second dry season. Average annual temperature is around 25 °C, with monthly maxima ranging from 32.8 °C in February to 27.7 °C in August. Minima are more constant, ranging between 22.5 and 23.9 °C.
The area is part of the Lower Guinea subregion of the Guineo-Congolian region (White, 1986) and habitat includes lowland coastal rainforest, rich in Detaroid legumes, and a vertical, partially vegetated rock wall. However, there is little rainforest remaining and the area is largely surrounded by palm oil plantion and other cultivated land.

The whole area in and around Mount Elephant is currently listed as an "Agro-industrial area" by the Cameroon government, implying that it will all be converted to agricultural land. To the South, a very large oil palm plantation was set up recently; there is no more forest left here. To the East, medium sized farms were set up recently and the forest is all but gone although this area is designated as Nyete community forest, a production forest reserve. In September 2017, there was still closed forest on the slopes and summit of the mountain. This forest has been subject to some logging in the past. This forest is also heavily hunted, so that the populations of edible animals are greatly reduced. As we write this (2021), the forest may already have been completely destroyed, or this may happen soon.

Mount Elephant provides habitat for numerous animal species. Populations of many of these have greatly declined because of the high hunting pressure. The hill provides water to nearby villages. The rainforest acts as a store of carbon.

Xander van der Burgt, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

Bruce Murphy, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew