STRUCTURE AND CARBON STOCK OF CANARIUM SCHWEINFURTHII (ENGL) (BURSERACEAE) IN COFFEE-BASED AGROFORESTRY SYSTEMS OF THE BAMBOUTOS, WEST CAMEROON

The revival of the coffee sector has led to a renewed national interest in the development of Canarium schweinfurthii, or "Aiélé", a multipurpose tree that dominates the agrarian landscape of the Western Highlands of Cameroon. This study focuses on the structure and Carbon sequestration potential of Aiélé in coffee agroforestry systems in the Bamboutos Division. The species inventory was done on 45 plots of 2400 m2 each within which all individuals with DBH ≥ 5 cm were measured. The estimate biomass and carbon stocks using the allometric models of Chave (2014). The structure in diameter classes reveals that Aiélé in coffee plantations are dominated by old stems with a near absence of futurs stems. The average biomass obtained was 144.1± 27.76 t/ha for an average carbon stock of 67.7 ± 13.05 tC/ha. This study showed that the structure of Aiélé observed in coffee plantations indicates an ageing of the orchards and an almost total absence of regeneration. For this reason, several constraints to tree planting were noted and highlighted and should be removed by technical assistance to farmers. However, the revival of coffee growing promoted by the Cameroonian government should also constitute an asset for the conservation of the species.