FORESTRY IS Acritical element inthe Cameroonian social fabric, providing employment, recreation and cultural identity. The humid forest zone of Cameroon (270 162 km2 ) is considered the most diverse of all Central African forests, with a wide variety of resources of plant, animal and human origin. Gartlan (1992) reports that in some sites, more than 200 woody plant species can be found in one-tenth of a hectare. However, there are serious and dynamic problems of environmental degradation, equity and persistent poverty in the forestry sector, which translate into increased deforestation, unequal social access to resources and benefits, degraded environmental services, low productivity of land and labour, and a weak policy and institutional environment.

Model Forest, environmental, Cameroon