Socio-economic Services of Living Hedges in the Sudano-Sahelian Zone of Cameroon

Living hedges are among the linear agroforestry systems that structure agricultural landscapes and play an important role in the livelihoods of local populations. They provide various socio-economic services to communities. The objective of this study was to contribute to the promotion of living hedges. The study consisted of a survey conducted among 234 living hedge owners in 18 localities distributed along the 800, 900, and 1000 mm isohyets, with six localities selected from each isohyet. The results revealed that living hedges are established by farmers primarily to protect crops, livestock, and houses (76.5%) against wind, erosion, and, more generally, climatic hazards. In addition, living hedges provide products such as fuelwood and timber (65.3%), vegetables (59.4%), fodder (27.1%), and medicinal products (35.6%). Living hedges also serve as an alternative solution to land conflicts (57.2%) and agro-pastoral conflicts (54.5%). The main species used include Jatropha curcas, Jatropha gossypifolia, Commiphora africana, Commiphora kerstingii, Manihot esculenta, Euphorbia kamerunica, Euphorbia sp., Erythrina sigmoidea, Azadirachta indica, Senna siamea, Ziziphus mauritiana, Agave sisalana, Ipomoea carnea, Acacia polyacantha, Acacia nilotica, Eucalyptus camaldulensis, Moringa oleifera, and Thevetia neriifolia. Products obtained from this system are either consumed or marketed and contribute to improving household incomes. These findings are useful for promoting and developing sustainable management strategies for living hedges in the Sudano-Sahelian zone of Cameroon.

Keywords: Agroforestry; Living Hedges; Ecosystem Services; Sudano-Sahelian Zone; Cameroon.