This research examines woody plant diversity and carbon storage potential in live hedges established in highly degraded landscapes of the Western Highlands of Cameroon. In a region where forest cover has been dramatically reduced by decades of intensive agriculture, live hedges embedded within farmlands represent one of the few remaining structures capable of maintaining woody plant diversity and contributing to local carbon sequestration efforts.
The study combines vegetation surveys with biomass estimations to characterize the species composition, structural attributes, and carbon stock values of live hedge systems across multiple sites. Results demonstrate that these landscape elements, despite their modest size, collectively contribute meaningful carbon stocks and serve as ecological corridors linking isolated patches of vegetation in an otherwise highly fragmented landscape.
Incorporating live hedges into landscape restoration and carbon offset programs offers a cost-effective strategy for rehabilitating degraded highland ecosystems while providing immediate benefits to farming communities. BCL promotes the restoration of woody landscape elements as part of its integrated approach to biodiversity conservation and climate resilience in the agricultural landscapes of Central Africa.
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