Diversity and composition of the epiphytic flora in an urban agglomeration: The case of city of Douala, Cameroon

Abstract

Epiphytes constitute an element of climate regulation in the tropical zone. In Cameroon, the decline in forest area of about 220,000 ha, partly due to urbanization, has been observed. The research aim was to characterize the epiphytic flora of the urban ecosystem of Douala. Four zones represented by nine neighbourhoods were chosen for the surveys. Four transects of a maximum distance of 500 m were scanned on each neighbourhood. Epiphytes were checked by direct visual observation on the host trees. Epiphytes’s life forms were determined, and the fixation zone was established using the Johanson method. A total of 72 species of epiphytes were identified, dominated by Polypodiaceae. Casual epiphytes were the most abundant life-form, and true epiphytes were the least, divided into Polypodiaceae, Dryopteridaceae, and Orchidaceae within the genus Calyptrochillium. Twenty-two species of host trees were inventoried in the study area. Rutaceae was the most represented family with six species. True epiphytes were abundant in seaside and peripheral areas, while Casual and Hemiepiphytes were in the central sectors. The domestication of epiphytes must be initiated in order to preserve their diversity in urban ecosystem.   Key words: Biodiversity, coastal zone, epiphyte, floristic statement, urbanization.