Journal of Sustainable Forestry

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Distribution of Aboveground Biomass and Soil

Organic Carbon in a Degraded Mangrove in
Douala-Edéa National Park, Cameroon

Louis Paul Roger Kabelong Banoho, Moses B. Libalah, Cedric Chimi Djomo,
Damien Marie Essono, Tagnang Nadege Madountsap, Melanie Chichi Nyako,
Emile Narcisse Njila Nana, Cintya Djouking Keubou, Remi Evaliste Jiagho,
Robert Bertrand Weladji & Louis Zapfack

To cite this article: Louis Paul Roger Kabelong Banoho, Moses B. Libalah, Cedric Chimi Djomo,
Damien Marie Essono, Tagnang Nadege Madountsap, Melanie Chichi Nyako, Emile Narcisse
Njila Nana, Cintya Djouking Keubou, Remi Evaliste Jiagho, Robert Bertrand Weladji & Louis
Zapfack (2025) Distribution of Aboveground Biomass and Soil Organic Carbon in a Degraded
Mangrove in Douala-Edéa National Park, Cameroon, Journal of Sustainable Forestry, 44:1-5,
164-176, DOI: 10.1080/10549811.2025.2513689

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JOURNAL OF SUSTAINABLE FORESTRY
2025, VOL. 44, NOS. 1–5, 164–176
[Link]

Distribution of Aboveground Biomass and Soil Organic Carbon

in a Degraded Mangrove in Douala-Edéa National Park,
Cameroon
Louis Paul Roger Kabelong Banoho a,b, Moses B. Libalah a,c, Cedric Chimi Djomo d
,
Damien Marie Essono a, Tagnang Nadege Madountsap e, Melanie Chichi Nyako a,f
,
Emile Narcisse Njila Nanaa, Cintya Djouking Keubou a, Remi Evaliste Jiagho g,
Robert Bertrand Weladji h, and Louis Zapfack a
a
Department of Plant Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Yaoundé I, Yaoundé, Cameroon; bOrganisation
pour la Conservation et le Développement (OCD), Yaoundé, Cameroon; cLaboratory of Plant Systematics and
Ecology (LaBosystE), Higher Teachers’ Training College, University of Yaoundé I, Yaoundé, BP, Cameroon;
d
Institut de Recherche Agricole pour le Développement (IRAD), Yokadouma, Cameroon; eDepartment of Plant
Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Douala, Douala, Cameroon; fInternational Institute for Tropical
Agriculture, IITA, Yaoundé, Cameroon; gDepartment of Geography, Higher Teachers’ Training College,
University of Yaoundé I, Cameroon; hDepartment of Biology, Concordia University, Québec, Canada

ABSTRACT KEYWORDS
Mangrove ecosystems store large amounts of carbon in their soils Soil organic carbon; biomass;
because of their location in the intertidal zone. These ecosystems are climate action; Mangrove;
heavily exploited for livelihood and thus threatened by human activ­ Douala-Edéa National Park
ities. In this study, we evaluated the relationships between Mangrove Sustainable Development
stand structure and soil organic carbon at different soil depths. We Goals
established quadrats of 25 m × 25 m (625 m2), measured all trees ≥5 SDG 13: Climate action
cm within the quadrats and collected soil samples using an auger at
different depths (0–30 cm; 30–40 cm and 40–50 cm). Results from the
study highlighted that Rhizophora harrisonii, Acrostichum aureum, and
Laguncularia racemosa were the three species present in the
Mangrove stands. Mangrove stand structure stood at 448 ± 3 stems
ha−1for absolute density, 11.46 ± 0.02 m2 ha−1 for basal area, 14.47 ±
0.34 cm for average diameter, and 148.76 ± 0.40 Mg ha−1for above­
ground biomass. A negative but significant association existed
between Mangrove stand structure and soil organic carbon at the
40–50 cm depth. Soil organic carbon varied significantly with depth
with average values of 157.87 ± 0.94 Mgc ha−1, 93.66 ± 0.93 Mgc ha−1,
and 91.36 ± 0.67 Mgc ha−1 for 0–30 cm, 30–40 cm, and 40–50 cm
depths, respectively. This result highlights the critical “niche depth”
at which Mangrove stands acquire soil elements.

Introduction
The Mangrove ecosystems (or in short Mangroves) provide biological, economical, and
social services to humans and the planet (Ajonina, 2008; Ajonina et al., 2014). These
ecosystems are particularly important to subsistence economies, providing consumable
timber and non-timber products, as well as ecosystem services such as ecosystem protec­
tion, habitat for fish, and climate change mitigation through carbon sequestration (Ajonina,

CONTACT Louis Paul Roger Kabelong Banoho rogerbanoho@[Link] Department of Plant Biology, Faculty of
Science, University of Yaoundé I, Yaoundé, BP 812, Cameroon
© 2025 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC
 JOURNAL OF SUSTAINABLE FORESTRY 165

2008). They are distributed in the intertidal region between sea and land in tropical and
subtropical regions of the world between approximately 30° N and 30° S latitude (Giri et al.,
2011). These ecosystems are typically distributed from mean sea level to the highest spring
tide (Alongi, 2009). Mangroves are particularly adapted to harsh conditions such as high
salinity, high temperature, extreme tides, high sedimentation, and anaerobic peat bugs (Giri
et al., 2011). In 2000, the total area of mangroves was 137,760 km2 spread across 118
countries and territories in the tropical and subtropical regions of the world.
Approximately 75% of the world’s Mangroves are found in only 15 countries, and only
6.9% are protected by the existing protected area network (Giri et al., 2011).
In Central and West Africa, Mangroves cover 20,144 km2, which represents 59% of
African Mangroves or 11% of the total mangrove area in the world (UNEP-WCMC,
2007). Cameroon’s Mangroves cover about 3,000 km2 and are distributed along the main
bays, creeks, and estuaries along more than 400 km of coastline (Ajonina, 2008). They are
mostly dominated by three to four species: Rhizophora mangle, R. harrisonii and
R. racemosa (Letouzey, 1968), and to a lesser extent Avicennia germinans. These
Mangroves face many threats from surrounding agro-industrial enterprises, oil exploitation
activities, urbanization, and the extraction of firewood for drying of fish (Ajonina &
Usongo, 2001). However, over-exploitation, land use changes/modification, and pollution
effects have degraded or reduced Mangroves by approximately 20–30% over the past two
decades. Mangroves, unlike terre firme forests that store most of their carbon in above­
ground biomass, allocate 50–90% of their carbon pool underground (Jakovac et al., 2020;
Murray et al., 2011). Carbon accumulation in these ecosystems is facilitated by the anoxic
environment that minimizes carbon degradation (Alongi, 2012). Furthermore, due to the
trapping of suspended matter and associated organic carbon during tidal flooding, the
contribution per unit area of coastal ecosystems to long-term carbon sequestration is much
greater than that of terrestrial forests (Duarte et al., 2005).
The average amount of carbon stored in the upper 1-m depth of Mangrove swamps has
been estimated at 283 ± 193 Mgc ha−1 (Atwood et al., 2017) and can be as high as 1023 Mgc
ha−1 at up to 3 m in organic-rich as reported for the Indo-Pacific regions (Donato et al.,
2011). Mangrove destruction would release three times more CO2 per hectare into the
atmosphere than tropical forest conversion (Kauffman et al., 2016). Mangroves can make
a significant contribution to the carbon budget. In addition to the great potential of Carbon
sequestration in the soil, Mangroves also store large amounts of Carbon in their above-
ground biomass which oscillate around 588 Mgc ha−1, or about 35% of the total Carbon
(Ajonina et al., 2014). Devi (2021) reported that soil organic carbon can vary with the forest
stand and biophysical components like stand structure, composition of trees, climate,
topography, etc. It appears very important to evaluate the importance of Mangrove stand
structure on soil carbon sequestration in Mangrove ecosystems where little is known about
it. Indeed, the structure of the stand could have an influence on the decomposition of
organic debris and contribute to the renewal of soil organic carbon (Devi, 2021).
Research has shown that human activities impact soil organic carbon (Mohamed et al.,
2019; Zeng et al., 2020). Indeed, better preserved soils would sequester more carbon through
the burial mechanism, while poorly preserved soils would be eroded and therefore have
lower carbon potentials. The main goal of this study was to determine the influence of
Mangrove stand structure on soil carbon variation at different depths. Specifically, we first
quantify Mangrove stand structure following a gradient of Mangrove degradation. Second,
166 L. P. R. KABELONG BANOHO ET AL.

we estimated the aboveground carbon of the soil and tested for variations across depths
(0–30 cm: 30–40 cm and 40–50 cm). Lastly, we determined the correlative association
between the structural attributes of the Mangrove stand and the soil organic carbon. We
repeated the latter for the three soil depths.

Material and methods

Study site
This study was conducted in April 2021 in the locality of Mouanko, in the Department of
Sanaga Maritime and Wouri in the Littoral Region of Cameroon (Figure 1). The study area
is located between 9°35 to 9°40 and 10°5 East longitude and 3°15 to 3°45 North latitude. The
climate of the region is characterized by the equatorial type with four seasons per year, two
dry seasons and two rainy seasons (Ajonina, 2008). The average annual rainfall is around
3000-4000 mm with severe rainfall being in September and January is the least rainy month.
The average temperature varies between 24.7°C and 29.2°C. The relief of the study area is
relatively flat and close to zero. This relief rests on formations of the lower Precambrian,
granitic and gneissic. Sandy and clayey soils are encountered (White, 1983). Ferralitic soils
are the most dominant soil in this study area and are found on terre firme whereas,
hydromorphic and sandy soils are found especially on the estuaries and the maritime
coast. They thrive on coastal air and marine currents that help transport sediments. It is
the main substratum on which the mangrove vegetates.

Figure 1. Location of the study site.

 JOURNAL OF SUSTAINABLE FORESTRY 167

The proximity of the ocean, the hydrographic network, the topography, and the
nature of the soil are all factors that favor the development of mangrove plant
species. The mangrove population of the study area is composed of six (06) main
plant species Rhizophora racemosa, R. harrisonii, R. mangle (Rhizophoraceae);
Avicennia germinans (Avicenniaceae); Laguncularia racemosa, Conocarpus erectus
(Combretaceae); and an introduced species Nypa fruticans (Arecaceae) (Mbog,
1998). The dominant species is the red mangrove Rhizophora racemosa which repre­
sents more than 90% of all Mangroves, followed by Avicennia germinans. Rhizophora
racemosa reaches 40–60 m high in the coastal zone, while inland it hardly exceeds
4–8 m high.

Methods
Data collection
Data were collected in April 2021 in sites with degraded Mangrove stands. The main source
of degradation is human activities, especially from harvesting Mangrove trees for fish-
smoking. The sampling design adopted for the data collection was the installation of
random quadrats of 25 m × 25 m or 625 m2 in different sites of the Mangrove forest.
Within each quadrat, all free standing trees with a diameter of ≥5 cm at 1.30 m above the
ground were measured. Stems with deformations at the 1.3 m were measured at 0.3 m above
such deformations. The choice of this diameter threshold was to allow for comparaison of
results with previous studies in the area (e.g. Ajonina, 2008). In addition, the greater
proportion of biomass is stored in large stems, while the greater proportion of species
diversity is stored in small stems.

Collection of soil samples

Soil samples were collected at the center of each 625 m2 quadrat using an auger. At each
collection point, samples were systematically extracted from three depths, that is, from 0
to 30 cm, 30 to 40 cm, and 40 to 50 cm depths. Each sample was air-dried in the
laboratory at room temperature for 07 days. These samples were then sieved with
a 2 mm mesh sieve and taken to the laboratory where soil carbon analysis was
performed.

Processing of soil samples in the laboratory

Soil organic carbon (SOC in %) was determined by chromic acid digestion and spectro­
photometric analysis using a Genesys 10S UV/Vis spectrophotometer (Thermo Scientific™,
Waltham, MA, USA). Soil analyses were performed at the soil and plant laboratory of the
International Institute for Tropical Agriculture (IITA) in Yaoundé. The SOC at each depth
was estimated using the equation by Yigini and Panagos (2016);
168 L. P. R. KABELONG BANOHO ET AL.

where SOCstock is in tC ha−1, SOC in %, is the proportion of a given mass of soil that is
carbon, BD in Mg m−3 is the mass per unit volume or the soil bulk density, and d is the
sampling depth.

Statistical analysis
All data were encoded in Microsoft Excel 2010 and then analyzed using R-software version
4.3.2. Quadrat-level basal area was calculated as the sum of the basal areas of all measured
trees with dbh ≥5 cm using the following formula:

where di is the diameter (in m) of one tree, π is the constant expressed as 3.14, S is quadrat-level
basal area in m2 ha−1. It was therefore extrapolated to the hectare.s

The volume of each tree was calculated using form factor equation for Central African
Mangroves (Ajonina et al., 2014);

V = 0.0000733 * D2.7921(R2 = 0.986, n = 677)

where, V = stem volume of sample trees, determined from the form factor method
(Husch et al., 2003), D = stem diameter for the range: 1 cm ≤ D ≤ 102.8 cm.
Tree volume was converted to aboveground biomass using the Mangrove-specific con­
version coefficient of 1.18 that was recommended by Ajonina (2008). Descriptive statistics
(mean and standard deviation of mean) were calculated as the Mangrove stand structural
attributes.
To test for variation of SOC among soil depths, a non-parametric approach was adopted
because the data failed to fulfil conditions for normality. A Kruskal–Wallis analysis was then
used to test for significant differences of SOC between the 0–30 cm, 30–40 cm, and 40–50
cm depths. Dunn’s post-hoc pairwise comparisons test was performed to determine differ­
ences between the pairs of depths. To assess the strength and direction of relationships
between stand structure and SOC at the three different depths, and between aboveground
biomass and SOC at the three different depths, the non-parametric Spearman’s rank
correlation test was conducted. To visualize any potential non-linear trends in the relation­
ships, the non-parametric locally weighted scatterplot smoothing (LOESS) and smoothing
splines were applied on each relationships. Each relationship was interpreted based on the
Spearman’s correlation coefficient and the p-value for significance. The strength for the
Spearman’s correlation coefficients was interpreted using the rule of thumb, that is, a weak
correlation between 0 to 0.3 or 0 to −0.3, moderate correlation between 0.3 and 0.7 (or −0.3
to −0.7), and strong correlation between 0.7 and 1 (or −0.7 to −1).

Results
Species richness and structural attributes
Three woody species were identified including Rhizophora harrisonii (434 stems ha−1),
Achrosticum aureum, and Laguncularia racemosa (14 stems ha−1). One pteridophyte species
 JOURNAL OF SUSTAINABLE FORESTRY 169

Table 1. Structural parameters of the study area.

Parameters Absolute density (stems ha−1) Basal area (m2 ha−1) Mean diameter (cm) Biomass Mgt ha-1
Laguncularia racemosa 14 ± 1 1.76 ± 0.29 1.28 ± 0.14 18.62 ± 0.28
Rhizophora harrisonii 434 ± 2 9.70 ± 0.03 13.19 ± 0.2 130.14 ± 0.12
Total 448 ± 3 11.46 ± 0.02 14.47 ± 0.34 148.76 ± 0.40

(Achrosticum aureum) which invades the Mangrove ecosystem after degradation was
equally identified.
Descriptive statistics for stand-level average tree diameter, stem density, and basal area
from the 14 quadrats were, respectively, 14.47 ± 0.34 cm, 448 ± 3 stems ha−1, and 11.46 ±
0.02 m2 ha−1 (Table 1). These parameters reflected the stand-level average of tree density
within the Mangrove stands. Average aboveground biomass was estimated at 148.76 ± 0.40
Mg ha−1, representing an important remaining proportion of biomass in degraded
Mangrove stands. Rhizophora harrisonii species has the highest biomass (130.14 ± 0.12
Mg ha−1) (Table 1).

Variation of soil organic carbon among soil depths

A Kruskal–Wallis test was conducted to determine if there were differences in soil organic
carbon (SOCstock) across three soil depths. The results showed a significant difference, chi-

Figure 2. Variation of soil organic carbon among three soil depths. Violin-boxplots with the same letters
are not significantly different.
170 L. P. R. KABELONG BANOHO ET AL.

squared = 7.36, df = 2, p-value = .025. Post-hoc pairwise comparisons using Dunn’s test
revealed that the SOCstock between 0–30 cm and 40–50 depths differed significantly, while
no significant differences were found between 0–30 cm and 30–40 and between 30–40 cm
and 40–50 cm depths (p = .002; Figure 2). A consistent decrease with depth in average
SOCstock was recorded as follows; 157.87 ± 0.94 Mgc ha−1 for the 0–30 cm depth, 93.66 ±
0.93 Mgc ha−1 for the 30–40 cm depth, and 91.36 ± 0.67 Mgc ha−1 for the 40–50 cm depth.

Relationships between mangroves stand structure and soil organic carbon

A Spearman correlation analysis was conducted to assess the relationship between above­
ground biomass and basal area with soil organic carbon at different depths. The results for
aboveground biomass (AGB) versus average soil organic carbon (SOC) indicated weak
positive correlation (Figure 3a) and results for basal area (BA) versus average SOC indicated
weak negative correlation (Figure 3e). The strength of this relationship increases from
moderate to strong for both AGB (Figure 3b,d) and BA (Figure 3f,h) toward the deeper
soil depths. This suggests a statistically significant negative monotonic relationship between
AGB and SOC at 40–50 cm depth (Figure 3d), where higher SOC levels tend to be associated
with decreased AGB. The result of the correlation between BA and SOC at 40–50 cm depth
(Figure 3f) was negative, moderate but not significant.

Discussion
Structure and diversity in a degraded mangrove stands
Mangrove forests are phytogeographic units with a particular ecology. It is important both
for its contribution to local livelihoods and for its biodiversity of global interest (Ajonina,
2008). The flora of this ecosystem has relatively low flora diversity. In this study, we
identified three species. These species constitute the species identified in Cameroonian
Mangroves. However, these species do not constitute all the species identified by several
researchers. Letouzey (1985) and Mbog (1998) identified six species characteristics of
Mangroves, including three species of Rhizophora (R. mangle, R. harrisonii, and
R. racemosa). The latter also identified species such as Avicennia nitida, Laguncularia
racemosa, and Acrostichum aureum. The low number of species is mainly explained by
the degradation due to anthropic pressure. But also, the mangrove of the area is segmented
in three sectors: the first one which is close to the sea which is represented by Rhizophora
racemosa, the second sector which is intermediate represented by R. harrisonii and the third
sector which is close to the mainland which is represented by R. mangle.
In terms of stand structure, the data was used to determine the structure of the stand.
Parameters such as basal area, average diameter, and stand density were calculated. The
analysis showed that the average diameter was fairly average, noting the small diameter of
the dominant species (R. harrisonii). The species Achrosticum aureum and Laguncularia
racemosa, being a fern for the first one and for the second one a species with a diameter
lower than 5 cm and having five individuals in the study area. The basal area indicating the
competition between trees, is relatively low, indicating the degradation of the area. This
result is confirmed when compared to Ajonina et al. (2014) who found 25.1; 24.5; 18.8 and
24.5 [Link]−1 in Mangroves in Cameroon, Gabon, Republic of Congo, and Democratic
 JOURNAL OF SUSTAINABLE FORESTRY 171

Figure 3. Strength and direction of relationships between aboveground biomass and soil organic carbon
(a to d), and basal area and soil organic carbon (e to h) including LOESS regression curve (blue line).
172 L. P. R. KABELONG BANOHO ET AL.

Republic of Congo, respectively. The absolute density shows the low density of individuals
in the study site. This can be explained by edaphic and anthropic factors. Indeed, even
though the study area is located in a protected area, it is subject to repeated human activities
due to the exploitation of Mangroves for construction and fish drying.

Biomass and soil organic carbon in degraded mangroves

The mangrove is a special ecosystem that has a high capacity to sequester carbon
through both its aerial and terrestrial parts (Kauffman et al., 2020; Rahman et al.,
2021; Zaman et al., 2023). The aboveground biomass obtained in this study is relatively
high compared to the biomass of adjacent forests but low compared to the sequestration
capacity of Mangroves, which testifies to the ability of Mangroves to sequester carbon
from the air due to their density and the hardness of their wood. Thus, the value
obtained is slightly higher than the average value (117.11 ± 1.02 t ha−1) obtained by
Harishma et al. (2020) in coastal India. This result highlights the hypothesis that
Cameroonian Mangroves, despite their condition, sequester enough aboveground bio­
mass. However, this result remains lower than the values obtained in preserved
Mangroves in Central Africa by Ajonina et al. (2014) (respectively, 505 t ha−1 in
Cameroon Mangroves, 341 t ha−1 in Gabon, 251 ha−1 in Republic of Congo and 409
t ha−1 in the Democratic Republic of Congo) and to the value of 245 t ha−1 obtained by
Kauffman et al. (2020) in the World Mangroves. This highlights the impact of degrada­
tion in the capacity of Mangroves to store carbon. Mangrove soils represent an impor­
tant sink for carbon, which is also rapidly recycled (Atwood et al., 2017).
However, this sink remains poorly known and little studied. In this study, we evaluated
the organic carbon of the soil at different soil depths (0–30 cm, 30–40 cm, and 40–50 cm).
We found that the soil organic carbon in study area is estimated at 434 Mgc ha−1 for
a maximum depth of 50 cm. This value is similar to the mean value of 334 Mgc ha−1
obtained by Kauffman et al. (2020) in the World Mangroves for a total depth of 100 m. With
this observation, we could conclude through literature review that soil organic carbon is
mostly concentrated in the first 50 m depth in mangrove ecosystem. However, like men­
tioned by Nayak et al. (2019), soil organic carbon estimation could variate in function of the
different sampling design used, and also to the analytical method choice and soil depth. In
the others hands, the results obtained show that the organic carbon of the soil is more
important in the depth 0–30 cm (157.87 Mgc ha−1), compared to the depths 30–40 cm and
40–50 cm (Rahman et al., 2021). The study also highlights the statistically similar value
between the depth 30–40 cm and 40–50 cm. The total value shows the high proportion of
soil organic carbon to aerial carbon. The present study shows that the soil organic carbon is
five times higher than the epigeous carbon in the study area (we converted the biomass to
carbon by multiplying it by 0.47 (IPCC conversion factor)). This result shows the important
role of the Mangrove soil in the purification of the planet in terms of CO2. A comparison of
these results with those of other researchers confirms the ability of Mangroves to sequester
more CO2 in its subsurface part compared to its aerial part has been highlighted by many
researchers (Ajonina et al., 2014; Atwood et al., 2017). Other work has shown the rate of soil
organic carbon sequestration in Mangroves to range from 0.2 to 10.2 Mgc ha−[Link]−1
(Breithaupt et al., 2012; Rosentreter et al., 2018). This is 20 times higher than the carbon
sequestered in tropical forest soils (Mcleod et al., 2011).
 JOURNAL OF SUSTAINABLE FORESTRY 173

The rate of carbon sequestration in the soil is explained by the unique tree structure and
complex aerial root systems of mangrove trees (the various Rhizophora) that allow the
retention of organic-rich sediments (Kraus et al., 2003). Although the magnitude of
particulate organic matter trapped in mangrove sediments differs due to varied sediment
sources (Kristensen et al., 2008), the anaerobic soil conditions resulting from daily tidal
inundation limit soil respiration and greatly facilitate preservation of soil organic carbon
(Reef et al., 2010).

Relationship between structural parameters, biomass and soil organic carbon

The results of the correlation between above-ground biomass (AGB) and average soil
organic carbon (SOC) and between basal area and soil organic carbon for a depth of
50 cm showed weak and non-significant correlations. This weak, non-significant
correlation can be explained by the depth and low number of samples. Indeed,
Rasel (2013) showed positive and significant correlations between soil organic
carbon and epigeous biomass. This weak, non-significant correlation can be
explained by the depth and low number of samples. Indeed, Rasel (2013) showed
positive and significant correlations between soil organic carbon and epigeous
biomass.
The results of the present study also show a negative but significant correlation between
above-ground biomass and soil organic carbon at depth (40–50 cm). This result can be
explained by the fact that it is in the 40–50 cm depth that the roots of the trees retain more
organic matter and it is in this depth that these same roots draw more mineral elements
essential for plant growth and development. Studies on different soils have shown the
importance of soil depth on the ability of soils to accumulate epigeous biomass (Bowen
et al., 2005; FAO, 2017). In certain depths such as 40–60 cm, soils concentrate a large
number of nutrients and this is the place where roots accumulate for a large proportion of
plants (Bowen et al., 2005).

Conclusion
The aim of this study was to evaluate the correlation between biomass and soil organic
carbon in the degraded mangrove of the Douala-Edéa National Park. The values of
structural attributes show that they are impacted by degradation because the absolute
density and basal area have relatively low values. Regarding biomass, the value obtained is
important but remains low compared to the biomass obtained in the non-degraded
Mangroves of Cameroon. The study also highlighted the importance of soil organic carbon
in relation to aboveground biomass. This shows the importance of soil in carbon seques­
tration and its importance for atmospheric CO2 sequestration. Analysis of the correlation
between basal area and soil organic carbon in the 40–50 cm depth shows a significant but
negative correlation. This shows an interaction between this depth and the diameter growth
of mangrove trees.
174 L. P. R. KABELONG BANOHO ET AL.

Acknowledgments
We thank the Conservation Action Research Network (CARN) for providing us ASPIRE research
grant. We also thank the Ministry of Forests and Wildlife through the Conservation Service of the
Douala-Edéa National Park.

Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Funding
This work was supported by the Conservation Action Research Network (CARN).

ORCID
Louis Paul Roger Kabelong Banoho [Link]
Moses B. Libalah [Link]
Cedric Chimi Djomo [Link]
Damien Marie Essono [Link]
Tagnang Nadege Madountsap [Link]
Melanie Chichi Nyako [Link]
Cintya Djouking Keubou [Link]
Remi Evaliste Jiagho [Link]
Robert Bertrand Weladji [Link]
Louis Zapfack [Link]

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