Use and Natural Regeneration of Woody Species of High Ethnobotanical Value in Tropical Rainforest (Southern Cameroon)

This study assesses the natural regeneration of 25 woody species of high ethnobotanical value in the tropical rainforest of southern Cameroon. Quantitative ethnobotanical data (use value UV, relative frequency of citation RFC, informant consensus factor ICF) and dendrometric parameters (seedling density, DBH, height) were collected from up to 60 informants per species, covering 17 botanical families. Use value (UV) ranged from 0.031 to 2.60. The Shannon–Wiener diversity index revealed high diversity within botanical families (H′ = 2.654) and an even distribution across the five use categories (H′ = 1.510). Pearson correlations showed a significant negative relationship between UV and seedling density (r = – 0.487; p = 0.014), as well as between ICF and seedling density (r = – 0.502; p = 0.011). The Kruskal–Wallis test confirmed significant differences among UV groups (H = 9.46; p = 0.009). Five species combine high cultural value with concerning regeneration status: Ricinodendron heudelotii, Baillonella toxisperma, Milicia excelsa, Alstonia boonei, and Irvingia gabonensis. These results call for urgent sustainable management measures, including harvest quotas, agroforestry programs, and the closure of certain areas to exploitation.