Agroforestry
is the pathway to biodiversity conservation. It has
always been the mainstay of traditional farming in
Cameroon and with climate change and soil biodiversity
loss it is even more vital. Trees play a crucial role in
almost all terrestrial ecosystems and provide a range of
products and services to rural and urban people. As
natural vegetation is cleared for agriculture and other
types of development, the benefits that trees provide
are best sustained by integrating trees into
agriculturally productive soils
CiSEGD therefore engages in agroforestry to tackle food
crises and climate change. CISEGD develop a tree
nursery and planted 5000 trees of prunus african. In our
effort to fight hunger through agroforestry; CISEGD with
members of the community developed and initiated a tree
yam project that is aimed at improving soil conservation
and increasing yam production for rural women farmers
while acting as stakes. The project has planted 10000
trees made up of Sesbania, tephrosia and calliandra as
well as trained 100 rural women farmers from 5 farming
groups.
Recently many people are realizing
that agroforestry can enrich biodiversity. Trees add to
the diversity and complexity of plant communities and
provide shelter and corridors for wildlife. Birds,
insects and small mammals nest, feed and shelter from
predators in trees, which in turn attract insects and
birds that pollinate crops and destroy pests.
Planting local trees adapted to local
conditions maintains the native plants (flora) and
animals (fauna). Certain trees and shrubs known as
fertilizer trees can fix nitrogen in the soil, and so
help create an environment that maintains soil
biodiversity – beneficial microorganisms underground
that keep soils rich and productive.

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