Physiognomy datasets across two sub-montane tropical forests: Bakossi National Park and Mt. Nlonako in the continental Cameroon mountains

Moses Nsanyi Sainge; Ngoh Michael Lyonga; Felix Nchu; A Townsend Peterson

doi:10.1016/j.dib.2024.110475

Physiognomy datasets across two sub-montane tropical forests: Bakossi National Park and Mt. Nlonako in the continental Cameroon mountains

Data Brief. 2024 Apr 25:54:110475. doi: 10.1016/j.dib.2024.110475. eCollection 2024 Jun.

Authors

Moses Nsanyi Sainge^{1

2}, Ngoh Michael Lyonga³, Felix Nchu⁴, A Townsend Peterson⁵

Affiliations

¹ PMB Freetown, Sierra Leone. 7 McCauley Street, Murray Town, Reptile and Amphibian Program Sierra Leone, Freetown, Sierra Leone.
² Tropical Plant Exploration Program (TroPEG) Partnering with Reptile and Amphibian Program (RAP-SL), Sierra Leone 7 McCauley Street Murray Town, Freetown, Sierra Leone.
³ Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, UTK, USA, 1416 Circle Dr, Knoxville, TN 37996, United States.
⁴ Department of Horticultural Sciences, Faculty of Applied Sciences, Cape Peninsula University of Technology, P.O Box 1906, Bellville 7535, South Africa.
⁵ Biodiversity Institute, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas 66045 USA.

Abstract

The submontane forests in the Congo Basin have not been studied sufficiently in terms of floristic diversity, biomass, and geographic distribution. The region's lack of resources and rugged terrain are among the barriers to sampling biodiversity. This study focuses on two understudied submontane forest areas, Bakossi National Park (BNP) and Mt. Nlonako (MN), which form part of the continental Cameroon Mountains and are believed to have high species diversity and endemism. However, significant gaps exist in biodiversity data across the continental Cameroon Mountains. This study is the first detailed quantitative survey of forests in the BNP and MN through permanent plot sampling. The results of this study can be used to guide policies for managing montane ecosystems in Cameroon and enhancing conservation efforts. The study also provides an opportunity for long-term monitoring of forest health and REDD+ status.

Keywords: Floristic diversity; Permanent sampling plots; Sub-montane forests; The Congo Basin.