GEOGRAPHY FROM 4 SCIENCE

CHAPTER 1: The concept of development

THE CONCEPT OF DEVELOPMENT

Development:

Development is a complex word, but it is simply defined as the process of change which improve
society well-being in terms of material well being and quality life. This term development is
commonly used by many all over the world. Many characteristics are joined today used to measure
and determine the various level of development in different countries. Such characteristics include:

Access to education

Improved health care

Level of urbanization

Life expectancy

Better working conditions

Level of employment

Improved housing

Security

Under development:

This indicates a country whose resources are under exploited furthermore some countries termed
under developed are those whose wealth is enjoyed by few individualls

CHARACTERISTICS OF UNDERDEVELOPMENT

High birth and death rate

Malnutrition

High level of illiteracy

Low life expectancy

The large agricultural sector and a small industrial sector

Poor housing condition

Poor or limited health facility

Poverty
This is a concept which is very difficult to explain. Generally, it can be defined as a country inability to
satisfy her population in basics needs of life which include:

Food

Shelter

Health

Education

Sustainable development:

This is the type of development that safeguards natural resources for future generation. The concept
of sustainable development came into use when it was realized that the rate of exploitation and
consumption, the future generation may not be oppourtuned to use these resources

Objectives:

Increase standard of living without destroying the environment

To satisfy basic needs like food and water than large scale development

Increasing the efficiency and the rate of recycling

To safeguard natural resources for future generation

Principles

Interdependence: the people, the economy and the environment are interdependent from the local
to global range

Citizenship and stewardship: people have their rights and responsibilities. These include; partition
and co-operation

Diversity: recognition and respect for the cultural, social, economical and biological diversity of our
environment.

Equality: respect for quality of life and for quality to all

Uncertainty: Understandings how uncertain are our actions are and take appropriate and corrective
measures.
development

MILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENT GOALS (MDGS)

MDGs were established in the year 2000 during united nation summit. This resolution was taken by
the 189 nation countries that attended the summit. And at least 23 international organizations that
were summated helped achieve MDGs by 2015.

The MDGs

Goal 1: they eradicated extreme poverty.

By 2015, the proportion of people living on less than 1.25 US dollars will be reduced by half

Achieved decent employment for women, men and young people

By 2015, the number of people who suffer of hunger were reduced by half

Goal 2: achieve universal primary education for girls and boys by 2015

Goal 3: promote gender equality and empower women

Goal 4: reduce child mortality rate

Goal 5: improve maternal health

Goal 6: combat HIV/AIDS and malaria

Goal 7: ensure environment sustainability

Goal 8: develop a global partnership for development

development
THE HUMAN DEVELOPMENT INDEX (HDI)

The HDI is a social well fare index measuring the adult literacy rate (education, life expectancy, and
income per habitant).

This HDI was established 1990 by the United Nations development program which attempts to
measure the extent to which a country is developed.

With the HDI, each country is given a score which vary from 0-1 based on its life expectancy,
education and income per head.

According HDI countries with score of 0.9 are considered to be corresponding to the most
economically developed countries, while those with less than 0.5 are corresponding to less
economically developed countries.

Newly industrialized countries (NICs)

The NICs is a term applied to the formally developing country that over last 3, 4 decades has
sustained a high rate of economic growth. They have a competitive edge with the developing
countries.

There are three main groups of NICs

Asia: Hong Kong, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Indonesia, Malaysia, China, India and Thailand.
Because of their rapid economic growth, they are referred to as tiger economy.

Latin America: Brazil and Mexico

Europe: Spain, Portugal, Ireland, Yugoslavia

Strategies for development used by the newly industrialized countries

Provision of cheap loans and government subsidizes to new investors

Tax holidays for foreign investors

Maintain a stable banking system

Restriction to import to protect new industries from competition

Creation of free trade zones where no taxes are paid

Priority on technical based education and training to attract overseas investors

LICs (least industrialized countries)

Already industrialized countries (AICs)

Oil rich countries

Cameroon

Germany

Saudi Arabia

Mali

USA

Kuwait

Gabon

Japan
Iran

Ethiopia

Australia

Iraq

Niger

Britain

Nigeria

Chad

France

Lybia

development

CLASSIFICATION OF NATION IN TERMS OF DEVELOPMENT LEVELS

Economic wealth

The common term developed and developing were the common terms used to describe economic
terms of a country.
 By 1890, the terms developing was replaced the south and later the third world. By 1990, it
was realized that poverty is relative and not absolute. Then the term more economically developed
and less economically developed countries were increasingly used.

Social factors

In the western society, economical development means a growth in wealth. Besides that, other
criteria have been suggested. E.G; lower births and deaths, lower infant mortality rate, longer life
expectancy, slower population growth.

development

INDICATORS OF LESS INDUSTRIALIZED COUNTRIES

High level of illiteracy

High birth rate and death rate

Low life expectancy

Little or no medical facilities

Low level of employment

High agricultural sectors

Poor housing

Small industrialized sector

In 1960, Rostow suggested 5 stages of economic development through which a country passes as it
grows;

development

THE CYCLE OF POVERTY

Over one billion people in the world live in extreme poverty. In every population struggling to
survive, poor countries grow poorer and the development gap widens. At this rate, when people in
the poor countries where caught up in the cycle of poverty where children became poorer than their
parent.

Children became poorer than parents

Poor families with several children

Earn little or no money for children

Children get little or no education

Children may be illiterate or develop limited skills

Get worst paid jobs or find no jobs

And the cycle restarts from 1

Causes of absolute poverty

Most working population are engaged in subsistence working hence earn little

A high percentage of youth population are not productive and depend on the poor working
population

The prevalence of cholera, AIDS/HIV, malaria, so much of the money is spent on health

Poor transport network, months are seasonal which disturbs the flow of service from one part of the
country

Malnutrition

High birth and death rate

Low employment

Political instability

High level of illiteracy

Low sanitation

development

ECONOMIC ACTIVITIES

It is the activity performed man in order to satisfy his needs e.g. farming, hunting, taping etc.

Agriculture: it is the most important economic activity in less developed world e.g. subsistence
agriculture and extensive subsistence family

Industry: in its wide term, the word industry is used to cover all form of economic activities e.g.
primary, secondary industries etc.
Mining: the extraction of minerals such as iron ore and copper etc.

Fishing: this is the act of exploiting river, lake or oceans for fish

CHAPTER 2 : Agriculture

IMPORTANCE OF AGRICULTURE

It is a source of raw materials to secondary sector

It is a source of income

It create employment to more than 1000 people in Cameroon

It is a source of foreign exchange earnings

It serves as food resources

Agriculture

FARMING AS A SYSTEM

Farming: it is a type of agriculture that consists of cultivation of crops

System: it consists of how we perform to do something. Parts of a system include;

Input

Processes

And output

Fertilizer
Planting

Vegetable

Labour

weeding

Fruit

Seeds

Landing

Rice

Farming tools

Harvesting

Yam

Land

Pruning

Tomato
Soil

Digging

Carrot

Good climate

Mulching

Cocoyam

Water

Feed back

Maize

Feed back: this is the use of manure from animals during waste to fertilize the soil and the use of
profit to increase output.

Agriculture

TYPES OF FARMING

There are basically two types of farming which are:

Intensive agriculture

Extensive agriculture

Intensive agriculture

It is the system of farming where a small land is cultivated with high input in terms of capital,
machine and resultant to high output.

Characteristics

It is labour intensive

The land sizes are irregular and small with less than two hectares

Output per unit area is high due to the high application of manure

Field or plots are permanently cultivated throughout the year

Irrigation is highly practiced and allows cultivation throughout the year

It is divide into two; intensive subsistence and intensive commercial

Intensive subsistence

Here there is the constant cultivation of piece of land with regular application of fertilizers and with
no fallow period.

This system is well developed especially in the densely populated region that is ; in the Burma in
India, China, Thailand, Ndop plains in Cameroon etc and the mostly cultivated or important crop is
rice.

Agriculture

METHOD OF INTENSIVE SUBSISTENCE

Method of intensive subsistence

Selection of seeds which are growth in nurseries

Ditches are cleared and repaired

Paddy wall are rebuilt and the soil made ready

An ox pulls a wooden plough to break the soil then the soil is made soft

Young seedlings are replanted when the soil is ready

Other examples of intensive subsistence include:

Pastoral nomadism, cattle ranching, transhumance

Pastoral nomadism

This is a type of cattle rearing where the hinder moves with his cattle from place to place in search of
pasture and water.

It is practiced mainly in the tropical grassland regions where natural grass is available. The popular
groups involved in pastoral nomadism in Africa include the: Masai in East Africa especially in Kenya
an the Fulani in Nigeria and Cameroon.

Characteristics

Nomads move from extensive distance

The activity is carried out mainly by the Fulani who neither have fixed homes or lands

The rearers consider the livestock as wealth and their social position and prestige depends upon size
and herds rather than upon money

no ownership of a grass land

Pastoral farming is carried out in the savanna and sahel zones where rainfall is low and unreliable.
These area are free from tse-tse fly

Animals are a source of livelihood to the Fulani, it provides food, wool and dung as manure

Problems accounted in pastoral nomadism

The herders depend entirely on local pasture which is a low nutritional value, this results to poor
quality meat

In years of prolonged drought, the grass withers and river dries. This leads to the death of many
cattles and loses in weight of others
Though cattle rearers avoid diseases, infected areas, occasionally they are attacked as they wonder
about in search of pasture and also on their way southwards to the market

Where transportation of cattle from the grazing land to the southern market is done on foot, there is
great loss in weight and quality by the time they arrive the market

Cattle ranching

Cattle ranching are the rearing of cattle in enclosed grazing lands or fences hence restricting the
movement of the animals.

The animals are fed on corn and other food stuffs as well as being left to feed for themselves on the
natural pasture. The cattle are reared mainly for beef and riches. The major areas of cattle ranching
are western USA, Argentina, Uruguay and parts of Australia.

Characteristics

Cattles are reared mainly for beef production

The average size of a ranch is 25 hectares fence with barriers wired

Ranches are owned mainly by individuals and each has a work force of about 20 stock men

Scientific cross breed is practiced to obtain better species

Agriculture

PROBLEMS ACCOUNTED IN PASTORAL NOMADISM

The cattle suffer from pleura-pneumonia and from ticks

The region is often affected by droughts which lead to the death of some cattles and loss in weight of
others

Labour required is inadequate due to low population density

Attempted solutions

Veterinary services have been introduced to fight against diseases

Grazing fields are often irrigated to make pasture available during periods of drought
Migrant workers from the common wealth countries are used to reduce the problem of
labourization

Transhumance

This is the up movement up to the highlands and northwards to escape from the effects of the tse-
tse fly and other biting objects.

Intensive commercial

Dairy farming:

This is a highly intensive type of life stock farming where cows are reared for production of milk and
its bi-product e.g. Butter, cheese, cream etc. and types of milk. This is commonly practiced Denmark,
Holland, Switzerland, Australia, Britain etc.

Factors favouring Diary farming

Climate: dairy farming is commonly practiced in area of mild winter temperature and moderate
rainfall of about 500mm which is a climatic condition and is very suitable for the growing of pasture.

Soils: soil where cattle (animals) are reared are equally fertile e.g. the greats lakes which support the
growth of pasture

Topography: the topography of areas were dairy farming is practiced especially around the great
lakes

Markets: it is practiced mostly near large urban centres which already serve as a market.

Agriculture

CHARACTERISTICS OF DAIRY FARMING

Farm sizes are usually small covering just out 50-80 acres

Dairy breeds are usually of high quality and can produce large quantities of milk

They include Jersey, Friesian and Ayrshire

Machines are used to carry out many processes e.g. milking of cows
The quantity of milk produced per cow is quite much

Agriculture

IMPORTANCE OF THE ACTIVITY

It is a source of employment

It contributes to the gross national product

It is a good source of protein food to the population

It has led to the emergence of food processing industries e.g. creameries

Extensive agriculture

Extensive subsistence

Shifting cultivation

It is a primitive system of subsistence farming, where farmers cultivate on a piece of land and moves
to a new piece of land carrying cultivation along with his belongings.

Characteristics

The farmer cultivate the land and later abandon it

This is a low production level but it has a high sustainability because it doesn’t require only input of
fertilizers and manure

It is practice in area with low population density

Labour is provided mainly by the farmers and his family

The use of simple equipment

The farmer depends on fertile nature

Factors affecting shifting cultivation

Small farming sizes

Poor farming techniques

Rapid exhaustion of soil fertility

Reluctance to accept changed

Bush fallowing

This is an improved system of shifting cultivation where population density is higher. This type of
farming is common Latin America, Africa, and Asia.

Characteristics

It is more modernized than shifting cultivation

The farmer moves or leaves the farm land before coming back

Manure is not important to the farmer so output is low

Plant wither in recognition

Population density is usually low

Factors affecting bush fallowing

Rapid exhaustion of soils

Low population density

Extensive commercial (livestock ranching)

Ranching is the commercial rearing of animal in an enclosed area or fence for meat, skin and wool.

Characteristics

Ranches are between 10-100Km2

The ranches have between 10000 to 25000 animals

Animals are fed both with natural and cultivated pasture

Ranches are scientifically managed, that is they have automatic feeding towers and a veterinary
surgeon who constantly attend to the animals

Agriculture

FACTORS AFFECTING LIVESTOCK RANCHING IN THE GRASSLAND

Climate: it is described as the cold temperate continental climate with mild temperature which
allows the grow of pastures.

Relief: areas of the world where livestock farming takes place are relatively flat and allows the easy
movement of animal where as in a ranch there is limited space for movement of animals

Soil: soils are very fertile. The soil at this point is known as chenozerns and chest nut whch are
favourable for the growing of grass and alfafa pasture used in feeding the animals

Land: there is abundance land where ranching is practiced due to low population density.

Demand: world demand for meat and other bi-products are increasing every day then more
livestock are needed to meet ip demand.

Agriculture

PROBLEMS OF LIVESTOCK RANCHING

Animals sometime suffer from ticks and diseases

Sometimes the regions are affected by droughts leading to the death of animals

Providing livestock products face competition with synthetic fibre, natural wool etc.

Agriculture

THE VON THUNEN AGRICULTURAL LAND USE MODEL

Johann Henrick von thunen, a prominent 19th century German economist. E became interested on
how and why agriculture land was varied with distance from a market (urban centres). He published
a book entitled “The isolate state” in 1826.

Assumptions

The city is located centrally within an isolated state

In this state one large market was dorminant

The state occupied a broad flat plain with uniform fertility

There was only one transport system available, horse and cart

Cost of transport was directly proportional to distance

The farmers behave rationally to maximize profit

He suggested 6 types of land uses which were located by concentric circles from the city centre.

Market, gardening and dairy farming were close to city centre because of the perish ability of the
goods

Goods were bulky and this was occupying the second circle

The 3rd zone is occupied with 8th crops rotation

The 4th zone consists of less intensive proposition because of pasture-rye pasture-barley

The 5th stage is based on extensive agriculture based on the 5th rate of crop rotation because the
output is less bulky and support the high cost of transport

The last circle deals with ranching because the animals are self transporting

Beyond the 6th zone was considered a wilderness and too far from the city centre for any form of
agriculture

Criticisms

Changes in demand or price of commodity

Soil fertility

Variation on topography

Different transportation methods e.g. boats are the cheapest mode of transport

Agriculture

GREEN REVOLUTION

The green revolution actually started in 1960 in developing countries where modern and western
types of farming techniques were been applied in order to improve their output.

This began in Mexico and where new varieties of wheat and maize were developed to solve the
country food problems. The new varieties were able to withstand strong wind, heavy rainfall and
diseases. Yields of maize and wheat tripled, new seeds were taken to India, Philippine and Thailand
were with population growth was far more than food supply.
Later new varieties of improved rice were developed e.g. IRO (miracle rice)

Characteristics of green revolution

It involves engineering to improve varieties of crops and animals

Large amount of fertilization is needed to improve soil fertility

There is practice of Irrigation to improve on soil moisture

It involves Mechanization e.g. the use of tractors

There is high application of herbicides

Benefits of the green revolution

Increases crop use

Up to 3 crops can be grown each year

Improvement in standards of living

The growing of rice wheat and maize provided

Population with varying diet

Problems of the green revolution

High yield varieties are more costly to grow as it needs more fertilizers and irrigation

Farming is not successful on alluvial plains when flooding occurs

Farm mechanization has increased rural unemployment

Some farmers are unable to afford for tractors, fertilizers and pesticides

Farm input like fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides have contaminated water source causing health
problemsAgriculture

SOME PROBLEMS OF TROPICAL AGRICULTURE IN CAMEROON

Hot and wet equatorial climate

The hot and wet climate of the equatorial region encourages the prevalence of mosquitoes which
spread diseases by attacking men, making him sick, weak and less productive. This climate also
hastens decomposition, making food preservation difficult.

Soil infertility

The principal soil of the tropical domain is the sandy clay ferruginous soil, otherwise known as
laterite. The soil has been heavily leached from its natural plant nutrients by the heavy rainfall hence
deficient in plant nutrient. The cultivation on this soil yields very low output except when fertilizers
are used.

Pest and diseases

The warm, moist climate has encouraged the prevalence of pest and diseases. For instance, the tse-
tse fly that attack animals bring sleeping sickness, black pod diseases and capsid pest that attack
cotton, panama that attacks banana etc. these diseases lead to low quality and quantity of output.

Drought

In some regions such as the sudano-sahelian regions, rainfall is inadequate and unpredictable. This
limits the growing seasons, limit water for plants and animals and thus crop failure, death of animals
and environmental degradation.

Storms

Tropical storms which occur during the growing season in the tropics are a menace to agriculture.
They destroy crops such as rubber, banana, and maixe. This leads to drop in output.

Poverty

The third world farmers are poor hence cannot afford enough farm equipments and chemicals
(pesticides) for the eradication of plant diseases. They also do not have enough money to develop
heavy leached soils with fertilizers and finance large case development projects such as irrigation or
land reclamation.

CHAPTER 3 : Resource and exploitation

RESOURCES
Resources are anything in our environment which are useful to people which can either be natural
or man-made.

Resource management on the other hand are efforts put in place by man to maintain and preserve
the natural resources e.g. forest, fish and minerals

exploitation

RESOURCES

Resources are anything in our environment which are useful to people which can either be natural
or man-made.

Resource management on the other hand are efforts put in place by man to maintain and preserve
the natural resources e.g. forest, fish and minerals

Natural resources are those that man has made little or no effort to bring about its existence e.g.
soils, fish, minerals, climate etc. these are either Renewable or non-renewable.

Renewable resources: these are replaceable resources after used or exploitation e.g. forest-by
reforestation, soils by adding fertilizers.

Non-renewable resources: these are resources which when extracted cannot be replaced in the
nearest future e.g. diamond, gold, copper, petroleum.

exploitation

WORLD FOREST DISTRIBUTION

The world forests are grouped into 3:

Tropical hardwood forest

Temperate hard wood forest

Coniferous forest (softwood)

Tropical hardwood forest (tropical rain forest)

Africa
Areas where tropical rainforest is found in Africa:

West of Cameroon

Congo basin

Coastal plains of tropical east Africa

Gulf of guinea

Latin America

Areas were tropical rainforest is found In Latin America:

Pacific coast of Colombia

Central America from panama to Mexico

South east Asia

Areas were tropical rainforest is found in south east Asia

Malaysia

Indonesia

Thailand

Papua new guinea

Burina

Australia

Northern Australia

Characteristics of tropical rainforest

Wide variety of species over a small area

Common species of wood include: Iroko, Sapelle, Ironwood etc.

The forest and trees are in layers

The temperate hardwood forest

Location:

Northern china and japan

West, south and centre Europe

exploitation

CHARACTERISTICS OF THE TEMPERATE HARD WOOD FOREST

They are mostly broad leaves

They shade their leaves in autumn

Species are scattered irregularly in the forest

Commercial species include: elm, beech, oats, chestnut, maple

Species are durable and strong but they are very difficult to tract their soft wood

Coniferous forest

Location:

Western part of north America

Northern Colombia

British Colombia

The great lakes region

Appala chain mountain

Washington and Oregon states in USA

Northern Europe

Northern Siberia

Characteristics

Trees are very tall from 30m and above

Trees are evergreen with needle like leaves

Most of the trees are soft wood

Trees occurs in pure stands (the same species come together)

Commercial species include: pine, spruce, fir

exploitation

METHOD OF TIMBER EXPLOITATION

Four main stages are involved in timber exploitation:

Preparation

Felling

Extraction

Replanting(reforestation)

Preparation

foreign areas are to be exploited

create tracks roads to the area

establish a setup camp to the workers and store food

felling

engine and at time hand saws are used in felling

branches are striped and trunked out into logs

extraction

logs are moved to collection points

they are taken by tractors to either river sites or loaded in trucks

they are then transported to sawmills/seaports for exportation

replanting

timber companies are completed to become new seeding after felling and replanted species for
those felt

Resource and exploitation

FACTORS AFFECTING TIMBER EXPLOITATION IN THE TEMPERATE FOREST

Exploitation and extraction of timber in the temperate forest is more developed than the tropical
forest, also the coniferous forest are by far demanded than the tropical hardwood. They are used for
construction and for industrial purpose.

Stands of timber:

Exploitation of timber from the temperate forest is made very easy as most of the trees species are
found in stands. Most often, clear felling is used where all the trees are removed.

Demand for timber

There is expanding demand for soft wood especially by the paper and pulp industries and cellulose.
They are equally demanded by construction industries and also for furniture.

Access to market

Most coniferous forest are near measure industrial areas and developed countries where the
demand of timber product is so high.

Timber is pulped before transported thereby reducing its weight thus less cost in transporting. E.g.
Britain imports large quantity of pulp in Sweden, USA consumes pulp in Canada thus there is a less
transportation cost and a ready market.

Handling:

Rejuvenation of the forest in the temperate area can’t be compared with a tropical forest. Here,
aforestation and reforestation surpasses deforestation. There is more of tree farming as well as the
development of communities for forest workers thus, more income is equally earned.

Problems affecting world’s forest today

Demand for agricultural land

The demand for fuel wood

Expanding settlements

Over cutting of trees

Growth of industrial regions

Wild forest firesexploitation

ENVIRONMENTAL CONSEQUENCES OF DEFORESTATION

There is an imbalance in the natural ecosystem

There is increase possibility of flooding

Increase soil erosion

Disappearance of many birds and animal species

Soil imporishment

Effect on local climatic condition, leading to less reliable rainfall

Forest conservation and management

Over the years, man has been making a lot of effort towards protecting the forest and preserving it.
Therefore conservation and management is simply describing man’s effort towards these goals.

exploitation

WHY CONSERVING THE FOREST (ENVIRONMENTAL AND ECONOMIC IMPACT OF FOREST

CONSERVATION)

Safeguard water supply by protecting water shed areas

Preventing flood to occur if lands formally covered by forest is made bare

Preserve the natural ecological balance of the environment

Preserve the forest for forest Eco-touristic activities

Preserve the forest to ensure the supply of timber and other forest product now and in the future

To provide recreational and sporting facilities

The source of food and employment and it contributes to the gross natural product (GNP)

It is a source of medical plant

exploitation

METHODS OF CONSERVATION AND MANAGEMENT

Aforestation

Re-aforestation

Selective cutting practice

Reduction of wastage

Recycle

Forest protection: wild forest could be protected from natural hazards like wild fires and other tree
diseases and pests. For wild fire, lookout towers and air patrols are necessary e.g. in USA and
Canada, these methods are used in order to give signals and warning for a rapid intervention

Pest and diseases are checked by periodic spray to protect the spread of diseases.

exploitation

MANAGEMENT OF FOREST RESOURCES IN CAMEROON

Case study: forest exploitation in southern Cameroon

Most of Cameroon’s forest exploitation is concentrated in the equatorial forest zone which occupies
about 40% of the total surface area giving a total of 2.5million hectares.

The forest occupies most of the southern part of Cameroon principally: southwest, littoral, southern
region to eastern region, centre. The forest sector occupies an important place in the country’s
economy.

exploitation

METHODS OF EXPLOITATION

Forest exploitation in Cameroon uses both traditional and modern methods of timber exploitation
The traditional method involves the use of crude tools such as axes and cutlasses in felling trees

This is mostly carried out by individuals

On the other hand, the modern method involves the use of potable engine source in felling,
caterpillars, bulldozers are also used for exploitation.

Cameroon has about 100 licenses industrial companies involved in exploitation e.g. CoCam
mbalmayo which roduces ply woods, sofibel, belabor, sfid Doume, Tic in kumba.

exploitation

STAGES IN EXPLOITATION

Preparation: areas to be exploited are surveyed, tracked and roads constructed

Felling: power engine saws are used to fell down trees. They are cut in logs, peeled or debarked and
tracked out of the forest.

Extraction: transportation of logs is by roads, railways, rivers to saw mills or to port for export

Replanting: new seedlings of more variable species are planted in exploited regions by the timber
companies

exploitation

IMPORTANCE OF TIMBER EXPLOITATION

Employment: it provides employment to a number of Cameroonians who are involved in either

felling, transportation, working in saw mills, in furniture factories etc.

Infrastructural development: exploitation companies contribute to the development of the countries

through the construction of bridges, roads and payment of dues to some local councils to the
development of health and educational facilities.

Provision of goods: forest exploitation leads to the provision of goods e.g. fruits, meat species,
vegetables etc. also leaves roots for medicinal purposes.

Development of industries: it provides raw materials for industrial uses. E.g. ply woods, paper and
pulp, safety match (UNALOR use timber as their main raw material)

It is a source of government revenue. Companies involved with exploitation pay taxes to the
government which acts as a source of income to the government.