Mount Cameroon is an active volcano in the South West region of Cameroon next to the city of Buea near the Gulf of Guinea. Mount Cameroon is also known as Cameroon Mountain or Fako (the name of the higher of its two peaks) or by its indigenous name Mongo ma Ndemi ("Mountain of Greatness"). Mount Cameroon is ranked 22nd by topographic isolation.
It is the highest point in sub-Saharan western and central Africa,[5] the fourth-most prominent peak in Africa, and the 31st-most prominent in the world. The mountain is part of the area of volcanic activity known as the Cameroon Volcanic Line, which also includes Lake Nyos, the site of a disaster in 1986. The most recent eruption occurred on February 3, 2012.
Mount Cameroon is one of Africa's largest volcanoes, rising to 4,040 metres (13,255 ft) above the coast of west Cameroon.[6]
Floraedit
The mountain's natural vegetation varies with elevation. The main plant communities on the mountain include:[7]
Lowland rain forest predominates on the lower slopes, from sea level to 800 metres (2,625 ft) elevation. The lowland forests are part of the Cross-Sanaga-Bioko coastal forests ecoregion. They are composed of evergreen trees with a dense canopy 25 to 30 metres (82 to 98 ft) high, with taller emergent trees rising above the canopy. Many trees have buttress roots. The forests are diverse and species-rich, with numerous lianas. Much of the lowland forest has been converted to agriculture and agroforestry, including oil palm plantations.
Lower montane forest, also known as submontane forest or cloud forest, grows between 800 and 1,600 metres (2,625 and 5,249 ft) elevation. The lower montane forests are composed of evergreen trees, which form a 20–25-metre-high (66–82 ft) canopy that is either closed or discontinuous. There are scattered areas of meadow and scrubland, with grasses, herbs, tall herbaceous plants (including Acanthaceae), tree ferns, woody shrubs, and low trees. Frequent clouds and mists sustain profuse epiphytes, including mosses, ferns, and orchids. The lower montane forests are diverse and species-rich, with characteristic Afromontane plants and endemic species. Impatiens etindensis[8] and I. grandisepala[9] are herbaceous epiphytes endemic to the montane forests of Mount Cameroon. The lower montane forests, together with the higher-elevation forests, scrub, and grasslands, are part of the Mount Cameroon and Bioko montane forests ecoregion.
Upper montane forest grows from 1,600–1,800 metres (5,249–5,906 ft) elevation. Trees up to 20 metres (66 ft) high form an open-canopied forest with numerous epiphytes. The upper montane forests are less species-rich than the lower-elevation forests, and fires are more frequent.
Montane scrub grows between 1,800 and 2,400 metres (5,906 and 7,874 ft) elevation. Low trees of 1 to 15 metres (3 to 49 ft) form open-canopied forests, woodlands, and shrublands, with an understory of small shrubs, herbs, ferns, and climbers.
Montane grassland occurs between 2,000 and 3,000 metres (6,562 and 9,843 ft) elevation. The dominant vegetation is tussock grasses, with scattered fire-tolerant shrubs and low trees.
Sub-alpine grassland is found at the highest elevations, from 3,000 metres (9,843 ft) to over 4,000 metres (13,123 ft). Frost-tolerant tussock grasses, dwarf trees and shrubs, and crustose, foliose, and fruticose lichens predominate.[7]
A view of the tropical rain forest on the mountain
Mahogany
Disamara tree
Arum plant
Agaricus mushroom
Wild flower
Stinkhorn mushroom
Mount Cameroon National Parkedit
Entrance to the Mt Cameroon National park situated in Buea, south west region
Mount Cameroon National Park (Parc National du Mont Cameroun) was created in 2009. It covers an area of 581.23 km².[10] The park includes the former Etinde Forest Reserve and most of the Bomboko Forest Reserve.[11] A portion of the Bomboko Forest Reserve remains outside the park, on the lower northern slopes of the mountain.[7]
IUGS geological heritage siteedit
In respect of it being 'one of the few volcanoes in the world located at the ocean-continent boundary in a passive tectonic margin', the International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS) included 'The Quaternary Cameroon Volcano' in its assemblage of 100 'geological heritage sites' around the world in a listing published in October 2022. The organisation defines an IUGS Geological Heritage Site as 'a key place with geological elements and/or processes of international scientific relevance, used as a reference, and/or with a substantial contribution to the development of geological sciences through history.'[12]
Accessedit
The peak is frequently ascended by hikers. The annual Mount Cameroon Race of Hope scales the peak in around 4½ hours. Sarah Etonge has won the race seven times and is also a tour operator. English explorer Mary Kingsley, one of the first Europeans to scale the mountain, recounts her expedition in her 1897 memoir Travels in West Africa.
^A higher elevation of 4,095 m (13,435 ft) is often given, but this is not compatible with SRTM data, which shows no 3" cells higher than 4,027 m (13,212 ft) or 1" cells higher than 4,029 m (13,219 ft).
^A hand-held GPS reading of 4,045 m (13,271 ft) was reported in 2015.[1] The elevation is subject to change due to volcanic activity.
^Geiger, Harri; Barker, Abigail K.; Troll, Valentin R. (2016-10-07). "Locating the depth of magma supply for volcanic eruptions, insights from Mt. Cameroon". Scientific Reports. 6 (1): 33629. Bibcode:2016NatSR...633629G. doi:10.1038/srep33629. ISSN 2045-2322. PMC5054387. PMID 27713494.
^ abcdeThe Management Plan of the Mount Cameroon National Park and its Peripheral Zone, 2015 - 2019. The Ministry of Forestry and Wildlife, Republic of Cameroon.
^Cheek, M. (2014). "Impatiens etindensis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2014: e.T39501A2927828. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2014-3.RLTS.T39501A2927828.en. Retrieved 18 November 2021.
^Cheek, M. (2014). "Impatiens grandisepala". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2014: e.T39500A2927763. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2014-3.RLTS.T39500A2927763.en. Retrieved 18 November 2021.
^"Mont Cameroun". Protected Planet. Accessed 15 June 2020
^Martin, Alex ed. (2012) Interactive Forest Atlas of Cameroon, Version 3.0. Overview Report. World Resources Institute. ISBN978-1-56973-789-7. [2]
^"The First 100 IUGS Geological Heritage Sites" (PDF). IUGS International Commission on Geoheritage. IUGS. Retrieved 13 November 2022.
Referencesedit
DeLancey, M. W. and M. D. DeLancey. (2000). Historical Dictionary of the Republic of Cameroon (3rd ed.). Lanham, Maryland: The Scarecrow Press.
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Fako redirects here For other uses see Fako disambiguation Mount Cameroon is an active volcano in the South West region of Cameroon next to the city of Buea near the Gulf of Guinea Mount Cameroon is also known as Cameroon Mountain or Fako the name of the higher of its two peaks or by its indigenous name Mongo ma Ndemi Mountain of Greatness Mount Cameroon is ranked 22nd by topographic isolation Mount CameroonMount Cameroon from BueaHighest pointElevation4 040 m 13 250 ft 1 2 Prominence3 901 m 12 799 ft 3 Ranked 31stIsolation2 338 km 1 453 mi ListingCountry high pointUltraCoordinates4 13 00 N 9 10 21 E 4 21667 N 9 17250 E 4 21667 9 17250NamingNative nameMongo ma Ndemi Duala GeographyMount CameroonCameroonLocationSouthwest Region CameroonGeologyMountain typeStratovolcanoLast eruptionFebruary 2012ClimbingFirst ascentJoseph Merrick 1840s 4 Easiest routeScrambleIt is the highest point in sub Saharan western and central Africa 5 the fourth most prominent peak in Africa and the 31st most prominent in the world The mountain is part of the area of volcanic activity known as the Cameroon Volcanic Line which also includes Lake Nyos the site of a disaster in 1986 The most recent eruption occurred on February 3 2012 Contents 1 Description 2 Flora 3 Fauna and flora 4 Mount Cameroon National Park 5 IUGS geological heritage site 6 Access 7 Gallery 8 See also 9 Notes 10 References 11 External linksDescription editThis section needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources in this section Unsourced material may be challenged and removed Find sources Mount Cameroon news newspapers books scholar JSTOR July 2023 Learn how and when to remove this template message Mount Cameroon is one of Africa s largest volcanoes rising to 4 040 metres 13 255 ft above the coast of west Cameroon 6 Flora editThe mountain s natural vegetation varies with elevation The main plant communities on the mountain include 7 Lowland rain forest predominates on the lower slopes from sea level to 800 metres 2 625 ft elevation The lowland forests are part of the Cross Sanaga Bioko coastal forests ecoregion They are composed of evergreen trees with a dense canopy 25 to 30 metres 82 to 98 ft high with taller emergent trees rising above the canopy Many trees have buttress roots The forests are diverse and species rich with numerous lianas Much of the lowland forest has been converted to agriculture and agroforestry including oil palm plantations Lower montane forest also known as submontane forest or cloud forest grows between 800 and 1 600 metres 2 625 and 5 249 ft elevation The lower montane forests are composed of evergreen trees which form a 20 25 metre high 66 82 ft canopy that is either closed or discontinuous There are scattered areas of meadow and scrubland with grasses herbs tall herbaceous plants including Acanthaceae tree ferns woody shrubs and low trees Frequent clouds and mists sustain profuse epiphytes including mosses ferns and orchids The lower montane forests are diverse and species rich with characteristic Afromontane plants and endemic species Impatiens etindensis 8 and I grandisepala 9 are herbaceous epiphytes endemic to the montane forests of Mount Cameroon The lower montane forests together with the higher elevation forests scrub and grasslands are part of the Mount Cameroon and Bioko montane forests ecoregion Upper montane forest grows from 1 600 1 800 metres 5 249 5 906 ft elevation Trees up to 20 metres 66 ft high form an open canopied forest with numerous epiphytes The upper montane forests are less species rich than the lower elevation forests and fires are more frequent Montane scrub grows between 1 800 and 2 400 metres 5 906 and 7 874 ft elevation Low trees of 1 to 15 metres 3 to 49 ft form open canopied forests woodlands and shrublands with an understory of small shrubs herbs ferns and climbers Montane grassland occurs between 2 000 and 3 000 metres 6 562 and 9 843 ft elevation The dominant vegetation is tussock grasses with scattered fire tolerant shrubs and low trees Sub alpine grassland is found at the highest elevations from 3 000 metres 9 843 ft to over 4 000 metres 13 123 ft Frost tolerant tussock grasses dwarf trees and shrubs and crustose foliose and fruticose lichens predominate 7 Fauna and flora editLarge mammals on the mountain include the African forest elephant Loxodonta cyclotis with a population of over 100 individuals Other herbivores include red river hog Potamochoerus porcus bushbuck Tragelaphus scriptus bay duiker Cephalophus dorsalis blue duiker Philantomba monticola and yellow backed duiker Cephalophus sylvicultor The mountain is home to several species of primates including chimpanzee Pan troglodytes drill Mandrillus leucophaeus red capped mangabey Cercocebos torquatus putty nosed monkey Cercopithecus nictitans mona monkey Cercopithecus mona red eared monkey Cercopithecus erythrotis Preuss guenon Cercopithecus preussii and crowned guenon Cercopithecus pogonias 7 Two species of birds are endemic to Mount Cameroon Mount Cameroon spurfowl Pternistis camerunensis and Mount Cameroon speirops Zosterops melanocephalus 7 Flora nbsp A view of the tropical rain forest on the mountain nbsp Mahogany nbsp Disamara tree nbsp Arum plant nbsp Agaricus mushroom nbsp Wild flower nbsp Stinkhorn mushroomMount Cameroon National Park edit nbsp Entrance to the Mt Cameroon National park situated in Buea south west regionMount Cameroon National Park Parc National du Mont Cameroun was created in 2009 It covers an area of 581 23 km 10 The park includes the former Etinde Forest Reserve and most of the Bomboko Forest Reserve 11 A portion of the Bomboko Forest Reserve remains outside the park on the lower northern slopes of the mountain 7 IUGS geological heritage site editIn respect of it being one of the few volcanoes in the world located at the ocean continent boundary in a passive tectonic margin the International Union of Geological Sciences IUGS included The Quaternary Cameroon Volcano in its assemblage of 100 geological heritage sites around the world in a listing published in October 2022 The organisation defines an IUGS Geological Heritage Site as a key place with geological elements and or processes of international scientific relevance used as a reference and or with a substantial contribution to the development of geological sciences through history 12 Access editThe peak is frequently ascended by hikers The annual Mount Cameroon Race of Hope scales the peak in around 4 hours Sarah Etonge has won the race seven times and is also a tour operator English explorer Mary Kingsley one of the first Europeans to scale the mountain recounts her expedition in her 1897 memoir Travels in West Africa Gallery edit nbsp Mount Fako left view nbsp Top view at Mount Fako nbsp Mount Fako nbsp Summit at mount Cameroon nbsp Landscape of Mount Cameroon nbsp View of the mountain from the base nbsp Accommodation facilities on Mount Fako nbsp Ditto nbsp Ditto source source source source source source source source Cameroon Mountain Race nbsp Hikers climbing down nbsp View of Mount Etinde nbsp Mount Cameroon tropical rocks nbsp Limbe Beach nbsp Grilled plumsSee also editDebundscha List of volcanoes in CameroonNotes edit A higher elevation of 4 095 m 13 435 ft is often given but this is not compatible with SRTM data which shows no 3 cells higher than 4 027 m 13 212 ft or 1 cells higher than 4 029 m 13 219 ft A hand held GPS reading of 4 045 m 13 271 ft was reported in 2015 1 The elevation is subject to change due to volcanic activity Mont Cameroun Cameroon Peakbagger com Retrieved 2012 09 30 DeLancey and DeLancey 174 The authors do not give a precise year but Merrick was active in Cameroon from 1844 to 1849 Mount Cameroon Encyclopedia Britannica Geiger Harri Barker Abigail K Troll Valentin R 2016 10 07 Locating the depth of magma supply for volcanic eruptions insights from Mt Cameroon Scientific Reports 6 1 33629 Bibcode 2016NatSR 633629G doi 10 1038 srep33629 ISSN 2045 2322 PMC 5054387 PMID 27713494 a b c d e The Management Plan of the Mount Cameroon National Park and its Peripheral Zone 2015 2019 The Ministry of Forestry and Wildlife Republic of Cameroon Cheek M 2014 Impatiens etindensis IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2014 e T39501A2927828 doi 10 2305 IUCN UK 2014 3 RLTS T39501A2927828 en Retrieved 18 November 2021 Cheek M 2014 Impatiens grandisepala IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2014 e T39500A2927763 doi 10 2305 IUCN UK 2014 3 RLTS T39500A2927763 en Retrieved 18 November 2021 Mont Cameroun Protected Planet Accessed 15 June 2020 Martin Alex ed 2012 Interactive Forest Atlas of Cameroon Version 3 0 Overview Report World Resources Institute ISBN 978 1 56973 789 7 2 The First 100 IUGS Geological Heritage Sites PDF IUGS International Commission on Geoheritage IUGS Retrieved 13 November 2022 References editDeLancey M W and M D DeLancey 2000 Historical Dictionary of the Republic of Cameroon 3rd ed Lanham Maryland The Scarecrow Press Cameroon Global Volcanism Program Smithsonian Institution Retrieved 2009 01 14 External links editMount Cameroon Research Foundation Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Mount Cameroon amp oldid 1184450614, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
