Impact of land use change on the hydrology and erosion of rain forest land in South Cameroon

Rainfall, water, sediment yields and evaporation were quantified in three catchment areas with undisturbed rain forest, selectively logged forest, and forest with shifting cultivation respectively. Despite a considerable regional variation in rainfall(1700-2300 mm/a), annual evaporation rates were similar (1209-1314 mm/a). The impact of land use practices on water yield is negligible compared to the effect of rainfall. The sediment yield increased from 56 kg per ha per year for undisturbed forest to 105 kg per ha per year for forest with agriculture and to 564 kg per ha per year for selective logging. The simulated soil erosion increased by more than 1000 kg/ha when skid tracks were constructed on slopes exceeding 10°.