Cost Optimization through Participatory Prospecting and Comprehensive Forest Inventories and Its Influence on Community Forest Governance

Community forestry in Cameroon faces persistent challenges due to the high cost and technical complexity of conventional multi-resource inventories required for Simple Management Plans (SMPs). This study evaluates an alternative methodological approach tested in the “Solidarité” community forest (Mintom, 5,000 ha), combining participatory prospection across the entire forest with a full inventory in a 1,000-ha sector. The participatory prospection, conducted according to the national community forestry guidelines (MINFOF, 2009), covered 429.51 ha (sampling rate: 8.59%), recorded 5,277 trees, and identified key areas with valuable timber species, non-timber forest products (NTFPs), and wildlife indicators. The full inventory, conducted under national exploitation standards, estimated an exploitable timber volume of 8815 m³ (20.52 m³/ha). Costs were significantly reduced (1 010 800 FCFA FCFA for participatory prospection and 3,853,000 FCFA for the full inventory) compared with the 10–15 million FCFA required for conventional inventories. This combined approach enhances local governance, reduces dependency on external support, and provides a replicable, normative, and cost-effective alternative for community forests in dense tropical forest zones.