gallery forests along the rivers. Closed-canopy lowland forest was found much further to the east, near River Djerem. The forests of Central Africa go through long cycles of expansion and reduction, linked with long-term climatic cycles. The ecotone Across Cameroon, and its neighbours to east and west, lies a zone known as the ecotone, or more specifically the Northern Congolian forest–savanna mosaic. This is the northern fringe of the Central African forests (Congolian rainforests), where gallery forest tendrils reach out into the great savannas of the north. The band of ecotone has, as a consequence, representatives of the flora and fauna of both forest and savanna. It has been highlighted as an area where differences within species may be the precursor to speciation. Rural depopulation, human activities and current threats A dirt road runs along the western border of the Park, which was once the main road from the Cameroon border to Chad, over a thousand kilometres away. In the colonial era, people who used to live in what is now the Park were relocated to this road. In the last few decades, the railway line (CamRail) that connects Garoua to Yaoundé, which runs along the eastern side of the Park, has taken most of the freight and passengers away from this axis, and the young people who come from the villages that are along the old road are drifting to the cities. There are no villages inside the Park, but it was known that there is some hunting, including larger animals such as African buffalo, waterbuck, and kob, often destined for the bushmeat markets of the distant cities. Cattle herders also seasonally use the area, especially in the more open grasslands of the northern part of the Park. The railway line is much more frequented and is a major conduit for the bushmeat trade, funnelling wild animal meat from the centre of Cameroon down to the populous centres of Yaounde and Bertoua. Wildlife As a precursor to management, the conservation potential of Mbam Djerem was assessed for large and small mammals, birds, habitats, and the degree of use by humans. Of particular interest was the status of the elephant population in the area, including any evidence of seasonal movements. The large mammal and bird surveys were carried out by WCS, helped by Deborah Pires who surveyed the bats and small mammals. The Birdlife Important Bird Area team also surveyed