Vegetation Analysis of Ngel Nyaki Forest Reserve, Mambilla Plateau, Nigeria

The vegetation of Ngel Nyaki Forest Reserve, Nigeria was analysed using data gathered with point-centred quarter method. 80 trees belonging to 29 species distributed in 21 families were encountered. The density of trees was 785 trees per hectare. The girth-size distribution curve indicated that the vegetation of Ngel Nyaki is stable and self-sustaining. The more dominant species based on Importance Values are Poulteria altissima, Polyscias fulva, Carapa grandiflora and Entandrophragma angolense. The least dominant species are Dombeya ledermanii, Celtis occidentalis and Croton macrostachyus. Keywords: Ngel Nyaki Forest Reserve, Mambilla Plateau, vegetation analysi

Community - Based Forest Management In Buru, Taraba State, Nigeria

The Nigerian Conservation Foundation (NCF) in partnership with Royal Society for Protection of Birds (RSPB) mounted a 5-year (2005-2010) Participatory Forest Management Project in Buru community, a remote rural village in Kurmi Local Government of Taraba State, Nigeria. The project was implemented through a series of environmental awareness campaigns, training workshops, lectures, seminars, stakeholder meetings and adult literacy programmes woven around three themes: Forest Governance, Improved livelihoods, Forest Patrol and Monitoring. The project established a working governance structure that ensured of all stakeholders including women to achieve the objectives of the project. Since inception, no commercial logging has occurred in Buru community forest while poaching has dramatically reduced. In some cases the patrol group had intercepted lorries carrying logs from surrounding forests and handed culprits over to the police for prosecution. The patrol group had been collecting data from forests about plant phenology and sighted animals. In one case they saw a dead bird that migrated from Finland to the forest. All participants recorded recorded improved livelihoods through increased household income from harvesting processing and selling forest products. Gender issues were taken care of as over 40% of the participants were women. This forest management model is recommended to Governments to  adopt it as a state forestry policy and staff should be trained to monitor the programmes and ensure compliance with the agreed management plans. Keywords: Nigeria, Buru, Community-based forest management, Conservation, Nigeri

On r- And K- Selection Theory: Life History Strategy of Emilia Coccinea (Sims) G. Don and Emilia Sonchifolia (Linn.) Dc

Roots , stems, leaves and flowers of Emilia coccinea (Sims)G. Don and Emilia sonchifolia were harvested, separated and oven-dried at 1100 C for 48 hours  and then weighed to determine what proportion of their total biomass was allocated to each of the tissues. E. coccinea allocated 42.65% and E. sonchifolia allocated 36% of their total biomasses to stems respectively.  These represent the greatest allocation of their total biomasses allocation. However, E. sonchifolia allocated a relatively greater proportion of its biomass to reproductive structures than E. coccinea. E. coccinea allocated 93.4% of its biomass to vegetative tissues while E. sonchifolia allocated 70.1% to vegetative tissues. The two species allocated about the same percentage of biomass to roots. On the basis of their allocations to vegetative and reproductive tissues E. coccinea can be said to be K- selected with respect to E. sonchifolia which is r- selected. The result of this study supports the r- and K- selection theory. Keywords: life-history strategy, Emilia coccinea, Emilia sonchifolia. r-and K. selectio

Vegetation Development Dynamics of Fire Experimental Plots at Olokemeji Forest Reserve, Nigeria.

An enumeration of trees in the three fire investigation plots of Forestry Research Institute of Nigeria (FRIN) at Olokemeji Forest Reserve, Nigeria was carried out. Since the inception of the investigation Plot A was burned annually at the end of dry season, when the plants were very dry,  Plot B was burned early in the dry season when plants were still wet and Plot C was not subjected to burning, hence the control Plot.  All the trees in each plot were counted and their girths were measured. The data was used to calculate and compare the Shannon-Weiner diversity index for plots and the Importance Values (IV) as a measure of dominance of the species. The late burn plot (Plot A) had changed to savanna woodland formation with a diversity index of 2.76 and the dominant trees were Dalbergia sisso, Gmelina arborea and Crossopteryx febrifuga. Plot B had changed to transitional woodland with a diversity index of 2.83 while the dominant trees were Gmelina arborea, Anogeissus lieocarpus and Malacantha alnifolia. A few fire tender species such as Manilkara obovata and Mimusops andongensis were present. Plot C had developed into a full fledge forest formation with a diversity  index of 3.8 while the dominant trees were Manilkara obovata, Hildegardia barteri and Gmelina arborea. Only plot C had soil litter with a biomass of 153.4g.m2. Girth size/class curve for plot A showed a characteristic curve for populations under stress while those for Plots B and C showed curves characteristic of stable populations but curve C showed a better ecological status. Keywords: .fire, Olokemeji Forest Reserve, vegetation development, Nigeri

Elephant’s activities elicited biodiversity disturbance in Omo Biosphere Reserve, Nigeria

Disturbance by herbivores occurs in most of the natural ecosystems and influence species diversity and vegetation structure. This study compares the vegetation of elephant (disturbed) zone (EZ) and non-elephant (undisturbed) zone (NEZ) in the Omo biosphere reserve to assess the effect of elephant browsing on the vegetation. Woody species densities, basal area, importance value and species diversity were determined from twenty sampling plots (20 m x 20 m) established randomly each in the EZ and NEZ. The result of floristic composition shows more species were in the NEZ than EZ. The species diversity reduced by 3.3% in EZ. Sorensen index of similarity of the two communities was 62%. Celtis zenkeri (74.75) and Diospyros dendo (51.1) dominated the species in the EZ while Gmelina arborea (127.35) and Funtumia africana (16.63) were the dominant species in the NEZ. Browsing of elephants directly influence species composition, diversity and structure in the forest ecosystem leading to loss of biodiversity

Quantitative Analysis of a Forest Fragment in Olokemeji Forest Reserve, Nigeria

A phytosociological analysis of a forest fragment in Olokemeji Forest Reserve, Nigeria was carried out using point-centred quarter method. 80 trees belonging to 19 species distributed in 12 families were sampled. The more important/dominant species on the basis of Importance Value ranking were Manilkara obovata, Senna siamea and Anogeissus lieocarpus. The dominance of a few species reflected the early successional status of the forest fragment. Keywords:Nigeria, Olokemeji Forest Reserve, phytosociological analysi

Changes in Nutrient Contents of Soil across Different Land Uses in a Forest Reserve

In order to assess the changes in soil chemical properties’ resulting from conversion of forest to other agricultural land uses a study was conducted in Okomu Forest Reserve (Nigeria). Five soil samples collected from top and sub soils of marked points within the undisturbed forest, farmland, cocoa plantation, oil palm plantation and rubber plantation were analyzed for pH, organic carbon, total nitrogen, available phosphorus, exchangeable acidity, sodium, potassium, calcium and magnesium. The results showed variations in all chemical parameters across the land use types with soil depths (top and sub soils). Soil pH ranged from 4.88 (in the cocoa plantation subsoil) to 6.75 (in the forest top soil). Soils (top and sub soils) of the rubber plantation, forest and cocoa plantation had the highest stock of soil organic carbon (SOC), N and exchangeable Na respectively. Available P was highest in the top soil of the rubber plantation and sub soil of the farmland. Exchangeable Ca and Mg were highest in the top soil of the forest and sub soil of the rubber plantation. Exchangeable K and C:N was highest in the farmland top soil and cocoa plantation sub soil. Relationship among the chemical parameters varied with soil depth. Conversion of forest and cocoa plantation resulted in the highest decline (55.78% and 44.40%) in soil N. There is the need to regulate the conversion of natural forests to agricultural lands and plantations as conserve the nutrient cycling processes