Comparative Study of Soil Bacteria from the Rhizosphere of Two Selected Tree Species (Anogeissus leiocarpa and Pterocarpus erinaceus) in Shere Hills, Plateau State, Nigeria

The comparative study of soil bacteria from the rhizosphere was carried out using samples obtained from the soil (rhizospheres) of Anogeissus leiocarpa and Pterocarpus erinaceus using purposive sampling method. The soil samples were collected at a depth of 0-30cm and 30-60cm around the rhizosphere of the studied tree species and away from the rhizosphere used as a control. The method by Ibitoye (2008) was used to test for physico-chemical properties and method by Cheesborough (2006) was used for stocking, culturing, incubating and gram staining. Result for the mean physical properties shows, P. erinaceus had highest mean values for clay and silt which wasn’t significant (p= 0.067 and 0.381 respectively). A. leiocarpus had the second highest clay and silt. Sand and bulk density was highest for the control which was highly significant (p = 0.000 and p=0.044 respectively). For mean chemical properties among plant species, pH, EC, OC, OM, N, Na, Ca and CEC were highly significant (p<0.05), while p, K, Mg and EA were not significant. Pterocarpus erinaceus had the highest mean for all the chemical elements assessed with ten (10) bacteria species identified. Anoigessus leiocarpa had the second highest biochemical elements present with six (6) species of bacteria identified, Bascillus subtilis was most common. It is therefore necessary that these tree species are allowed in their natural habitat to preserve and conserve these microbes in the ecosystem

Ecological and Structural Characteristics of Riparian Forest in Omo Biosphere Reserve

An investigation on the structural characteristics of the riparian forest in Omo Biosphere Reserve was carried out. The structure was analyzed through diameter class distribution, basal area and breast height. Riparian forest showed a major characteristic in the physiognomy of forests along major river, streams and Upland vegetation and the Core, Buffer and Transition zones that is highly variable in the diameter class distribution (reserve J type), Mean basal area per hectare for major river is 294,089.30/cm2/ ha, Stream 613.027/cm2/ha, and Upland 205,648 cm3/ha. Mean basal area for core is 507,399.50 cm2/ha, buffer had 340,699 cm2/ha and transition 264,656 cm2/ha. While mean volume per hectare for core is 7955.2 m3/ha, buffer 7260 m3/ha and Transition 6254.4 m3/ha. Maximum dbh of 246 cm was obtained in the core species. Many stands of riparian forests are facing various levels of structural and floristic simplification, which include fundamental transformations in vegetation physiognomy from dense stands to riparian scrub or bare land

Structure of Plants across Habitat Types in Amurum Forest Reserve, Plateau State Nigeria

The Amurum Forest Reserve is one of the nature reserves in Plateau State North central Nigeria. Strict Nature reserve is prominent among the methods for in situ conservation of biodiversity in Nigeria and also the world at large. A study was conducted in the Forest across three habitat types in order to measure tree height and diameter at breast height (dbh) of trees. 50m x 50m plots were marked across the habitat types by simple random sampling technique. Trees and shrubs were identified to species level. Measurement were limited to all woody plants with diameter at breast height (dbh) of ≥ 10cm. Data collected was analyzed in excel. A total of 397 woody species were identified during the study period. 87.7 of the plants were shrubs while 12.3% were trees. The gallery forest had the highest diameter class(30-35cm) followed by the savanna(25-30cm) and lastly the rocky outcrop with the diameter class of 20-25cm.The rocky outcrop had the highest number of trees with the lowest dbh (10-15cm) while the gallery forest had more trees in the highest diameter class (30-35) (Figure 2). The highest mean height distribution in the Gallery forest shows that the plant communities in this habitat type has grown over the years without disturbance since the place is a protected site. Therefore, other surrounding bushes should be protected in order to preserve species from local extinction

Assessment of Biodiesel Fuel Potentials of Seed Crude Oil Extracts of Balanites aegyptiaaca (L.) Del

Study on assessmentof biodiesel fuel potentials of seed crude oil extracts of Balanites aegyptiaaca (L.) Del was carriedout. Standard methods of the Association of Official and Analytical Chemist (AOAC) were adopted to evaluate the proximate, physico-chemical properties and fatty acid compositions of crude seed oil extracts of the test plant. The proximate constituents of the crude seed oil extract gave crude protein (22.09%), crude fat (56.75%), moisturecontent (1.35%), ash (4.70%), crudefiber (12.75%) and carbohydrate (2.36%). The crude oil physicochemical properties included saponification value(216.439mgKOH/g), peroxide value(4.84meq/kg), acid value(2.18mgKOH/g), iodine value(77.08g/100g), viscosity value(150.3@30\ub0C) and cetane number(54.08), refractive index(1.487 @30\ub0C), relative density (0.949g/cm3) while calorific value was 39.03(MJ/kg). The fatty acids composition of crude kernel oil extract of B. aegyptiaca indicated the presence of four (4) fatty acids, with relative percentage abundance (RPA) in the order of 67.17% (9,12-Octadecanoic acid (C19H3402)) > 16.22% (Pentadecanoic acid (C17H3402)) > 11.8kg% (Heptacosanoic acid (C28H5602)) > 4.72% (Oleic acid(C18H3402)). These properties conferred relative prospects on the crude oil of the test plant as a suitable potential biodiesel substrate and consequently, large scale aforestation efforts be renewed, to guarantee ready availability of the raw materials

Conservation implications of weed management of lake reservoirs on wildbirds

Management of weeds around lake reservoirs is often implemented to reduce any possibility of siltation. However, machineries used in weed management have resulted in habitat degradation and geometrical multiplication of weeds by chopping rhizomes and scattering seeds. In general, the removal offers some feedbacks for wildlife around the lake which ought to be taken into account. We determined the effect of weed removal from a lake reservoir on wildbird activity and diversity using two transects 1.2 km each. Transects were subdivided into ‘twelve’ 200m sections using a GPS and variables taken into account were: wildbird species present; abundance; species activity; weed parameter (‘zero’ where cover was less than 10 percent of entire area, ‘one’ if extent of cover was less than 50 percent and ‘two’ if cover was greater than 50 percent). Complete removal of weeds significantly affected bird species abundance and richness. Comparison of this survey with previous data reveal that some species, such as Actophilornis africana African jacana have adapted to the removal of weeds while others such as the Gallinula chloropus Common moorhen, are now absent from the lake bank due to weed removal. Therefore, monitoring wildlife population to species holds great value for amplifying management decisions. Key Words: Wildbirds, Weed management, John Craig Lake, Transect, Conservatio

Ecological and Structural Characteristics of Riparian Forest in Omo Biosphere Reserve

An investigation on the structural characteristics of the riparian forest in Omo Biosphere Reserve was carried out. The structure was analyzed  through diameter class distribution, basal area and breast height. Riparian forest showed a major characteristic in the physiognomy of forests along major river, streams and Upland vegetation and the Core, Buffer and Transition zones that is highly variable in the diameter class distribution  (reserve J type), Mean basal area per hectare for major river is 294,089.30 cm2/ ha, Stream 613.027 cm2/ha, and Upland 205,648 cm3/ha. Mean basal area for core is 507,399.50 cm2/ha, buffer had 340,699 cm2/ha and transition 264,656 cm2/ha. While mean volume per hectare for core is 7955.2 m3/ha, buffer 7260 m3/ha and Transition 6254.4 m3/ha. Maximum dbh of 246 cm was obtained in the core species. Many stands of riparian forests are facing various levels of structural and floristic simplification, which include fundamental transformations in vegetation physiognomy from dense stands to riparian scrub or bare land. Keyword: Riparian forests, structure, diameter, basal area, species dominance, Om

Assessment of Biodiesel Fuel Potentials of Seed Crude Oil Extracts of Balanites aegyptiaaca (L.) Del

Study on assessmentof biodiesel fuel potentials of seed crude oil extracts of Balanites aegyptiaaca (L.) Del was carriedout. Standard methods of the Association of Official and Analytical Chemist (AOAC) were adopted to evaluate the proximate, physico-chemical properties and fatty acid  compositions of crude seed oil extracts of the test plant. The proximate constituents of the crude seed oil extract gave crude protein (22.09%), crude fat (56.75%), moisturecontent (1.35%), ash (4.70%), crudefiber (12.75%) and carbohydrate (2.36%). The crude oil physicochemical properties included saponification value(216.439mgKOH/g), peroxide value(4.84meq/kg), acid value(2.18mgKOH/g), iodine value(77.08g/100g), viscosity  value(150.3@30°C) and cetane number(54.08), refractive index(1.487 @30°C), relative density (0.949g/cm3) while calorific value was 39.03(MJ/kg). The fatty acids composition of crude kernel oil extract of B. aegyptiaca indicated the presence of four (4) fatty acids, with relative percentage abundance (RPA) in the order of 67.17% (9,12-Octadecanoic acid (C19 H3402)) > 16.22% (Pentadecanoic acid (C17H3402)) > 11.8kg% (Heptacosanoic acid (C28H5602)) > 4.72% (Oleic acid(C18H3402)). These properties conferred relative prospects on the crude oil of the test plant as a suitable  potential biodiesel substrate and consequently, large scale aforestation efforts be renewed, to guarantee ready availability of the raw materials. Keywords: Balanites aegyptiaca, Biodiesel, proximate, physicochemical, crude seed oil extract

Providing antiretroviral therapy outside the hospital in a low-resource setting: a pilot study

Background: For nearly three decades, hospitals have been the only source of antiretroviral therapy (ART) for many people living with HIV. Yet, developing countries with the largest burden of HIV commonly lack the hospitals and health-care workers to care for these patients. In 2013, WHO recommended the use of structures outside hospitals for management of HIV. We piloted a community pharmacy ART model in communities with high HIV prevalence in Nigeria. The purpose was to develop a treatment model that could be expanded into an overarching comprehensive response to HIV management, especially in resource-limited settings with weak health systems. Methods: Registered community pharmacies linked to participating hospitals were recruited between February 2016 and May 2017. Patients with stable viral loads (≤20 copies/mL) who were willing to have their care devolved to a community pharmacy were referred by trained contact persons at the hospitals. Registered pharmacists at the community pharmacies counselled referred patients and refilled their prescriptions. Biodemographic and clinical data were collected from Feb 25, 2016, to May 31, 2017. The outcome measures were percentage of patients retained in care and adherence to therapy. Mean difference in the viral load at the baseline (≤20 copies/mL) and after 6 months was assessed using a paired sample t-test. Findings: 26 community pharmacies and 14 hospitals were included in the pilot. 375 patients (median baseline viral load 19 copies/mL [IQR 19–32]; median CD4 count 460 cells/mL [277–648]) had their care devolved to the community pharmacies. After 12 months, almost all the patients (374 [99·7%] of 375) were retained in care and adherence to medication (measured by prescription refill) was 100%. After 6 months of follow-up, 19 patients received results of their second viral load test, showing no significant difference in the mean viral load between baseline and after 6 months (p<0·46). Interpretation: We show that patients can conveniently access ART in community pharmacies linked to hospitals, with no adverse effects on adherence or viral load. The model will be rolled-out to other regions in Nigeria, and could potentially be applied elsewhere. Funding: PEPFAR