Fruiting efficiency in Dacryodes edulis (G.Don): A case study in Ekpoma, south-south, Nigeria

Fruiting efficiency in 2 varieties of Dacryodes edulis were investigated between 2004 to 2007 in Ekpoma. The influence of variety on fruiting efficiency and abortion rate of gynoecium per inflorescence was determined. D. edulis had a regular fruiting pattern with no interannual variability. The mean fruiting efficiency per inflorescence for D. edulis var. edulis and var. parvicarpa varieties were 1.21 and 1.36%, respectively. The gynoecuim abortion rates were 98.79 and 98.64% for D. edulis var.edulis and var. parvicarpa varieties, respectively. Poor pollen viability, pollination and fertilization failures as well as competing sinks for photosynthate during flowering may be contributory factors to low fruiting efficiency in D. edulis

Impact Of Human Activities On Ecosystem In Rivers State, Nigeria

This study was to assess the percent sample population size of people involved in selected human economic activities and the impact on ecosystem in Rivers  State. The data for this study was obtained from a sample size of 1000 respondents who were purposively selected from thestudy area. Purposive sample was used to ensure that the questionnaires which were the materials for collection of data, were directed at 8 human economic activities in Rivers State. The 8 human economic activities were: farming, fishing, logging, charcoal/fuelwood collection, construction/urban development, industrialization/manufacturing, transportation and soilexcavation. The state was divided into 10 strata and assessment was carried out using 100 questionnaires per stratum. Descriptive statistics involving frequencies and percentages were used to analyze the data. Result showed that 40.8% of the sample population was involved intransport business. 19.9% and 11.9% were involved in industrialization/ manufacturing and construction/ urbanization respectively. Other economic activities were farming 2.6 %, fishing 1.5%, logging 2.3%, fuel wood collection 6% and soil excavation 5.6% respectively

Impact Of Deforestation On Ecosystem: A Case Study Of The Fresh Water Swamp Forest In Onne, Niger Delta Region, Nigeria

The Niger Delta region of Nigeria is endowed with the freshwater swamp forest, which is one of the richest ecosystems of the world. The ecosystem through its species diversities play pivotal role at local and global levels by shaping the environment, and influence local climate conditions. The coastal vegetation has been beleaguered by deforestation at an alarming rate. This paper takes a look at the impact of unregulated and uncontrolled removal of vegetation due to human economic activities in Onne freshwater swamp forest. In this study, the mean area of land covered by flood waters was 0.55 ha for the deforested land compared to the non-deforested land which had a mean of 0.25 ha. Similarly, the mean air temperature for the deforested portion was 28.480C while that of the non-deforested area was 23.470C respectively. This study revealed that the rate of deforestation of the natural freshwater swamp forest in Nigeria has led to situation whereby the rich  ecosystem isthreatened by devastating floodwaters and rising air temperatures

Fruiting efficiency in Dacryodes edulis (G.Don): A case study in Ekpoma, south-south, Nigeria

Fruiting efficiency in 2 varieties of Dacryodes edulis were investigated between 2004 to 2007 in Ekpoma. The influence of variety on fruiting efficiency and abortion rate of gynoecium per inflorescence was determined. D. edulis had a regular fruiting pattern with no interannual variability. The mean fruiting efficiency per inflorescence for D. edulis var. edulis and var. parvicarpa varieties were 1.21 and 1.36%, respectively. The gynoecuim abortion rates were 98.79 and 98.64% for D. edulis var.edulis and var. parvicarpa varieties, respectively. Poor pollen viability, pollination and fertilization failures as well as competing sinks for photosynthate during flowering may be contributory factors to low fruiting efficiency in D. edulis

Precipitation pathways a channel of nutrient cycling in an Entandrophragma cylindricum (sprague) Sprague plantation in Onne, rivers state, Nigeria

Field experiment was conducted in 2011 at Forestry Research Institute of Nigeria (FRIN), Swamp Forest Research Station, Onne, Rivers State Nigeria, to study nutrient cycling through precipitation pathways in Entandrophragma cylindricum plantation. The experiment was 3 x 12 factorial in a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with three replications. The treatments were Time in 12 levels (months of the year) and Precipitation pathways in 3 levels (stemflow, throughfall and rainfall). In the precipitation pathways, results of throughfall, stemflow and rainfall were 7.31, 7.38 and 6.56 for pH; 56.00, 88.67 and 39.67 mg L-1 for Nitrogen; 7.93, 8.34 and 7.70 mg L-1 for Phosphorus; 6.51, 2.59 and 0.92 mg L-1 for Potassium; 19.10, 22.93 and 14.45 mg L-1 for Magnesium; 63.02, 75.34 and 49.49 mg L-1 for Chlorine; 0.58, 0.88 and 0.48 mg L-1 for Lead; 0.07, 0.12 and 0.05 mg L-1 for Cadmium respectively. Stemflow and rainfall gave significantly the highest and the least nutrient contents. Nutrient released in the precipitation pathways were in the following significant order: stemflow > throughfall > rainfall. The study showed that precipitation pathways can be channels through which nutrients are released into the soil. Keywords: Precipitation pathways, stemflow, throughfall, rainfall, nutrient element