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A Baseline Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) of Proposed Sit for Thermal Desorption Unit (TDU) Waste Management Project in Rivers State, Nigeria: Floristic Composition Approach

Received: 11 July 2015     Accepted: 21 August 2015     Published: 21 April 2016
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Abstract

This report describes the results of a wet and dry season ecological baseline impact assessment study based on the context of a proposed Thermal Desorption Unit (TDU) development project in Eteo Eleme, Rivers State. Thermal Desorption Unit project of the magnitude of a waste management project must always have some negative effects on the quality and quantity of the environment. Following an environment impact assessment (EIA) a series of mitigation measures must be put in place to minimize the intensity of the negative effect of the project on the environment. The paper seeks to assess through baseline data the envisaged impact of the project on the existing conditions of the biophysical environment, to appraise the possible risk to the environment and mitigation measures adopted. It uses a combination of standard procedures of integrated data sources to qualitatively and quantitatively assess the floristic profile of the project study area. The result highlights most of the biophysical impact variables that will have negative effect on the environment. However, the study site still maintains the status of abundance, richness and evenness with obvious similarity in floristic composition and forest structure to that in tropical forest elsewhere in the world. It is obvious that the Eteo vegetation system is gradually under ecological succession resulting to secondary vegetation system without proper articulation of its wealth of flora diversity, but with high flora diversity in rainy season than dry season. The useful application of phyto-sociological indices in determining the status of its vegetation complex in terms of species abundance, density, important value index, diversity and distribution pattern is being recorded in the Table for both wet and dry seasons. The paper emphasis the need for sound environmental commitments to the project and to appraise their implementation. A proper balance between the expected benefits from the project and cost implication can only be obtained through impact studies and careful monitoring.

Published in American Journal of Bioscience and Bioengineering (Volume 4, Issue 2)
DOI 10.11648/j.bio.20160402.11
Page(s) 9-25
Creative Commons

This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.

Copyright

Copyright © The Author(s), 2016. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Species Diversity, Abundance, Importance Value Index, Density

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    Nsirim L. Edwin-Wosu, Victor N. Sunday. (2016). A Baseline Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) of Proposed Sit for Thermal Desorption Unit (TDU) Waste Management Project in Rivers State, Nigeria: Floristic Composition Approach. American Journal of Bioscience and Bioengineering, 4(2), 9-25. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.bio.20160402.11

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    ACS Style

    Nsirim L. Edwin-Wosu; Victor N. Sunday. A Baseline Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) of Proposed Sit for Thermal Desorption Unit (TDU) Waste Management Project in Rivers State, Nigeria: Floristic Composition Approach. Am. J. BioSci. Bioeng. 2016, 4(2), 9-25. doi: 10.11648/j.bio.20160402.11

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    AMA Style

    Nsirim L. Edwin-Wosu, Victor N. Sunday. A Baseline Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) of Proposed Sit for Thermal Desorption Unit (TDU) Waste Management Project in Rivers State, Nigeria: Floristic Composition Approach. Am J BioSci Bioeng. 2016;4(2):9-25. doi: 10.11648/j.bio.20160402.11

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  • @article{10.11648/j.bio.20160402.11,
      author = {Nsirim L. Edwin-Wosu and Victor N. Sunday},
      title = {A Baseline Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) of Proposed Sit for Thermal Desorption Unit (TDU) Waste Management Project in Rivers State, Nigeria: Floristic Composition Approach},
      journal = {American Journal of Bioscience and Bioengineering},
      volume = {4},
      number = {2},
      pages = {9-25},
      doi = {10.11648/j.bio.20160402.11},
      url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.bio.20160402.11},
      eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.bio.20160402.11},
      abstract = {This report describes the results of a wet and dry season ecological baseline impact assessment study based on the context of a proposed Thermal Desorption Unit (TDU) development project in Eteo Eleme, Rivers State. Thermal Desorption Unit project of the magnitude of a waste management project must always have some negative effects on the quality and quantity of the environment. Following an environment impact assessment (EIA) a series of mitigation measures must be put in place to minimize the intensity of the negative effect of the project on the environment. The paper seeks to assess through baseline data the envisaged impact of the project on the existing conditions of the biophysical environment, to appraise the possible risk to the environment and mitigation measures adopted. It uses a combination of standard procedures of integrated data sources to qualitatively and quantitatively assess the floristic profile of the project study area. The result highlights most of the biophysical impact variables that will have negative effect on the environment. However, the study site still maintains the status of abundance, richness and evenness with obvious similarity in floristic composition and forest structure to that in tropical forest elsewhere in the world. It is obvious that the Eteo vegetation system is gradually under ecological succession resulting to secondary vegetation system without proper articulation of its wealth of flora diversity, but with high flora diversity in rainy season than dry season. The useful application of phyto-sociological indices in determining the status of its vegetation complex in terms of species abundance, density, important value index, diversity and distribution pattern is being recorded in the Table for both wet and dry seasons. The paper emphasis the need for sound environmental commitments to the project and to appraise their implementation. A proper balance between the expected benefits from the project and cost implication can only be obtained through impact studies and careful monitoring.},
     year = {2016}
    }
    

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  • TY  - JOUR
    T1  - A Baseline Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) of Proposed Sit for Thermal Desorption Unit (TDU) Waste Management Project in Rivers State, Nigeria: Floristic Composition Approach
    AU  - Nsirim L. Edwin-Wosu
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    DO  - 10.11648/j.bio.20160402.11
    T2  - American Journal of Bioscience and Bioengineering
    JF  - American Journal of Bioscience and Bioengineering
    JO  - American Journal of Bioscience and Bioengineering
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    PB  - Science Publishing Group
    SN  - 2328-5893
    UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.bio.20160402.11
    AB  - This report describes the results of a wet and dry season ecological baseline impact assessment study based on the context of a proposed Thermal Desorption Unit (TDU) development project in Eteo Eleme, Rivers State. Thermal Desorption Unit project of the magnitude of a waste management project must always have some negative effects on the quality and quantity of the environment. Following an environment impact assessment (EIA) a series of mitigation measures must be put in place to minimize the intensity of the negative effect of the project on the environment. The paper seeks to assess through baseline data the envisaged impact of the project on the existing conditions of the biophysical environment, to appraise the possible risk to the environment and mitigation measures adopted. It uses a combination of standard procedures of integrated data sources to qualitatively and quantitatively assess the floristic profile of the project study area. The result highlights most of the biophysical impact variables that will have negative effect on the environment. However, the study site still maintains the status of abundance, richness and evenness with obvious similarity in floristic composition and forest structure to that in tropical forest elsewhere in the world. It is obvious that the Eteo vegetation system is gradually under ecological succession resulting to secondary vegetation system without proper articulation of its wealth of flora diversity, but with high flora diversity in rainy season than dry season. The useful application of phyto-sociological indices in determining the status of its vegetation complex in terms of species abundance, density, important value index, diversity and distribution pattern is being recorded in the Table for both wet and dry seasons. The paper emphasis the need for sound environmental commitments to the project and to appraise their implementation. A proper balance between the expected benefits from the project and cost implication can only be obtained through impact studies and careful monitoring.
    VL  - 4
    IS  - 2
    ER  - 

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Author Information
  • Department of Plant Science and Biotechnology, Faculty of Biological Science, College of Natural and Applied Sciences, University of Port Harcourt, Choba, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria

  • Department of Geography and Environmental Management, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Port Harcourt, Choba, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria

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