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Tree Species Composition of Kakum Conservation Area in Ghana

Received: 22 August 2016     Accepted: 31 August 2016     Published: 21 September 2016
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Abstract

Vegetation assessment was carried out in a rainforest to document tree species composition and vegetation dynamics after logging operation. The study took place at Kakum Conservation Area, Ghana. Satellite images for logging period and after logging were acquired, processed and analysed. Trees in quadrats that were systematically distributed on transects were enumerated. Comparatively, the open canopy area had reduced while the closed canopy area had increased in size inside the forest. The farm areas at the peripheries had increased while those in the reserve area had been eradicated. In total 1,064 individual trees comprising 97 different species were enumerated. Tree species such as Carapa procera, Celtis mildbraedii, Diospyros sanza-minika, Aulacocalyx jasminflora and Dacryodes klaineana were relatively dense representing about 2% to 9% of the species present in the forest. The following species were examples of trees with higher relative dominance: Celtis mildbraedii (10%), Trichilia prieuriana (5%), Tabernaemontana africana (9%) and Panda oleosa (7%). The diversity of all trees was 3.9 (Shannon). The general conclusion is that the implementation of conservation rules has enhanced regeneration of many tree species. It is recommended that forest areas under convalescence must be put under strict conservation.

Published in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology (Volume 1, Issue 2)
DOI 10.11648/j.eeb.20160102.12
Page(s) 14-22
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

Forest, Conservation, Tree Regeneration, Forest Canopy, Rainforest

References
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[3] Cowlishaw, G. & Dunbar, R. (2000). Primate Conservation Biology. Chicago and London. The University of Chicago Press.
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[5] World Resources Institute (WRI), (1996). World Resources: 1996-97. Oxford, Oxford University Press.
[6] Oates, J. F. (1996). African Primates: Status Survey and Conservation Action Plans. (Revised Edition), Gland, Switzerland, International Union of Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources.
[7] Parren, M. P. E. & deGraaf, N. R. (1995). The Quest for Natural Forest Management in Ghana, Cote d’ivoire, and Liberia. Tropenbos Series 13. Wageningen. The Tropenbos Foundation.
[8] Food and AgricultureOrganization (F. A. O.) (1993). Forest Resources Assessment, 1990: Tropical Countries Forestry Paper 112. Rome, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
[9] Martin, C. (1991). The Rainforest of West Africa: Ecology, Threats, Conservation. Basel, Birkhauser Verlag.
[10] International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) (1985). United Nations List of National Parks and Protected Areas. Gland, Switzerland: IUCN.
[11] International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) (1987). IUCN Directory of Afrotropical Protected Areas. Gland, Switzerland: IUCN.
[12] Wildlife Department (1996). Management Plan for Kakum National Park and Assin Attandanso Resource Reserve, Ghana. Unpublished report. Accra, Wildlife Department.
[13] Paijmans, K. & Jack, W. H. (1960). Greater Kakum Forest Reserves. Working Plan Presented to the Forestry Department, Ghana. Accra, Forestry Department.
[14] Agyare, A. K. (1995). Socio-economic Perspectives of Kakum National Park and Assin Attandanso Resource Reserve. Unpublished Report, Wildlife Department, Accra, Ghana.
[15] Mensah-Ntiamoah, A. Y. (1989). Pre-feasibility Studies on Wildlife Potentials in the Kakum and Assin Attandanso Forest Reserves. Accra, Department of Game and Wildlife.
[16] Peres, C. A. (1999). General guidelines for standardizing line-transect surveys of tropical forest primates. Neotropical Primates 7 (1): 11-16.
[17] Hawthone, W. & Jongkind, C. (2006). Woody Plants of Western African Forests: A Guide to Forest Trees, Shrubs and Lianes from Senegal to Ghana. Kew, Royal Botanic Gardens.
[18] Hammer, Ø., Harper, D. A. T., & Ryan, P. D. (2001). PAST: Paleontological Statistics Software Package for Education and Data Analysis (Version 2.13) [Computer software]. Palaeontologia Electronica 4 (1): 1-9. http://palaeoelectronica.org/2001_1/past/issue1_01.htm
[19] Ghazoul, J. & Sheil, D. (2010). Tropical Rainforest Ecology, Diversity and Conservation. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
[20] Lieberman, M. & Lieberman, D. (1994). Patterns of Density and Dispersion of Forest Trees. In L. A. Mcdade, K. S. Bawa, H. Hespenheide and G. S. Hartshorn (Eds.). La Selva: Ecology and Natural History in a Neo-tropical rainforest. Chicago: University of Chicago press. 106-119.
[21] Sheil, D. & Ducey, M. (2002). An extreme-value approach to detect clumping and an application to tropical forest gap-mosaic dynamics in Budongo, a Ugandan rainforest. Journal of Tropical Ecology 18: 671-686.
[22] Schemske, D. W. &Brokaw, N. (1981). Treefalls and the distribution of understory birds in a tropical forest. Ecology 62: 938-945.
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    Edward D. Wiafe. (2016). Tree Species Composition of Kakum Conservation Area in Ghana. Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, 1(2), 14-22. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.eeb.20160102.12

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    Edward D. Wiafe. Tree Species Composition of Kakum Conservation Area in Ghana. Ecol. Evol. Biol. 2016, 1(2), 14-22. doi: 10.11648/j.eeb.20160102.12

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    AMA Style

    Edward D. Wiafe. Tree Species Composition of Kakum Conservation Area in Ghana. Ecol Evol Biol. 2016;1(2):14-22. doi: 10.11648/j.eeb.20160102.12

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  • @article{10.11648/j.eeb.20160102.12,
      author = {Edward D. Wiafe},
      title = {Tree Species Composition of Kakum Conservation Area in Ghana},
      journal = {Ecology and Evolutionary Biology},
      volume = {1},
      number = {2},
      pages = {14-22},
      doi = {10.11648/j.eeb.20160102.12},
      url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.eeb.20160102.12},
      eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.eeb.20160102.12},
      abstract = {Vegetation assessment was carried out in a rainforest to document tree species composition and vegetation dynamics after logging operation. The study took place at Kakum Conservation Area, Ghana. Satellite images for logging period and after logging were acquired, processed and analysed. Trees in quadrats that were systematically distributed on transects were enumerated. Comparatively, the open canopy area had reduced while the closed canopy area had increased in size inside the forest. The farm areas at the peripheries had increased while those in the reserve area had been eradicated. In total 1,064 individual trees comprising 97 different species were enumerated. Tree species such as Carapa procera, Celtis mildbraedii, Diospyros sanza-minika, Aulacocalyx jasminflora and Dacryodes klaineana were relatively dense representing about 2% to 9% of the species present in the forest. The following species were examples of trees with higher relative dominance: Celtis mildbraedii (10%), Trichilia prieuriana (5%), Tabernaemontana africana (9%) and Panda oleosa (7%). The diversity of all trees was 3.9 (Shannon). The general conclusion is that the implementation of conservation rules has enhanced regeneration of many tree species. It is recommended that forest areas under convalescence must be put under strict conservation.},
     year = {2016}
    }
    

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    AU  - Edward D. Wiafe
    Y1  - 2016/09/21
    PY  - 2016
    N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.eeb.20160102.12
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    T2  - Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
    JF  - Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
    JO  - Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
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    AB  - Vegetation assessment was carried out in a rainforest to document tree species composition and vegetation dynamics after logging operation. The study took place at Kakum Conservation Area, Ghana. Satellite images for logging period and after logging were acquired, processed and analysed. Trees in quadrats that were systematically distributed on transects were enumerated. Comparatively, the open canopy area had reduced while the closed canopy area had increased in size inside the forest. The farm areas at the peripheries had increased while those in the reserve area had been eradicated. In total 1,064 individual trees comprising 97 different species were enumerated. Tree species such as Carapa procera, Celtis mildbraedii, Diospyros sanza-minika, Aulacocalyx jasminflora and Dacryodes klaineana were relatively dense representing about 2% to 9% of the species present in the forest. The following species were examples of trees with higher relative dominance: Celtis mildbraedii (10%), Trichilia prieuriana (5%), Tabernaemontana africana (9%) and Panda oleosa (7%). The diversity of all trees was 3.9 (Shannon). The general conclusion is that the implementation of conservation rules has enhanced regeneration of many tree species. It is recommended that forest areas under convalescence must be put under strict conservation.
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Author Information
  • Department of Environmental and Natural Resources Management, Presbyterian University College, Akropong-Akuapem, Ghana

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