Effects of Land-Use Change on Under Storey Species Composition and Distribution in a Tropical Rainforest

The forest land s conversion into tree crops plantations plays a major role in the loss of biodiversity. Therefore, understanding the impacts of land-use change on species diversity is very critical for ecosystem functioning and stability. This study was carried out to evaluate the effect of land-us...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Notulae scientia biologicae 2012-02, Vol.4 (1), p.150-156
Main Authors: Anthony Ifechukwude ODIWE, Joshua Oluwole OLOWOYO, Olufemi AJIBOYE
Format: Article
Language:English
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Summary:The forest land s conversion into tree crops plantations plays a major role in the loss of biodiversity. Therefore, understanding the impacts of land-use change on species diversity is very critical for ecosystem functioning and stability. This study was carried out to evaluate the effect of land-use changes on under storey species diversity in the Theobroma cacao and Citrus sinensis plantations. Two, 25 m 25 m plots were sampled in each plantation and a nearby undisturbed secondary rainforest for comparison. The diameters (dbh-1.3 m) of all trees at breast height >10 cm were measured in each plot. Five line transect were systematically laid and a quadrat of 50 cm 50 cm placed at every 1 m point to identify the under storey species (herbaceous, shrubs, tree saplings and climbers) present in each plot. Percentage canopy, species diversity using Shannon-Wiener, Simpson s index and Evenness were determined, while species similarity was determined using the Jaccard s similarity index. Results indicate that woody basal area and stem density in Theobroma cacao were significantly (P
ISSN:2067-3205
2067-3264