By: Dr ONEFELI A. O.; Adaja A. A.; Ogana F. N.; Ige P. O.; Ogana T. E.; Odeleye S. V.;
Abstract:
The tropical rainforest ecosystem in Nigeria is very rich in species diversity and plays a significant role in
conserving biodiversity resources and supporting livelihood. However, these ecosystems are characterized
by inadequate information on the species diversity and biomass carbon accumulation This study
investigated the above-ground biomass (AGB) and tree diversity across the tropical rainforest ecosystem
of Nigeria. Data on variables such as Diameter at the breast height and total tree height of the trees were
collected from seven forest reserves located in the tropical rainforest area. The diversity index was
computed, the generalized pan-tropical aboveground biomass equation was used to estimate the tree
biomass. The results revealed that the Shannon diversity index ranged from 1.876 to 2.933 across the forest
ecosystem, Shaha forest reserves recorded the highest species diversity. The Ekuri forest reserves had the
least AGB values with 110.4 Mg/ha while Ago Owu and Akure forest reserves indicated the highest AGB
values of 861.3 and 828.3 Mg/ha respectively. This study has provided empirical evidence that there are
high biomass density and species diversity across the tropical forest ecosystem in Nigeria. The results
indicated that there are dissimilarities in the species diversity across the seven forest reserves. The study
revealed that a significant relationship exists between species diversity and the AGB across forest
ecosystems and the ecosystem could hold great potential for biodiversity conservation in the area. It is
therefore recommended that requisite silvicultural practices such as enrichment planting that could enhance
the diversity of the forests be taken seriously.
Keywords: Rainforest; Ecosystem; Diversity; Biomass; Vegetation
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