By: OLAJIDE O. .; ETIGALE E. B.;
Abstract:
One major problem militating against sustainable multiple-valued management of natural forests in Nigeria is lack of empirical data. Thus, assessment of population density of adult or mature stands and regeneration or juvenile stands of timber-tree species producing important food and medicinal items in Oban Forest Reserve, Cross River State, Nigeria was carried out using transect and quadrat sampling techniques. Results revealed that 19 tree species were encountered with Coula edulis having the highest population density (48 per/ha) of adult individuals, while Cola argentea was the only species with no adult individual stand but its regeneration were encountered. The highest regeneration population density of 113 per/ha was recorded for Pycanthus angolensis, while the regeneration of three species, viz; Alstonia boonei, Brachystegia eurycoma and Rauvolfia vomitoria, were not encountered but their adult individuals were present in the forest. All the tree species were in a rare status except C. edulis, P. angolensis and Vitex spp. Moreover, only P. angolensis had sustainable natural regeneration potential. It is concluded that a ban should be placed on the exploitation of the trees for timber to forestall their extinction from the forest, and enrichment planting should be carried out in the forest using the raised seedlings of the tree species to enhance biodiversity richness.
Keywords: Rainforest, Timber trees, Food, Medicinal, Population density, Regeneration
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