Diversity and Regeneration Potentials of Some Non-Timber Forest Product Species (NTFPS) in Bagale Hill Forest Reserve, Girei Local Government Area of Adamawa State

Abstract

This study assessed diversity and regeneration of some Non-Timber Forest Products (NTFPs) species in Bagale Hills Forest Reserve Girei Local Government Area of Adamawa State, Nigeria. Parameters evaluated included; species diversity of NTFPs in the study area and regeneration potentials of NTFPs in the study area. A sampling design consisting of an approximately 250m baseline and 5 transects of 20m was used. Thus, all NTFPs individuals, from seedlings to adult individuals, of each species were recorded and their DBH measured. The distance between consecutive transects was 50m. Diversity indices and Importance Value Index (IVI) of the species were determined using relevant formulae. One-way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) was used to compare results of Shannon Weiners Diversity Indices amongst transects and amongst tree, sapling and seedling species. The results of tree, saplings and seedling species in study site revealed 12, 9 and 10 species respectively. The individual trees, saplings and seedlings species were 41, 39 and 53 belonging to 7 families in the study site respectively. Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) indicated that there was no significant difference in Shannon Weiners Diversity Indices among tree, sapling and seedling species in the forests (p ≥ 0.05). Results show species of NTFPs tree which included; Annona senegalensis, Adansonia digitata, Bombax Costatum, Detarrium microcarpum, Haematostaphis barteri, Hexalobus monopetalus, Parkia biglobosa, Tamarindus indica, Ximenia americana, Vitellaria paradoxa, Ziziphus Mauritania and Ziziphus spina-christi. The families with the highest number included Annonaceae, Fabaceae and Rhamnaceae which had 2 species each. Vitellaria paradoxa, Annona senegalensis and Tamarindus indica were the most abundant in Transects I-III, while Parkia biglobosa, and was the most abundant in Transects IV-V. Vitellaria paradoxa, Annona senegalensis, Tamarindus indica and Parkia biglobosa are further shown to have the highest Importance Value Index in all Transects. Results further showed saplings species as they occurred in all the Transects with Vitellaria paradoxa, Annona senegalensis and Detarrium microcarpum as the most abundant saplings species and highest Importance Value Index. Results showed seedling species of NTFPs encountered in all transects in which  Hexalobus monopetalus, Ziziphus Mauritania and Detarrium microcarpum occurred as the most abundant seedling species. Shannon-Weiner (H´) Diversity Indices were; H´ = 1.16223, H´ = 0.86756, H´ = 1.62602, H´ = 1.05492 and H´ = 1.32966 in the respective transects. Shannon-Weiner (H´) Diversity Indices of all NTFPs trees, saplings and seedlings were; trees H´ = 2.39016, saplings H´ = 1.70359 and seedlings H´ = 1.86854 respectively.