Forest inventory for sustainable forest management in cross river state, Nigeria
Keywords:
Forests ecosystem information, Structural framework, edaphic factorsAbstract
Basic ecological data is mandatory if a forest is to be regulated sustainably. This knowledge is mainly secured via forest inventories. Consequently, our study inventoried the stand structure and soil physicochemical properties in 22 forests across the northern, central, and southern zones of Cross River State using the systematic sampling method. Stand structure was assessed using a Rangefinder and measuring tape at dbh≥10 cm and above. An aggregate of 646, 407, and 474 stands were inventoried in the northern, central, and southern zones of Cross River State, respectively. An aggregate of 1527 stands were inventoried in the study area. Using class intervals per zone, stand diameter, and height were used to evaluate the proportion of mature to younger trees. Soil properties were evaluated from ten soil samples collected randomly in each of the surveyed plots in the twenty-two forest areas. We took soil samples with a soil drill at a root depth of 15-50 cm during the rainy season (April - October). Twenty-three soil properties were studied (textural class, soil pH, Organic Carbon, Organic matter, Total Nitrogen, Available Phosphorus, Calcium, Magnesium, Sodium, Potassium, seven trace elements, Electrical conductivity, Exchangeable acidity, Cation exchange capacity, and Base saturation). Results of the stand structure showed that stand diameter class size of 100cm and above had the highest number of stands (19.39%) while the 90-100cm diameter class had the lowest (3.14%). The 10-20m height class had the highest number of stands (56.12%) while the 30m and above class had the lowest (20.37%) in the study area. Soil physicochemical properties revealed the varied presence of the twenty-three soil properties studied across forests. Our findings will provide conservationists, ecologists, and forest managers z with ecological data necessary for sustainable forest management in Cross River State, Nigeria.
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