ABUNDANCE OF TREE SPECIES USED AS FUELWOOD IN KWATA AREA OF GASSOL LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA, TARABA STATE, NIGERIA.

Usman D. D.; M. Mbatudde; M. Babagana; Y. A. Magama; K. E. Akwarandu; U. U. Alkali; A. M. Amshi

Volume : VII, Issue : VI, June - 2018

ABUNDANCE OF TREE SPECIES USED AS FUELWOOD IN KWATA AREA OF GASSOL LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA, TARABA STATE, NIGERIA.

Usman D. D. , M. Mbatudde, M. Babagana, Y. A. Magama, K. E. Akwarandu, U. U. Alkali, A. M. Amshi

Abstract :

The study was carried out to assess abundance of tree species commonly used as firewood in Kwata village of Gassol Local Government Area of Taraba state, Nigeria. Transect Sampling Plot technique and Descriptive Survey methods were used. A total of 133 respondents comprising of 100 local people and 33 officials of the Department of Forestry selected using Convenient, Snowball and Systematic Random sampling techniques participated in the study.Researcher made closed ended questionnaire was used as instrument of data collection.Line transect was used to measure a 1000 x 1000 m of land (universal plot) in the forest at a distance of 10 KM south of Kwata village. Within the universal plot, 5 smaller plots measuring 100 x100 m were randomly measured and selected from different parts of the universal plot where total number (abundance) of the commonly used trees for firewood (both standing and stumps) as well as the diversity of the areas were determined. All data collected on abundance and diversity of tree species was analysed using Shannon diversity index (H) while Descriptive Statistics was used to analyze data on respondents� demographic characteristics as well as their questionnaire responses. Demographic characteristics of the respondents showed that males had the highest percentage than the females, majority were engaged in farming and fuel wood harvesting, considerable number of them were married and not well educated. The study also revealed that 10 tree species were used as fire wood in the area and the most abundant ones were T. glaucescense, followed by P. Africana, A. anageissus, and P. erinaceus while the less abundant tree species included K. senegalensis, T. indica and B.egyptiaca. Computation of the Shannon-wiener diversity index from the 5 sampled plots showed that plots 2 and 5 were the most diverse of all the plots with 2.2098 and 2.1464 diversity indexes implying that the forest was highly diverse. However, considering the high level of logging coupled with the heavy reliance of the local communities on firewood as the only source of energy and a source of livelihood to many of them, the diverse nature of the forest in terms of tree species as well as its abundance are seriously threatened. Based on these findings and conclusion, it is therefore recommended that cutting down of trees for all purposes should be strictly regulated by laws, other sources of fuel should be made readily available and cheap and more jobs opportunities should be created especially through trainings in vast entrepreneurial skills in order to oaden the people�s sources of livelihoods.