The Use of Indigenous Knowledge in Woody Vegetation Changes Assessment in Semi-Arid Areas of Katsina State, Nigeria

Author(s):  
Lawal Abdulrashid

The purpose of this study is to get the perspectives of the local communities on the extent of woody vegetation changes in semi-arid area of Katsina state, northern Nigeria. Participatory Rural praisal, Focus Group Discussion and Interview were used in the data collection. It was found that large percentages of the dominant woody species in the area are declining or completely disappeared. Only two exotic species and very few indigenous species were reported to be increasing. It is suggested that conservation effort should not be restricted only to the threaten species, the entire study area should be considered for immediate intervention.

2016 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 129
Author(s):  
Abraham Barsosio ◽  
Bernard Kirui ◽  
Nelson Maara

The woody vegetation in semi-arid area is important in providing ecosystem services and goods. However, it faces threats manifested in land-use changes such as mining. This study aimed at assessing the composition and diversity of woody vegetation as well as inherent soil physico-chemical parameters in a previously mined area and comparing it with a semi-pristine adjacent area.  Six transects containing five plots each were established within two blocks separated by a river. In each plot, data was collected on woody tree growth characteristics and soil parameters. Thirteen woody species were recorded in the rehabilitated mined and twenty two in semi-pristine sites with Ficus sycomorus L Moraceae being the dominant species at the two sites. Woody vegetation diversity was higher in semi-pristine site than in the rehabilitated mined site. However, this was not significant (t-test, =D.F=1 P=0.767). Mean soil nutrients (F2, 7. = P=0.821), pH (F2, 7. =109.88, P=xxx), was higher in rehabilitated mined sites while mean soil temperature (F2, 7. =9.08, P=0.011) was higher in mined areas. Rehabilitating mined sites can bring back species diversity, composition, however what is not clear is whether ecosystem functions are restored. 


2003 ◽  
Vol 154 (8) ◽  
pp. 305-313 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roman Eyholzer ◽  
Martin Baumann ◽  
Rolf Manser

Faced with the challenging task of balancing forest interests and wildlife, the Swiss Forest Agency initiated the pilot programme«Game and Forest», which is committed to a philosophy of goal-oriented management practice and a redesign of forestry subsidizing. Within this programme the diverse goals of forestry and hunting have been amalgamated to a superimposed goal and set out in a corresponding contract. The Game-Forest-Management-Tool (GFMT) has been divised to simulate the effect of various strategies to deal with the complex problems of forest-wildlife. Optimal contract-fulfilling procedures can be simulated on a PC using this technical tool. The efficiency of the measures suggested by simulations that were carried out are being tested in a study area within the pilot programme, «Game and Forest». Half way through this trial, after two years, we can say that there has been no significant increase of non-browsed areas. In 2004, after the collection of data for the entire study area, we will be able to tell whether applying this computer simulated strategy truly leads to an augmentation of non-browsed area and a decrease in bark-peeled forests in the pilot area.


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (11) ◽  
pp. 2129
Author(s):  
Fei Zhao ◽  
Lu Song ◽  
Zhiyan Peng ◽  
Jianqin Yang ◽  
Guize Luan ◽  
...  

Using toponym data, population data, and night-time light data, we visualized the development index of the Yi, Wa, Zhuang, Naxi, Hani, and Dai ethnic groups on ArcGIS as well as the distribution of 25 ethnic minorities in the study area. First, we extracted the toponym data of 25 ethnic minorities in the study area, combined with night-time light data and the population proportion data of each ethnic group, then we obtained the development index of each ethnic group in the study area. We compared the development indexes of the Yi, Wa, Zhuang, Naxi, Hani, and Dai ethnic groups with higher development indexes. The results show that the Yi nationality’s development index was the highest, reaching 28.86 (with two decimal places), and the Dai nationality’s development index was the lowest (15.22). The areas with the highest minority development index were concentrated in the core area of the minority development, and the size varied with the minority’s distance. According to the distribution of ethnic minorities, we found that the Yi ethnic group was distributed in almost the entire study area, while other ethnic minorities had obvious geographical distribution characteristics, and there were multiple ethnic minorities living together. This research is of great significance to the cultural protection of ethnic minorities, the development of ethnic minorities, and the remote sensing mapping of lights at night.


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 454-468
Author(s):  
Yumeng Song ◽  
Jing Zhang

Abstract We integrated hyperspectral and field-measured chlorophyll-a (Chl-a) data from the Kristalbad constructed wetland in the Netherlands. We developed a best-fit band ratio empirical algorithm to generate a distribution map of Chl-a concentration (C chla) from SPOT 6 imagery. The C chla retrieved from remote sensing was compared with a water quality model established for a wetland pond system. The retrieved satellite results were combined with a water quality model to simulate and predict the changes in phytoplankton levels. The regression model provides good retrievals for Chl-a. The imagery-derived C chla performed well in calibrating the simulation results. For each pond, the modeled C chla showed a range of values similar to the Chl-a data derived from SPOT 6 imagery (10–25 mg m−3). The imagery-derived and prediction model results could be used as the guiding analytical tools to provide information covering an entire study area and to inform policies.


1985 ◽  
Vol 117 (9) ◽  
pp. 1117-1126 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ronald M. Weseloh

AbstractThe impact of predation by Calosoma sycophanta L. on an increasing prey population was assessed by recapturing marked adult beetles, periodically observing tagged gypsy moth pupae, and examining gypsy moth pupal remains in different microhabitats. Adult beetles dispersed in random directions but many tended to remain near the trap at which they were originally caught, suggesting a low dispersal potential. About 75% of the adult beetles present in the plot on one day were still present the next day. Capture–recapture estimates suggested that there were at most about 250 male beetles and half as many females/ha in the plot. Calosoma larvae destroyed 70% of tagged gypsy moth pupae under burlap bands on tree trunks near ground level, which was much more than any other mortality factor. Although this percentage was the same when mortality was assessed by looking at pupal remains within 5 m of the ground on tree trunks, pupae higher in trees and on leaves were not attacked as frequently. On average, about 40% of the pupae present in the entire study area were destroyed by Calosoma larvae. Each female beetle in the site would have had to produce about 30 progeny to have this effect. These data suggest that a relatively low number of adult beetles can have a substantial impact on gypsy moth populations.


Koedoe ◽  
1995 ◽  
Vol 38 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
A.J. Viljoen

All observations and data related to the impact of the 1991/92 drought on the woody vegetation, excluding the riverine vegetation of major rivers, are summarised. This includes data from a visual estimate of damage from aerial photographs, surveys on selected sites, and general observations. Despite lower rainfall, the area north of the Olifants River (excluding the far-northern part) was less affected than the area south of it, suggesting that the woody vegetation in the north is more adapted to drought. A characteristic of the drought was the localised distribution pattern and variable intensity of damage to the same species in the same general area. Information on 31 species are presented briefly. Although a large number of woody species was to some extent damaged, when the woody vegetation is considered as a whole, the influence of the drought was not very severe.


2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (24) ◽  
pp. 213-225
Author(s):  
Shazad Jamal Jalal ◽  
Tajul Ariffin Musa ◽  
Ami Hassan Md Din ◽  
Wan Anom Wan Aris

Gravity data and computing gravity anomalies are regarded as vital for both geophysics and physical geodesy fields. The mountainous areas of Iraq are characterized by the lack of regional gravity data because gravity surveys are rarely performed in the past four decades due to the Iraq-Iran war and the internal unstable political situation of this particular region. In addition, the formal map of the available terrestrial gravity which was published by the French Database of Bureau Gravimetrique International (International Gravimetric Bureau-in English) (BGI), introduces Iraq and the study area as a remote area and in white color because of the unavailability of gravity data. However, a dense and local (not regional) gravity data is available which was conducted by geophysics researchers 13 years ago. Therefore, the regional gravity survey of 160 gravity points was performed by the authors at an average 11 km apart, which was covers the whole area of Sulaymaniyah Governorate (part of the mountainous areas of Iraq). In spite of Although the risk of mine fields within the study area, suitable safe routes as well as a helicopter was used for the gravity survey of several points on the top of mountains. The survey was conducted via Lacoste and Romberg geodetic gravimeter and GPS handheld. The objective of the study is to determine and map the gravity anomalies for the entire study area, the data of which would assist different geosciences applications.


Author(s):  
Samson Shimelse Jemaneh

This study was conducted with the objectives of study investigates, compare, and try to describe the floristic composition and structure of the vegetation of exclosures and open grazing lands. A stratified preferential sampling design technique with flexible systematic model was used for data collection. Data on vegetation and environmental parameters were gathered from 120 quadrants (90 from restorations or exclosures of different ages and 30 from adjacent open grazing lands), of 20 m x 20 m (400 m2) size. Species richness and the presence or absence of herbaceous plants were recorded like soil samples in a 2 m x 2 m (4 m2) subplot inside each main quadrant from five points, one at each corner and one at the center.  A total of 142 plant species belonging to 118 genera and 52 families were identified. All exclosures displayed higher plant species richness, diversity, and aboveground standing biomass compared to the adjacent open grazing lands. Consideration of edaphic (e.g. soil total nitrogen, available phosphorus, CEC, exchangeable bases, soil pH and soil texture) and site (e.g. Stoniness, Grazing) variables will help to optimize the selection of areas for the establishment of future exclosures. Moreover, our study suggests that with time exclosures may increasingly obtain an important role as refugees and species pool similar to church forests and should be protected and managed in a sustainable manner. However, economic and social impacts of exclosures should be included in feasibility studies before establishing exclosures in the future.  Altitude, Grazing and some soil parameters like Mg were the major environmental factors in the division of the vegetation into plant community types. The result of the frequency distribution of woody species showed a high proportion of small-sized individuals in the lower diameter classes indicating good recruitment potential of the forest patches and the rare occurrence of large individuals. Such trend was probably caused by past disturbance of the original vegetation resulting in a succession of secondary vegetation. In addition, the analysis of species population structure indicated that some tree species had abnormal population structure with no or few individuals at lower size classes. Moreover, assessment of regeneration status on the basis of age classes indicated that significant proportion of woody species were represented by few or no seedlings, entailing that they were under threat. Substantial numbers of forest species were found to have irregular population structure and are in reduced regeneration status. To prevent local extinction of these species, present efforts of nursery establishment and plantation of indigenous species in the exclosures should be strengthened and extended.


Author(s):  
S. Anitha ◽  
K. T. Gurumurthy Ganapathi

An investigation was undertaken in Tommaladahalli (566.13 ha) micro-watershed of Tarikere taluk, Chikkamagaluru district of Karnataka to assess available nutrient status in the surface soils. About 118 surface soil samples were collected grid wise by using cadastral map at 250 m grid interval and were analyzed for their fertility status using standard procedures. Soil fertility maps were prepared by means of interpolation method called Krigging. The results revealed that the pH, electrical conductivity, and organic carbon were ranged from 5.37 to 9.06, 0.065 to 0.466 dS m-1 and 0.33 to 1.62 per cent respectively. The available N, P2O5, K2O were ranged from 175.6 to 545.6 kg ha-1, 11.8 to 61.1 kg ha-1 and 122.7 to 491.4 kg ha-1, respectively. The available nitrogen and phosphorus were low to medium, where as potassium content was medium to high in the entire study area. Micronutrients viz. zinc, iron and boron were sufficient and were ranged from 0.34 to 1.17 mg kg-1, 2.03 to 21.86 mg kg-1 and 0.30 to 0.89 mg kg-1 respectively.


Author(s):  
Carlos Muñoz-Robles ◽  
Paul Frazier ◽  
Matthew Tighe ◽  
Nick Reid ◽  
Sue V. Briggs ◽  
...  

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