Impact of farming activities on vegetation in olokemeji forest reserve, Nigeria

Abstract

An investigation was carried out in Olokemeji Forest Reserve (Nigeria) to examine the impact of farming activities on the vegetation of the reserve. The 5,888 hectare forest reserve was divided into three zones for the purpose of this study. They are natural forest (zone 1), plantation (zone 2) and the fallow area (zone 3). Ten plots of 40m x 50m were randomly selected from each zone for enumeration. In addition 100 questionnaires were administered to elicit information on the effects of farming activities on the plant resources of the Olokemeji forest reserve. The inverse of Simpson diversity indices of the three zones showed that zone 1 had 43.5, zone 2, 2.1 and zone 3, 11.8. The very low diversity indices recorded in zones 2 and 3 resulted from the extensive and intensive farming activities as most species in the zones had been cut down during farm clearing. Farming activities in the reserve have resulted in large hectares of impoverished secondary forest, bare and degraded lands, grasslands and plantation of exotic species. About 25 plants useful to the respondents have also been lost due to farming activities.