Tree species composition, richness and diversity in the northern forest-savanna ecotone of Ghana

Abstract

Objective: Stand structure, composition, abundance and diversity of tree species of the northern forest-savanna ecotone were characterized to determine their spatial variability for land management.
Methodology and result: An inventory of the in-situ tree community of the northern forest-savanna ecotone of Ghana was undertaken using the stratified random sampling technique. In all, 1453 individuals, representing 88 species, 78 genera and 30 families were identified in the study. Antiaris toxicaria, Adansonia digitata, Acacia albida, Afzelia africana and Vitellaria paradoxum were found most dominant in the vegetation. A gradation of tree distribution was evident as the ‘near-savanna’ portion of the ecotone was more species-rich than the ‘nearforest’ portion. Significant differences were observed of the species richness, densities and diversity of trees across sites (P < 0.05) and savanna trees were preponderant over forest species.
Conclusion and application: This work has provided evidence of variability in tree species composition, richness, density and diversity across the northern forest-savanna ecotone of Ghana. The information could be crucial for monitoring and managing agro-ecosystems sustainability. A future study would be required to isolate proximate factors of tree species distribution in the ecotone.

Key Words: composition, density, diversity, forest-savanna ecotone, Ghana, richness, tree species,