Composition of tree species in Onigambari Forest Reserve, Oyo State, Nigeria

Abstract

The tree composition of Onigambari Forest Reserve in Oyo State was evaluated by laying out a plot size of 50 x 50 m² resulting to four plots per hectare. 104 and 93 stems per hectare were recorded. A total of 197 tree stands were encountered in the two compartments studied with family Sterculiaceae with species Cola gigantean, Cola millenii, Sterculia africana, Sterculia oblonga, Sterculia tragacantha, Triplochiton scleroxylon, Pterogota macrocarpa and Nesogordonia papaverifera.as the most abundant having 34 stands, followed by the family Papilionoideae with species Baphia nitida with 20 stands as the most abundance species. About thirty-nine percent of the tree species encountered were wildlings having a diameter at breast height of ≤ 10 cm. Less than one percent (0.50%) of the trees were of merchantable size. This could be a thing of concern and it calls for adequate resourceful and sustainable management techniques. Habits in Onigambari Forest Reserve are presented in Table 1. A total of forty-three (43) species of trees distributed into twenty (20) families were encountered. Family Sterculiaceae and Fabaceae was the richest with eight (8) species each followed by family Euphobiaceae with (5) tree species. Based on their habit, these species were classified into 100% trees. Furthermore, it is of the importance that the forest reserves be protected from illegal/indiscriminate logging among other anthropogenic activities in order to allow it regenerate.

Keywords: Abundance, merchantable, sustainable, resourceful