Assessment of rate of timber exploitation in selected free forest areas in Ondo State, Nigeria

Abstract

This study assessed the rate of timber exploitation in free forest areas in Ondo State, Nigeria. Secondary data on the number of logs and volumes of legally felled trees in Akure, Ore, and Okitipupa (administrative zones) was obtained from the Ondo State Department of Forestry. Results showed that a total of 49,063 logs with a volume of 118,026.4 m3 were exploited from all the study sites. Tree species with a low number of harvested logs were Sterculia oblonga Mast (2 logs), Cola nitida (2 logs), Nauclea orientalis (L.) (3 logs), Acacia Senegalensis (5 logs), and Diospyros spp. (25 logs). Other species (tree species with unknown scientific names as of the time of harvest) had the highest number of harvested logs with 7,605 logs. Tree species with harvested volumes >1000 m3 were Entadrophragma angolense, Entandrophragma cylindricum (Sprague), Erythropholeum spp., and Fagara zanthoxyloides with 2,620.5, 1,601.9, 2,093.1 and 2,242 m³ respectively. Generally, the lowest and highest number of logs (2,813 and 7,306) were removed in September and January. There was no significant difference (p > 0.05) in the volume of trees harvested in January and February. However, the volume of logs harvested in March, April, July, and October was significantly different (p < 0.05) from each other. Almost all indigenous tree species of high economic values are present in this study. However, these tree species are becoming threatened and are on the brink of extinction. Conservative measures should therefore be set up for these tree species to ensure their availability.