Assessment of Afforestation Projects and Trees Volumes in Some of the Four Local Government Areas of Northern Part of Yobe State, Nigeria

Abstract

The study assessed the afforestation projects at the four different local government areas in the northern part of Yobe state, Nigeria. Information about the locations and sites of the plantation was obtained from the department of forestry, ministry of environment, Damaturu and zonal offices in the local government areas of the study (Bade, Karasuwa, Yusufari and Yunusari). Meanwhile, a structured questionnaire was designed in such a way that the respondent will provide formidable information about the afforestation projects in their respective areas. Afterward, four different plantation sites were identified using simple random sampling techniques and diameter at breast height and total height for five tree stands from each plantation site were measured and recorded. Afterward, the volume of the tree stands was estimated by using Huber’s equation. The results of the study reveals that there was a 95% level of awareness of the afforestation programmes and a total of nineteen (19) woodlots and twenty - one (21) shelterbelts respectively were assessed (Table 1 and 2). Meanwhile, the highest average tree volume in this study was found to be 8.07 m3, followed by 4.68 m3 obtained from Karasuwa and Yusufari local government areas, while the lowest trees volume was found to be 1.92 m3 at Yunusari local government area respectively (Table 4). It can be concluded that in all the local government areas requires serious attention and urgent need for reforestation and afforestation projects because, the majority of the peoples in the study area depend solely on firewood as their source of energy for cooking, heating and lightening and as such many afforestation projects have turned to a firewood fetching ground and there is a menace of desertification in the area and climate change as well. However, if care is not taken in the next few years to come, the majority of the established afforestation projects will become totally eradicated. So therefore, government, GGW, NGOs and individuals should intensify efforts towards revitalization and establishment of reforestation and afforestation projects in the regions.