Comparative Assessment of Plant Species and Their Taxa Distribution between the Capital Cities of Akwa Ibom and Bayelsa States, Nigeria

Abstract

The study examined the comparative assessment of plant species and their taxa distribution between the Capital Cities of Akwa Ibom and Bayelsa States, Nigeria. The study established quadrats of 30mx200m along road (transects) in GRAs of Uyo City, Akwa Ibom State and Yenagoa City, Bayelsa State labelled as sampled sites and a quadrat of 100mx100m were established as control sites (secondary forest) at a minimum of 300m from the sampled sites. Descriptive statistics were employed to analyse the data. Findings revealed that that a total of 32 plant individual species types were found in the sampled sites in Uyo while a total of 16 plant individual species types belonging to 13 families were found in Yenagoa. Also, the 32 individual plant species found under the sampled sites belong to 20 families with Arecaceae and Moraceae having the highest species individuals in Uyo Town while 26 individual plant species were identified belonging to 19 families with Apocynaceae and Guthiferae producing the highest numbers of species individuals in Yenagoa. The study can be concluded that there was variation in the plant taxa between Akwa Ibom State and Yenagoa State as the plant composition in the Uyo is more than that of Yenagoa Town suggesting the influence of the level of urbanization and other anthropogenic activities. The study recommended that urban greening activities should commence immediately in the areas where there is a shortage of plant composition.