ESTIMATION OF TREE SPECIES DIVERSITY AND DISTRIBUTION IN THREE COMMUNITIES’ FARMLAND AT DUTSINMA AND SAFANA LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREAS KATSINA STATE.

Abstract

Understanding tree species’ diversity, distribution, and structure is very important in assessing the sustainability of ecosystem conservation and management. This study focused on tree species diversity and distribution in three communities’ farmlands at Dutsin-Ma and Safana local government areas, to assess, identify, enumerate, estimate the richness, and their evenness, and categorise tree species distribution in the study area. A stratified sampling technique was adapted for the study. Two (2) transect lines of 210m length were laid on which sampling plots were established in each of the three study areas. Species richness and diversity were found to be low in all three communities. Azadirachta indica has the highest species richness and diversity in all three communities followed by Adansonia digitata and then Piliostigma thoningii. However, the distribution of trees is not uniform across the study area and varies significantly in their density, diversity, and richness. Tree species at Safana have the highest richness index with a value of 5.383, Turare, with an index value of 5.263 while the least was at Darawa with a value of 3.782. The tree population of the selected study area is presently dominated by the Families of Meliaceae Myrtaceae, Malvaceae, Arecaceae, Moraceae, Pinaceae, Fabaceae, Anacardiaceae, and Combretaceae. The existing flora is dominated by savanna species, particularly those associated with guinea savanna vegetation. Management of forest-savanna should be through fire protection and reforestation programmes and there should be proper awareness of the human activities affecting economic tree species and land management in the study communities.