Abstract
Subri River Forest Reserve (SR) is the most extensive forest area in Ghana with an accompanying rich floral species. Over the years, logging from both legally prescribed and illegal operations remain the predominant forest disturbance in SR. Gap creation following logging is crucial in determining tree species composition and diversity. Hence, the study evaluated the composition and diversity of naturally regenerated tree species in logging gaps of different sizes and, again examined the roles of these tree species in fulfilling the economic and ecological agenda of sustainable forest management after logging in SR. Twelve gaps were randomly selected: 4 each were grouped into small size (≤ 200 m2), medium size (201–300 m2), and large size (≥ 300 m2). Data were gathered from 1 m2 circular area at gap centres and repeatedly inside 1 m width strip along 20 m individual N-S-E-W transects. Species diversity differed significantly between gap sizes. Higher diversity indices were measured in large size gaps. Gap sizes shared similar species. There were significant differences among various height groupings of tree species across all three gap sizes. Pioneers preferred medium to large size gaps, while shade-tolerant tree species preferred small size gaps for their abundance. Vulnerable and Lower Risk Near Threatened tree species under Conservation Status and, Premium and Commercial tree species under Utilisation Status preferred small size gaps for their proliferation and conservation. Therefore, we recommend the single tree-based selective logging for ensuring creations of small to medium size (200–300 m2) gaps through adjustments to the logging permit process, revision of Allocation Quota Permit, strict adherence to the 40-year polycyclic selection system, along with more dedicated enforcement and monitoring. Changes along these protocols would tremendously facilitate natural regeneration of different suites of timber species resulting in the improvement of the overall biodiversity conservation associated with the forest, more sustainable forest harvests and more income to those who receive permits.
Highlights
Logging has been one of the primary contributory factors of deforestation within the Tropical African forests which form the Guineo-Congolian region serving as the habitat for more than 1000 endemic plant species (Parren and Graaf 1995)
With Conservation Status of tree species, 16, 11, and 7 species were acknowledged as Lower Risk Least Concerned (LRLC), Vulnerable (V) and Lower Risk Near Threatened (LRNT) tree species, respectively, but under Utilisation Status, higher count of 16 species was recognised as Lesser-Used (LU) tree species compared to lower counts of 6 species each for Lesser-Known (LK), Commercial (C), and Premium (P) tree species were observed
30 tree species belonging to 21 families were evaluated within large size gaps, whereas 20 tree species belonging to 18 families, and 14 tree species belonging to 11 families were recorded within medium size and small size gaps, respectively
Summary
Logging has been one of the primary contributory factors of deforestation within the Tropical African forests which form the Guineo-Congolian region serving as the habitat for more than 1000 endemic plant species (Parren and Graaf 1995). Ghana’s forests are characterized by abundant complexity of floristic composition with an incredible biodiversity (Agyeman et al 1999) containing about 730 tree species with 106 megaphanerophytes species usable for timber production (Hall and Swaine 1981). Forests of these rich floristic attributes are largely situated within the High Forest Zone (HFZ) of Ghana-an ecological zone with an outstanding repository of biodiversity (MLNR 2012). Due to the rich floristic nature of SR, logging operations continue as an eminent form of forest disturbance since 1978 (Abu-Juam and Hawthorne 1994; Forestry Commission of Ghana 2002). In Ghana, logging from the selection system (Hawthorne 1995; Hawthorne et al 2012) or illegal logging activities or both sources (Herrmann 2011) remain the predominant forest disturbance that defines forest structure, tree species composition and diversity, and most importantly, determines the sustainability of natural regeneration in gaps (Hammond et al 2021)
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