Does Forest Restoration using Taungya Foster Tree Species Diversity? The case of Afram Headwaters Forest Reserve in Ghana

Does Forest Restoration using Taungya Foster Tree Species Diversity? The case of Afram Headwaters Forest Reserve in Ghana

background

This study evaluates taungya agroforestry system - a forest restoration effectiveness in promoting high tree diversity-  in Ghana. This study was conducted in a forest reserve buffered by Teak and Cedrella-taungya on logged, cropped and burned land.

Research Goals & Methods

Native tree regeneration was assessed by species richness (SR), Shannon-Wiener Index (SWI), Shannon Evenness Index (SEI) and species density (SeD) for seedlings, saplings and trees separately and combined and subsequently correlated with canopy covers (CC) in taungya.

Conclusions & Takeaways

The results showed that the taungya tree seedling diversity was lower than the forest reserve but higher than reported for non-taungya exotic plantations. Additionally, the taungya seedling diversity was not significantly different from the forest, while sapling and tree diversity were lower. 27 different native tree seedlings dominated the taungya understory, with 26 common to both taungya and forest. Antiaris toxicaria was dominant in the taungya. A single native species Afzelia africana was unique to only the taungya and not found in the forest reserve. The native tree species in the taungya were mixtures of pioneers, non-pioneers light demanders, and shade-tolerant. The authors recommend weeding, thinning, enrichment planting of tree species, controlled slash and burn as ways to maintain the diversity of trees in the taungya.

 

 

Reference: 

Boakye EA, Gils H, Osei EM, Asare VNA. Does forest restoration using taungya foster tree species diversity? The case of Afram Headwaters Forest Reserve in Ghana. African Journal of Ecology. 2012:n/a–n/a. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2028.2012.01329.x.

Affiliation: 

  • Kwame Nkrumah University of Science & Technology Working Group on Forest Certification, Kumasi, Ghana