Survey Of Indigenous Trees Species Used For Wood Logs

ABSTRACT

Wood log gathering is one of the major economic resources in rural communities especially in the Northern Nigeria which could lead to devastation of the forest and extinction of several wood species. This research is focused on the assessment and utilization of the fuelwood species in Dala Local Government, Kano State. Purposive random sampling was the technique used and thirteen (13) structured questionnaires were administered to the respondents. Major areas sampled were the Dala Firewood market and the residents of some of the. Descriptive statistics were used such as frequency and percentage. Results showed that majority of the respondents(62%) were within the age brackets of 30 and 39,72.5% were married, 40% had secondary school education while 58% of the respondents’ occupation were farming. Parkiabiglobosa tree species were found to be the most predominant with 27% followed by Azadirachtaindica (21%) while Ziziphusspinochristi and Khayasenegalensis were the trees species 8% respectively. Anogeissusleiocarpus was the most expensive tree species, while, the species with less price was Parkiabiglobosa. The economic tree species were used for fossil fuel in the study area; which may lead to loss of the important species. Therefore, it is important to identify and prescribed specific tree species for wood log utilization and do the proper monitoring of both the forest guide and forest users respectively.

Keywords: survey, indigenous trees, wood log species and Dala Local Government.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

COVER PAGE

TITLE PAGE

APPROVAL PAGE

DEDICATION

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

ABSTRACT

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1      BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

• PROBLEM STATEMENT
• AIMS AND OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
• SCOPE AND LIMITATION
• RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

CHAPTER TWO

LITERATURE REVIEW

• INTRODUCTION
• OVERVIEW OF WOODLOG
• OVERVIEW OF WOOD
• HISTORICAL BACKGROUND OF WOOD
• USES OF WOOD
• PROPERTIES OF WOOD
• REVIEW OF THE STUDY
• IMPACT OF WOODLOGGING
• WOODLOGGING AND INDIGENOUSPRODUCTIONSYSTEMS
• CONCEPTOFINDIGENOUSTREES
• MAJORINDIGENOUSTREESSPECIESUSEDFORAGROFORESTRY
• MANAGEMENTSTRATEGIESOFINDIGENOUSAGROFORESTRYTREESSPECIES

CHAPTER THREE

METHODOLOGY

• STUDY AREA
• DATA COLLECTION
• SAMPLING TECHNIQUES AND SAMPLE SIZE
• DATA ANALYSIS

CHAPTER FOUR

RESULT ANALYSIS

• RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
• SOCIO-ECONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS OF THE RESPONDENTS
  
• RESULTS
• DISCUSSION

CHAPTER FIVE

5.0     CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS

• CONCLUSION
• RECOMMENDATION

CHAPTER ONE

1.0                                      GENERAL INTRODUCTION

1.1                                  BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

Historically vegetation have played a major role to influence patterns of economic development, supporting livelihoods, helping structure economic changes and promoting sustainable growth for several years before the industrial resolution, forest, woodland and trees were the sources for land cultivation and settlement, of construction materials, of fuel and energy and indeed of food and nutritional as well (Williams, M., 2003).

Wood log is a renewable resource which is gathered and used for fossil fuel. Generally, wood log is not highly processed and is in form of recognizable log or branch (Ogunjimi et al., 2008). However, demand for fuel can out face the ability of trees to regenerate on local and regional level. For example, in some place in the world and through history, the demand has led to desertification. High-quality forestry practices and improvement are devices that can improve wood supplies. As a bio fuel, some consider wood log to be a form of energy and to be relatively carbon neutral. Hence, it is important to access wood log supply and sub-urban forest in the study area to understand the deforestation problems of the sub-urban areas general forest degradation. Human activities such as wood log gathering, selective logging, industrial uses, grazing, land clearing, bush burning, deforestation and urbanization lead to degrading of forest (Salami et al., 2020). Deforestation results from a mixture of economic, political and social causes that vary from geographical area to another. The main causes of deforestation in the tropics are logging and its change to agricultural production (Salami et al., 2018; Salami et al., 2020). Dependency of forests, particularly in the tropical world is to provide economic resources which have been increasing rapidly as a result of geometric increase of human population in the region (Salami and Lawal, 2018; Salami et al., 2020; Ilu et al., 2020). Most wood log moved by farm machines and animals to central depot which is usually the famous Dala market which holds periodically, every Sunday of the week, before being split, bundled and distributed through a chain of local wood piles, smaller neighborhood piles operator and itinerant retailers. The organization and cost of local wood log piles operators and barrowmen show that the entire system fall into the urban formal sector, it is uncontrolled, but competitive and cost-efficient from the customer’s point of view, and effecting in meeting the spatial and temporal distribution of demand. Consumption of fuelwood trees and demand varies daily, weekly and between seasons (Osei, 2007). The mainly rural people depend primarily on wood log to meet basic energy needs for domestic uses. Current studies show that Nigeria produces about one million tons of charcoal yearly of which 80% is consumed in the cities ((FOSA, 2001). 50% of national energy consumption is from both Charcoal and firewood. Household and Industrial sectorsin all ecological zones are demanded for wood log (FOSA, 2001). It is predictable that about 90% of the rural households in Southern Nigeria and up-to 98% in the Northern Nigeria depend on wood log as their source of domestic energy. Industrial uses include those by institutions, food and craft industries. Wood log is very essential in local eating place, bakeries, local breweries, pottery, blacksmith and burnt brick factories. Institutions such as hospitals, prisons and schools also require wood log for cooking. The per capita consumption of wood log in rural area is 393.43 kg/annum while the urban households consume 255.75 kg/ annum (FOSA, 2001). Nigeria is known to be the giant of Africa and richly endowed with oil exploration and exportation; although it has other means of major energy sources both renewable and non-renewable.

1.2 PROBLEM STATEMENT

According to the previous reports (Mutiso et al 2015). Exploitation has both positive and negative implications. Among the positive implications is its contribution to income, its associated reduction of poverty, creation of employment and a huge contribution to both national and local economies (Iheke et al, 2016).  Despite the immense importance of forests to agencies and organizations there have been great losses of the ecosystems due to unfavourable forestry practices all over the world.

Inventory of the wood log trees in Dala area often lack of scope and specificity needed by wood-using industries to set-up an effective utilization program with few extra data point collected in the cause of a regular tree inventory, a community can have much stronger understanding of the potential markets for the species of trees they remove and how quick some of these species are going into extinction. Inventories also provide long-term, ongoing data for utilization of “baseline” tree removals, and give immediate and needed information when communities are push into crisis mode for a particular forest health threat (Bratkovich, 2001). The main problem of using tree resources, especially, the highly economic tree species for wood log in Dala Local Government because they are causing serious environmental degradation (e.g., soil erosion and deforestation) and threatening the endangered species such as A. leiocarpus (chewing stick), Acacia species, Z. spinochristi (Christ thorn), Desert date, among others. In Dala Local Government Area of Kano State, majority of the household are generally using wood log as their source of energy for cooking and other purpose; which increase the rate of deforestation and aggravate various environmental challenges facing the globe.

1.3 AIMS AND OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

1.3.1 Aims

This research isaimed to examine the utilization of wood log speciesin the study area and identify commonly exploited indigenous woodlog species by the dwellers of Dala Local Government Area, Kano State.

1.3.2 Objectives

The objectives of this research study include;

1. Conducting a survey of the indigenous tree species predominantly exploited in the study area and identifying the endangered species as well as species that are already extinct due to exploitation.
2. Suggest remedies/solutions to recovering and preserving the endangered species of trees in the study area.

1.4 SCOPE AND LIMITATION

1.4.1 Scope

The scope of this study covers the available, endangered and extinct species of indigenous tree species used for woodlogsand is limited to Dala Local government of Kano State.

1.4.2 Limitation of the study

This study is limited to the woodlug species available and used in only Dala Local Government Area of Kano state only.

1.5 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

In the course of this research study, primary research method was basically adopted this involved the use of questionnaires and also a survey of the study area, this was adopted in order to obtain raw facts about the study area. Although a few secondary data was obtained from already existing articles on the subject matter.

CHAPTER FIVE

CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS

5.1 CONCLUSION

The rate at which trees are exploited in the study area revealed a tremendous decline in the number of indigenous timber species and this necessitates an urgent need for proper strategies and policy enforcement to minimize the rate at which indigenous woodlog species are being exploited in the area to ensure sustainability. Incessant harvesting of timber without an adequate plan to replenish will lead to the forest that is degraded both genetically and systematically. Therefore, a clarion calls to rethink and earnestly bring to play the tenets of sustainable forest management which is the way out of the total collapse of our forests. Thus, the onus is on all stakeholders, forest managers, policymakers and the society at large to fraternize to manage our forest in a way that we can use them now and the future generation can still have access to this gift of nature. This way, we will prevent the looming danger that emanates from indiscriminate forest resource exploitation.

5.2 RECOMMENDATIONS

It was established among several other factors that the rate at which trees were been exploited revealed a tremendous decline in the number of indigenous woodlogspecies and this necessitates the following recommendations:

1. Urgent need for sensitization, proper strategies and policy enforcement to minimize the rate at which pressure is been put on available indigenous timber species.
2. Indiscriminate harvesting of indigenous timber species should be discouraged and timber merchants should be educated based on the present status of some important indigenous tree species.

• Department of State Forestry (DSF), Forestry Research Institute of Nigeria (FRIN) should also embark on mass production and establishment of plantations based on the indigenous tree species in the study area. Private or individual plantations on indigenous/multipurpose trees should be encouraged.

1. Government should enact a policy/law that attracts huge penalties/charges on individuals who engage in harvesting premature indigenous trees and the policy of cutting one tree and planting at least two must be put in place.
2. Forest extension workers should educate the populace and the citizenry on the need to conserve and valued indigenous trees species and woodlog merchant association on the danger of the disappearance of these vital local trees species to prevent them from sudden disappearance.