Forest recovery on skid trails and felling gaps following post-decadal selective logging in a moist semi-deciduous forest in Ghana
While several studies have been conducted on the impacts of logging on forest recovery in tropical forests, most of these studies have largely focused on short term forest recovery and without perspectives on how different logging intensities could influence the nature and extent of forest recovery...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Elsevier
2021-12-01
|
| Series: | Trees, Forests and People |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666719321000911 |
| _version_ | 1819042994642223104 |
|---|---|
| author | Osei Owusu Antobre Akwasi Duah Gyamfi Winston Adams Asante Collins Ayine Nsor Boateng Kyereh |
| author_facet | Osei Owusu Antobre Akwasi Duah Gyamfi Winston Adams Asante Collins Ayine Nsor Boateng Kyereh |
| author_sort | Osei Owusu Antobre |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | While several studies have been conducted on the impacts of logging on forest recovery in tropical forests, most of these studies have largely focused on short term forest recovery and without perspectives on how different logging intensities could influence the nature and extent of forest recovery in the long term. This study therefore aims to explore how varying site conditions, resulting from the creation of different disturbance types (skid trails and felling gaps) following selective logging at two logging intensities influenced long-term floristic composition eighteen years after logging. The study was conducted in the permanent sample plots located in a 134-ha compartment in the Pra-Anum Forest Reserve. Data collection was conducted on 160 recording plots distributed on three disturbance sites and an unlogged area, within two blocks of logging intensity of 26.32 m3/ha and 52.63 m3/ha (representing the volume of trees harvested per hectare). Results showed that the main skid trail had significantly lower species abundance and richness than the other disturbance types and the unlogged area. There was also a significant difference in species spatial distribution across all the four sites. These distribution patterns revealed differences in plant dominance at disturbance gradients, which indicate their success at competing for available resources within their niche space. Furthermore, the number of species belonging to particular ecological guilds classified from the different skid trails and unlogged areas as well logging intensities showed no significant variation. However, most of the species sampled across the disturbance regimes and unlogged area were observed to be shade tolerant. Logging disturbance and logging intensity did not influence the distribution of trees of national conservation importance (based on tree distribution, ecology, local abundance, interaction with ecosystem parameters and economic importance which have been used as basis conservation prioritization). However, disturbance type and higher logging intensities favoured tree species of minimal timber and national conservation importance, relative to the unlogged area. Given the increasing demand for timber products for both domestic and international markets, which is driving higher harvesting intensities legally and illegally, this study will inform forest management decision making on the long term dynamics of tree species recovery following logging. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-21T09:49:44Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-2018a9bdd772425982f7bb5df98f81e2 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2666-7193 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-21T09:49:44Z |
| publishDate | 2021-12-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Trees, Forests and People |
| spelling | doaj.art-2018a9bdd772425982f7bb5df98f81e22022-12-21T19:08:12ZengElsevierTrees, Forests and People2666-71932021-12-016100152Forest recovery on skid trails and felling gaps following post-decadal selective logging in a moist semi-deciduous forest in GhanaOsei Owusu Antobre0Akwasi Duah Gyamfi1Winston Adams Asante2Collins Ayine Nsor3Boateng Kyereh4Faculty of Renewable Natural Resources, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Private Mail Bag UPO, Kumasi, Ghana; Corresponding author.CSIR–Forestry Research Institute of Ghana, P. O. Box UP 63 KNUST, Kumasi, GhanaFaculty of Renewable Natural Resources, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Private Mail Bag UPO, Kumasi, GhanaFaculty of Renewable Natural Resources, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Private Mail Bag UPO, Kumasi, GhanaFaculty of Renewable Natural Resources, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Private Mail Bag UPO, Kumasi, GhanaWhile several studies have been conducted on the impacts of logging on forest recovery in tropical forests, most of these studies have largely focused on short term forest recovery and without perspectives on how different logging intensities could influence the nature and extent of forest recovery in the long term. This study therefore aims to explore how varying site conditions, resulting from the creation of different disturbance types (skid trails and felling gaps) following selective logging at two logging intensities influenced long-term floristic composition eighteen years after logging. The study was conducted in the permanent sample plots located in a 134-ha compartment in the Pra-Anum Forest Reserve. Data collection was conducted on 160 recording plots distributed on three disturbance sites and an unlogged area, within two blocks of logging intensity of 26.32 m3/ha and 52.63 m3/ha (representing the volume of trees harvested per hectare). Results showed that the main skid trail had significantly lower species abundance and richness than the other disturbance types and the unlogged area. There was also a significant difference in species spatial distribution across all the four sites. These distribution patterns revealed differences in plant dominance at disturbance gradients, which indicate their success at competing for available resources within their niche space. Furthermore, the number of species belonging to particular ecological guilds classified from the different skid trails and unlogged areas as well logging intensities showed no significant variation. However, most of the species sampled across the disturbance regimes and unlogged area were observed to be shade tolerant. Logging disturbance and logging intensity did not influence the distribution of trees of national conservation importance (based on tree distribution, ecology, local abundance, interaction with ecosystem parameters and economic importance which have been used as basis conservation prioritization). However, disturbance type and higher logging intensities favoured tree species of minimal timber and national conservation importance, relative to the unlogged area. Given the increasing demand for timber products for both domestic and international markets, which is driving higher harvesting intensities legally and illegally, this study will inform forest management decision making on the long term dynamics of tree species recovery following logging.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666719321000911LoggingRegenerationTropical forestLogging impactForest management |
| spellingShingle | Osei Owusu Antobre Akwasi Duah Gyamfi Winston Adams Asante Collins Ayine Nsor Boateng Kyereh Forest recovery on skid trails and felling gaps following post-decadal selective logging in a moist semi-deciduous forest in Ghana Trees, Forests and People Logging Regeneration Tropical forest Logging impact Forest management |
| title | Forest recovery on skid trails and felling gaps following post-decadal selective logging in a moist semi-deciduous forest in Ghana |
| title_full | Forest recovery on skid trails and felling gaps following post-decadal selective logging in a moist semi-deciduous forest in Ghana |
| title_fullStr | Forest recovery on skid trails and felling gaps following post-decadal selective logging in a moist semi-deciduous forest in Ghana |
| title_full_unstemmed | Forest recovery on skid trails and felling gaps following post-decadal selective logging in a moist semi-deciduous forest in Ghana |
| title_short | Forest recovery on skid trails and felling gaps following post-decadal selective logging in a moist semi-deciduous forest in Ghana |
| title_sort | forest recovery on skid trails and felling gaps following post decadal selective logging in a moist semi deciduous forest in ghana |
| topic | Logging Regeneration Tropical forest Logging impact Forest management |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666719321000911 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT oseiowusuantobre forestrecoveryonskidtrailsandfellinggapsfollowingpostdecadalselectivelogginginamoistsemideciduousforestinghana AT akwasiduahgyamfi forestrecoveryonskidtrailsandfellinggapsfollowingpostdecadalselectivelogginginamoistsemideciduousforestinghana AT winstonadamsasante forestrecoveryonskidtrailsandfellinggapsfollowingpostdecadalselectivelogginginamoistsemideciduousforestinghana AT collinsayinensor forestrecoveryonskidtrailsandfellinggapsfollowingpostdecadalselectivelogginginamoistsemideciduousforestinghana AT boatengkyereh forestrecoveryonskidtrailsandfellinggapsfollowingpostdecadalselectivelogginginamoistsemideciduousforestinghana |