Rapid Ecological and Environmental Assessment of Osun Sacred Forest Grove, Southwestern Nigeria

Abstract

Osun Sacred Forest Grove is a unique landscape that combines important environmental, biological and cultural features. We conducted a multifaceted rapid assessment to evaluate the conservation status of the grove eleven years after it was designated a World Heritage Site. We recorded a rich diversity, consisting of 2 rock types, 3 minerals, 88 plant species, 108 insect families and 4 mammal species. Our survey also enabled us document up to 40 cultural artifacts. However, the plants, small mammals and insects collected, in their role as indicator taxa, demonstrate that biodiversity decreases extending outward from the core area of the grove into the buffer and outside zones. In addition, the detection of heterotrophic bacteria and fungi from microbiological analyses in water samples of the Osun River which runs through the grove raises health concerns. Our findings lead us to recommend that efforts be stepped up to deter encroachment of the buffer and outside zones into the core area of the grove. Furthermore, careful repair of deteriorating cultural artifacts should be undertaken regularly, with the actions of visitors monitored adequately to prevent depletion of biodiversity and pollution of the environment.

Drivers of Biodiversity Conservation in Sacred Groves: A Comparative Study of Three Sacred Groves in Southwest Nigeria

“…Through these prohibitions and the sanctions attached to them, the diverse flora and fauna species have been conserved (NCMM, 2005;Oladeji et al, 2021). Recent ecological surveys recorded about 300 monkeys within the core zone of Osun Osogbo Grove (Ogunfolakan et al 2016). These monkeys are protected as messengers of Osun goddess (Oladeji et al 2021).…”

Assessment of Diversity, Growth Characteristics and Aboveground Biomass of Tree Species in Selected Urban Green Areas of Osogbo, Osun State

“…The population size of Osogbo for 1991, 2006 and projected population for 2016 were 187,219, 288,455 and 395,500 respectively [23]. The climate of the study area is a tropical hinterland type with a mean annual rainfall of 1200 mm to 1400 mm and a mean annual temperature of about 27°C [24]. Osogbo falls within the lowland tropical rainforest vegetation characterized by multiple canopies and lianas, most of which had since given way to secondary forest and derived savannah [25] due to intensive cultivation and bush burning for several years.…”