Status and distribution patterns of selected medicinal and food tree species in Owerri West Local Government Area of Imo State, Nigeria

Abstract

The distribution of medicinal and food tree species in Owerri West Local Government Area (LGA) of Imo State were assessed. Data were collected using socio-economic survey and biological study. A total of 50 respondents from the study area were randomly selected and relevant information on the uses and contributions of tree species of food and medicinal importance was collected through the use of semi-structured questionnaire and Focused Group Discussion (FGD). A total of ten communities were sampled, with one community in each of the ten political wards in the LGA. Tree species of ethno-botany and food relevance were identified and enumerated in the course of field survey in the study communities. The spatial distributions of six most-frequently utilized tree species were mapped using Geographical Information System (GIS). Data were statistically analyzed using descriptive statistics and one-way analysis of variance. A total of 22 tree species, belonging to16 families, known to be used for medicinal and food purposes, were identified in the ten study communities. Dacryodes edulis of the family Burseraceae was the most abundant tree species in the area having about 13% of the species encountered. In the study locations, the least-occurring species were Dialium guineensis and Garcinia kola with 0.27% each. Fabaceae and Rutaceae were the most represented families with 13.64% and 3 species each belonging to each of the two families. The six (6) mostly utilized species in the area were Dacryodes edulis, Chrysophyllum albidium, Persea americana, Psidium guajava, Mangifera indica and Moringa oleifera. The seven tree species that were abundant in the study area were Annona muricata, Citrus sinensis, Cola nitida, Dacryodes edulis, Elaeise quineensis Magifera indica and Psidium guajava with relative density (RD) of 6.29, 11.98, 12.72, 12.99, 6.16, 9.20 and 9.47, respectively. Dennettia tripetala and Persea americana were frequent species with RD values of 4.33 and 4.06, respectively. Dialium guineensis Garcinia kola and Pentaclethra macrophylla were threatened, having RD of 0.27, 0.27 and 0.47, respectively. A total of 8 tree species including: Anacardium occidentale, Azadirachta indica, Chrysophyllum albidium, Citrus aurantiifolia, Citrus lemon, Gliricidia sepium, Irvingia gaboneensis and Moringa oleifera were rare in the area with RD of 1.76, 1.49, 2.44, 2.44, 1.49, 1.69, 1.76 and 2.10, respectively. The threatened species include Dialium guineensis, Garcinia kola and Pentaclethra macrophylla with RD values of 0.27, 0.27 and 0.47, respectively. In seven of the ten communities, (i.e. Emeabiam, Eziobodo, Nekede, Ihiagwa, Okuku, Obinze, and Umuguma), Dacryodes edulis was the dominant species with 23, 35, 32, 32, 9, 10 and 14 stems, respectively while Mangifera indica predominated in Avu, Irete, and Ndegwu with 24, 14, and 11stems, respectively.Keywords: Species abundance, status, distribution, utilization, extinction

Assessment of the Role of Greenbelts in Environmental and Socio-Economic Development of Urban Areas in Southeast Nigeria

“…It is evident from the existing studies reviewed here that the importance of greenbelts in the social, economic and environmental development of urban areas within and outside Nigeria is well noted by previous authors. However, except that study in Owerri by Adeyemi et al [25] most of the existing studies on greenbelt in Nigeria are focused on urban areas outside the south-east geopolitical zone. It is also clear from the internal literature that there are two opposing views on the continuous inclusion of greenbelts in the planning and design of urban areas.…”

“…For examples, several authors have revealed that green belts in cities play diverse roles in promoting urban sustainability by enhancing the aesthetics of urban landscape [30,52]; providing space for relaxation [52,53], leisure and recreation [24]; and serving as watershed, wetlands and agricultural lands for food production [44]. They also help in curbing urban sprawl and urban amalgamation [54], serving as sources of medicinal plants and food trees [25,55]. Green belts are also known to protect natural areas, clean water, fresh air and wildlife, provide natural habitats for plants and animals [15], help in air pollution control and storm water management [18][19][20]56]; reduction in energy consumption in buildings [20,57]; and in carbon dioxide sequestration [23,58].…”

“…In line with this, it has been revealed that in Nigerian's Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, greenbelts in forms of parks and gardens such as Millennium Park, Abuja Zoological Park and Gardens, Orange Park and Gardens, National Children's Park and Zoo and others have been created for relaxation, recreation and improvement of the city's environmental sustainability status [53]. In Owerri, the existing greenbelts have also been identified as key sources of medicinal plants and food tree; and thus contributing to the health of the residents [25]. This finding seems to be in line with the situation in Ontario's Greenbelt where trees were reported to be very important to the residents as sources of food and medicinal plants [55].…”

“…In Nigeria, previous studies have identified the benefits of greenbelts to include space for relaxation, leisure and recreation [24], provision of medicinal and ethno-botanic resource and food tree species [25] as well as for socio-cultural to religious, commercial and even agricultural activities [26]. In spite of these, the growing demands for housing and other physical infrastructure have continued to exert enormous pressure on the existing greenbelts, forest reserves and agricultural lands in many Nigerian cities.…”

Assessment of the Risk Management Strategies among Arable Crop Farmers in Owerri West Local Government Area of Imo State, Nigeria

“…Rainfall starts between April and October while the dry season starts from November to early March. The average annual rainfall measures up to 2550 mm, the relative mean temperature ranges annually between 24.50 and 25.50 and the humidity varies according to the time of the year [13]. Food crops grown in the area include cassava, maize, oil palm, yam, plantain and cocoyam.…”