Effect of organic and conventional practices on flora diversity in cocoa farms in the Atwima Mponua District of Ghana

The study aimed to examine the impact of farming systems on flora diversity in the Atwima Mponua District of Ghana's Ashanti region. It emphasized the importance of understanding the diversity and functional life forms of flora species to promote those with high biodiversity value but low competitive potential. The study randomly selected 32 cocoa farms, with 16 from each farming system. For each cocoa farm, a sample plot measuring 25 m by 25 m was set out, from which 5 m by 5 m subplots were drawn to evaluate the diversity of plant species. For each farm, a list of the species composition was created after the flora was identified. The distribution of species and the abundance of living forms were shown, and the Jaccard index of similarity was computed to compare the species between the two agricultural systems. The differences in flora variety between the two cocoa growing methods were calculated using the Shannon and Simpson diversity indices, and the Mann–Whitney U test was employed to determine their significance. The study revealed notable findings regarding the comparison between organic and conventional cocoa farms in terms of flora diversity. Firstly, it was observed that the abundance of life forms in organic farms exceeded that of conventional farms. In terms of species richness and evenness, the Shannon index indicates that organic farms exhibited a slightly greater diversity of species. Species dominance was statistically significant in organic farms, indicating a more balanced distribution of species. Based on these findings, the study concludes that organic farming holds the potential for enhancing flora diversity in cocoa farms. This highlights the importance of promoting and encouraging the adoption of organic farming practices to support and preserve biodiversity.