TY - JOUR
T1 - Effects of selective logging on tree diversity and some soil characteristics in a tropical forest in southwest Ghana
AU - Asase, Alex
AU - Asiatokor, Bismark K.
AU - Ofori-Frimpong, Kwasi
PY - 2014/3
Y1 - 2014/3
N2 - We investigated the effects of selective logging disturbances on tree diversity and soil characteristics in the Bia Conservation Area in southwest Ghana. The study was conducted in unlogged, 29-35 years post-logged and swamp forests using ten 25 m × 25 m plots. In total, we identified 310 individual trees belonging to 87 species. Mean Shannon-Weiner index was highest in the post-logged forest but there were no significant differences in tree density, dominance, or DBH size class distributions between these forests. Soil physical properties such as pH and bulk density up to 30 cm depth were similar in the two of forests In terms of soil nutrient status, available P, exchangeable K and total N contents were all similar in the unlogged and post-logged forests. Our findings suggest that the effects of logging on tree diversity are comparatively long-term, in contrast to its short-term effects on some top soil physical and chemical characteristics.
AB - We investigated the effects of selective logging disturbances on tree diversity and soil characteristics in the Bia Conservation Area in southwest Ghana. The study was conducted in unlogged, 29-35 years post-logged and swamp forests using ten 25 m × 25 m plots. In total, we identified 310 individual trees belonging to 87 species. Mean Shannon-Weiner index was highest in the post-logged forest but there were no significant differences in tree density, dominance, or DBH size class distributions between these forests. Soil physical properties such as pH and bulk density up to 30 cm depth were similar in the two of forests In terms of soil nutrient status, available P, exchangeable K and total N contents were all similar in the unlogged and post-logged forests. Our findings suggest that the effects of logging on tree diversity are comparatively long-term, in contrast to its short-term effects on some top soil physical and chemical characteristics.
KW - Ghana
KW - deforestation
KW - plant diversity
KW - soil properties
KW - tropical forest
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84893943951&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1007/s11676-014-0443-4
DO - 10.1007/s11676-014-0443-4
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84893943951
SN - 1007-662X
VL - 25
SP - 171
EP - 176
JO - Journal of Forestry Research
JF - Journal of Forestry Research
IS - 1
ER -