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Changes in a secondary forest in southwestern Nigeria following a ground fire

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 July 2009

Augustine O. Isichei ,
Friday Ekeleme  and
Bakare A. Jimoh
Augustine O. Isichei
Affiliation:
Department of Botany, University of lfe, Ile-Ife, Nigeria
Friday Ekeleme
Affiliation:
Department of Botany, University of lfe, Ile-Ife, Nigeria
Bakare A. Jimoh
Affiliation:
Department of Botany, University of lfe, Ile-Ife, Nigeria
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Abstract

In January 1983, two 50 m × 50 m rain forest plots in the University of Ife campus in southwestern Nigeria were demarcated for a baseline study of species composition, litterfall and tree girth increments. By accident, a severe ground fire burnt one of the plots on 31 January, barely two weeks after litter traps had been set and species listing and first girth measurements completed.

The effect of this fire was assessed in the burnt plot after 14 months, in April 1984. The fire affected small trees especially, and there were indications that some species were more sensitive than others.

Manihot glaziovii, which was present in the plot and abundant in its vicinity before the fire showed a big increase in density after the fire because it was able to germinate in the openings created by the fire. These observations were related to succession, and it is concluded that the observation by some workers that the initial composition of a regrowth forest may be partly predicted from a knowledge of the seed bank in the soil may be applicable in the present case.

Keywords

firetree mortalityNigeriarain forest
Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Tropical Ecology , Volume 2 , Issue 3 , August 1986 , pp. 249 - 256
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1986

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