Publication Date
1989
Location
Nice France
Description
Human beings and animals interact with their habitat. This interaction changes the structure of the organization of communities of plants. The region that has been changed for worst with tress being replaced by grasses as a result of burning is the Savanna region of Nigeria. Annual fire is a common occurence in Nigerian Savanna and this ecological factor has altered the original vegetation of these areas. Burning is usually undertaken for clearing land for cultivation and also for production of a flush of fresh palatable grass for grazing by the nomadic cattle herdsmen. Forage plants like Afzelia africana, Pterocarpus erinaceus etc. are also lopped for the cattle by these herdsmen especially during the dry seasons - December - April. During this period forage plants are favoured since they are superior to grass in protein content (Brinckman and Deleeuw, 1979). The Savanna region of Nigeria stretches from latitude 7° to 13°N and longitude 3° to 14°E (Fig. !). There are an estimated 8-11 million cattle, 22-27 million goats and 7-21 million sheep in Nigeria (Milligan et al., 1982), most of which live in the Savanna regions of Nigeria. The ability of these herbivores to utilize seasonally available resources often depends upon their mobility. The impact of these populations on Savanna habitat is enormous. This study therefore is aimed at highlighting some of the effects of the different burning regimes and grazing on seedlings and saplings of forage plants in the Southern Guinea Savanna of Nigeria.
Citation
Nwaigbo, L C., "Human and Animal Impacts on Vegetation and Forage Plants in the Southern Guinea Savanna of Nigeria" (1989). IGC Proceedings (1985-2023). 31.
(URL: https://uknowledge.uky.edu/igc/1989/session9/31)
Included in
Agricultural Science Commons, Agronomy and Crop Sciences Commons, Plant Biology Commons, Plant Pathology Commons, Soil Science Commons, Weed Science Commons
Human and Animal Impacts on Vegetation and Forage Plants in the Southern Guinea Savanna of Nigeria
Nice France
Human beings and animals interact with their habitat. This interaction changes the structure of the organization of communities of plants. The region that has been changed for worst with tress being replaced by grasses as a result of burning is the Savanna region of Nigeria. Annual fire is a common occurence in Nigerian Savanna and this ecological factor has altered the original vegetation of these areas. Burning is usually undertaken for clearing land for cultivation and also for production of a flush of fresh palatable grass for grazing by the nomadic cattle herdsmen. Forage plants like Afzelia africana, Pterocarpus erinaceus etc. are also lopped for the cattle by these herdsmen especially during the dry seasons - December - April. During this period forage plants are favoured since they are superior to grass in protein content (Brinckman and Deleeuw, 1979). The Savanna region of Nigeria stretches from latitude 7° to 13°N and longitude 3° to 14°E (Fig. !). There are an estimated 8-11 million cattle, 22-27 million goats and 7-21 million sheep in Nigeria (Milligan et al., 1982), most of which live in the Savanna regions of Nigeria. The ability of these herbivores to utilize seasonally available resources often depends upon their mobility. The impact of these populations on Savanna habitat is enormous. This study therefore is aimed at highlighting some of the effects of the different burning regimes and grazing on seedlings and saplings of forage plants in the Southern Guinea Savanna of Nigeria.
