Evaluating undergrowth species pattern and soil seed banks mode for monitoring conservation in a protected forest of Nigeria

Abstract

As most trees enter senescence, the assessment of undergrowth species and seedling outcomes from soil seed banks becomes imminent research and an essential tool to checklist an area prioritized for tree conservation. The procedure to ascertain senescent trees are not underrepresented is uncommon research, specifically for a buffer zone of a Strict Nature Reserve (SNR) in the Akure Forest Reserve. This study evaluates the species richness of the undergrowth patterns that are prioritized for conservation and also examines the effective soil depths for seedling outcomes. However, four (4) sample plots (50 × 50 m2) from lowlands were established at the buffer zone of a protected forest to measure the population size of the undergrowth species pattern. Similarly, twenty (20) 1 × 1 m2 quadrats of 60 samples were collected at different soil depths (0–3 cm, 3–6 cm, 6–9 cm) and were warm stratified at about 21–39 °C in a greenhouse for seedling outcome. A total of 97 undergrowth species were encountered aboveground, while a total of 18 plant species were distributed at 0–3 cm, 16 at 3–6 cm, and 8 at 6–9 cm seedling emergence. The results from the statistical analysis showed the observed differences among the soil depths from the seedling outcome are significant, and there is a strong dissimilarity between the seedling outcome and the undergrowth species. The undergrowth species pattern is more diverse, and the species richness is higher, which implies a stable community with little or no disturbance. Regrettably, some aging trees were still underrepresented, despite the undergrowth species richness and diversity. More so, the IUCN red list assessment showed that numerous plants, i.e., 34 plants out of 97 undergrowth species, fall into the category of Not Evaluated (NE), which showed that many plants in this typical forest are still going through IUCN evaluation. The current evaluation will assist the IUCN assessment and also help government agents in the conservation allotment of underrepresented aging trees in the protected forest. In the meantime, public education will be used to manage the unsustainable gathering of wild fruit and forest food in the buffer zone. This will be followed by support for home gardens as a means of preventing the overuse of aging tree fruit and plants throughout the ecosystem. It was advised that research be done in protected areas of the forest on soil depths suitable for seedling recruitment and soil seed banks potential that would support conservation action allocation.