1. EFFECT OF SELECTIVE LOGGING ON THE FLORA COMPOSITION
IN THE RAINFOREST OF GHANA;
A CASE STUDY OF ASENANYO RIVER FOREST RESERVE
BY
ETSRA, HOPESON ELI
MAY, 2014

2. INTRODUCTION
• Ghana forest area has been reduced through diverse
anthropogenic influences
• Timber exploitation has major impact on forest area
and structure.
• Though only 3–10% of the trees are selectively logged
for commercial use, 40–80% trees are destroyed by
the creation of logging tracks, falling trees and heavy
activity of forestry machinery (Putz, 2000)

3. JUSTIFICATION
• The maintenance and conservation of ecological,
economical and socio-cultural benefits of the forest
has become a matter of global, regional, national and
local concern.
• Selective logging is actually a management tool being
used by the Forestry Commission (FC) of Ghana in
managing the natural forest to ensure sustainable
production of its resources.
• There is therefore the need to find out the effect of
selective logging on our forest reserves

4. JUSTIFICATION CONT.
Objective:
• To assess the composition and distribution of timber tree
species after selective logging in Asenanyo River Forest
Reserve.
Specific Objectives:
• To determine Species composition/richness
• To determine Relative abundance of species
• To determine Species density and diversity

5. METHODOLOGY
Study Area:
• Asenanyo River Forest Reserve is located within the
Nkawie Forest District of the Ashanti region
*Unproductive area include areas under research,
conversion & protection
Gross Area (ha) Productive Area
(ha)
Unproductive Area
(ha)
Admitted Farms And
Village Land (ha)
22,792.00 15,991.97 5,751.03 1,049.00

6. METHODOLOGY CONT.
Research Plots:
• 3 Compts. comprising of 2 disturbed Compts (Compt.
52 and 109), logged 5 and 15 years ago respectively
and an undisturbed compt. (Compt. 27).
• In each of the disturbed compartments, the areas
where the actual felling operations had taken place
were the areas that were identified and studied

7. METHODOLOGY CONT.
Lying Of Plots/Research Setup:
• Sixteen (16) 25m x 25m plots were laid in each study
site through stratified random sampling (a total
sample plot of 1.00ha in each study site) but 5m off
tracks to minimize edge effect.
• The compass and tape measure were used in laying
the plots and an angle of 90° was added to the initial
angle after a distance of 25m had been measured.

8. METHODOLOGY CONT.
Data collection
• Sapling and small trees that are greater than 5cm but
less than or equal to 15cm dbh or 1.3 m from ground
were identified, measured and recorded in the
sample plots.
• The enumeration team was made up of a recorder, a
tree spotter and an assistant.

9. METHODOLOGY CONT.
Data Analysis
• Microsoft Excel - find means, Standard Deviations, etc
& make graphs, charts, etc
• Simpson’s Index of Diversity - show difference in
species diversity among the study sites.
• Tree Importance Value Index (IVI) - show differences
in relative dominance of timber species among the
study sites.

10. RESULTS
Species Composition/Richness
• In total, 1582 individual trees were counted in the
study areas. Out of these, there were 104 different
species belonging to 33 different families.
• The undisturbed site (compt. 27) had 68 species,
followed by the disturbed site that has been left to
fallow for 5 years (compt. 52) with 87 species, while
the disturbed site that had been left to fallow for 15
years (compt. 109) had 90 species.

11. RESULTS CONT.
Top ten (10) species families in the reserve
• In total, 1582 individual trees were counted in the
study areas. Out of these, there were 104 different
species belonging to 33 different families.
• The undisturbed site (compartment 27) had 68
species, followed by the disturbed site that has been
left to fallow for 5 years (compartment 52) with 87
species, while the disturbed site that had been left to
fallow for 15 years had 90 species.
Family
Disturbed
Undisturbed
5 Years 15 Years
Caesalipiniaceae 11 8 7
Sterculiaceae 9 8 8
Meliaceae 6 9 6
Moraceae 6 7 7
Mimosaceae 5 5 5
Ulmaceae 4 4 4
Sapotaceae 3 4 3
Annonaceae 2 4 3
Rubiaceae 3 3 2
Euphorbiaceae 2 3 2

12. RESULTS CONT.
Relative abundance of Species (Top 5 Species)
• In total, 1582 individual trees were counted in the
study areas. Out of these, there were 104 different
species belonging to 33 different families.
• The undisturbed site (compartment 27) had 68
species, followed by the disturbed site that has been
left to fallow for 5 years (compartment 52) with 87
species, while the disturbed site that had been left to
fallow for 15 years had 90 species.
Disturbed
Undisturbed
5 Years 15 Years
Triplochiton scleroxylon Triplichiton sclerxylon Triplochiton scleroxylon
Celtis mildbraedii Celtis mildbraedii Celtis mildbraedii
Celtis zenkeri Nauclea diderrichii Celtis zenkeri
Nauclea diderrichi Celtis zenkeri Khaya anthotheca
Canarium schweinfurthii Canarium schweinfurthii Pycanthus angolensis

13. RESULTS CONT.
Species Density and Diversity
• In total, 1582 individual trees were counted in the
study areas. Out of these, there were 104 different
species belonging to 33 different families.
• The undisturbed site (compartment 27) had 68
species, followed by the disturbed site that has been
left to fallow for 5 years (compartment 52) with 87
species, while the disturbed site that had been left to
fallow for 15 years had 90 species.
Investigated Parameters
Disturbed Area
Undisturbed
5 Years 15 Years
Species Density 509 551 522
Simpson's Index (D) 0.05 0.05 0.06
Simpson's Index of
Diversity (1-D)
0.95 0.95 0.94

14. DISCUSSION
Species Composition
• The number of species counted was higher in the two
disturbed compartments, compartment 52 had 87
and compartment 109 had 90, than in the
undisturbed compartment (compartment 27) which
had 68.
• Smith (1945) noted earlier that the most important
factors for plant growth are the kind and degree of
both shading and root competition. In this light, the
less vegetation left on the site, the greater will be the
amount of light, soil moisture and nutrients available
to the regenerating plant.

15. DISCUSSION CONT.
Species Composition Cont.
• The low number of individual species for
compartment 52 might be as a result of the damage
caused during the felling operation, as observed
earlier by Hawthorne (1993) that residual trees can
be damaged during harvesting through the process of
felling and skidding within the stand.
• Species that are dominant in the study area are
Triplochiton scleroxylon and Celtis mildbraedii forming
the Celtis-Triplochiton association, as classified by
Taylors (1960)

16. DISCUSSION CONT.
Relative Abundance of Species
• In the first four species, the disturbed areas were
dominated by Nauvlea diderrichi whiles the
undisturbed area was dominated by Khaya
anthotheca.
• This is because the seeds of Khaya anthotheca can
germinate in full sunlight as well as under shades
whiles the seeds of Nauvlea diderrichi germinate well
in full sunlight (www.protoa.org)

17. DISCUSSION CONT.
Species Diversity
• The value of Simpson’s Index of diversity for
compartment 52, 109 and 27 were 0.95, 0.95 and
0.94 respectively.
• The index obtained for the various compartments
indicated that species diversity within the
compartments were very high and it was higher in the
disturbed areas than in the undisturbed area.
• However, ANOVA performed showed that there was
no significant difference between species density of
the undisturbed area and disturbed area, at 0.05
confidence level.

18. CONCLUSION
• The study showed that there were differences in the
flora composition of the logged and unlogged
compartments of the Forest Reserve.
• A real Rainforest association of Celtis-Triplochiton
species dominated the Asenanyo River Forest
Reserve.
• Though there were differences in the values of the
parameter obtained, analysis indicated a non-
significant pattern at 0.05 confidence level.
• Thus, selective logging had no real impact on the
composition and abundance of the trees in the
Asenanyo River Forest Reserve.

19. RECOMMENDATIONS
• Sufficient felling cycle should be practiced to reinstate
the same set of species that prevailed before logging
• Felling techniques should be improved to reduce the
level of destruction caused by the operation
• Strict Policies and Legislations must be put in place to
ensure the adherence of felling cycle and improved
felling techniques

20. THANK YOU