AGE 203 — Forest Management Education: Lecture Note

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AGE 104 la-NET | ONLINE LEARNING VIDEO PLATFORM FOR POST-SECONDARY & HIGHER INSTITUTION STUDENTS

AGE 104 la-NET | ONLINE LEARNING VIDEO PLATFORM FOR POST-SECONDARY & HIGHER INSTITUTION STUDENTS Course code: AGE 203 Course title: Forest Management Education Course credit load: 2 Units Series 1: Principles of Forest Management • Part 1.1: Concepts and Definitions of Forests o Sub Part 1.1.1: Definition and characteristics of a forest o Sub Part 1.1.2: Types of forests in Nigeria o Sub Part 1.1.3: Functions and values of forests • Part 1.2: Forest Ecosystems and Human Interactions o Sub Part 1.2.1: Structure and components of forest ecosystems o Sub Part 1.2.2: Human impacts on forest ecosystems o Sub Part 1.2.3: Forest ecosystem services in the Nigerian context • Part 1.3: Principles and Objectives of Forest Management o Sub Part 1.3.1: Definition and goals of forest management o Sub Part 1.3.2: Sustained yield and multiple-use principles o Sub Part 1.3.3: Forest mensuration and ecological measurement • Part 1.4: Forest Policy and Administration in Nigeria o Sub Part 1.4.1: Historical development of Nigerian forest policy o Sub Part 1.4.2: Institutions governing Nigerian forests o Sub Part 1.4.3: Forest reserves and game reserves in Nigeria

AGE 104 la-NET | ONLINE LEARNING VIDEO PLATFORM FOR POST-SECONDARY & HIGHER INSTITUTION STUDENTS Introduction Forests are among the most productive and ecologically significant ecosystems on Earth. They regulate climate, protect watersheds, harbour biodiversity, and supply timber, fuelwood, non-timber forest products, and ecosystem services upon which hundreds of millions of people depend. In Nigeria, forests once covered vast areas of the country but have been severely reduced by agricultural expansion, logging, and urbanisation; the remaining forest estate requires systematic management to sustain its ecological and economic functions. This Series introduces the foundational concepts of forest management education: the definition and classification of forests, the structure and functioning of forest ecosystems, the principles and objectives of forest management, and the policy and institutional framework governing forests in Nigeria. These concepts underpin all subsequent series in this course. Series Learning Outcomes Upon completing this Series, you should be able to: • SLO 1.1 define a forest and distinguish among the major types of forests found in Nigeria (Linked to Part 1.1), • SLO 1.2 describe the structure and components of a forest ecosystem and explain the complex interactions between humans and forest ecosystems (Linked to Part 1.2), • SLO 1.3 state the principles and objectives of forest management, including sustained yield and multiple use (Linked to Part 1.3), • SLO 1.4 describe the historical development of Nigerian forest policy and identify the key institutions responsible for forest governance (Linked to Part 1.4), and • SLO 1.5 distinguish between forest reserves and game reserves in Nigeria and explain their legal basis and management objectives (Linked to Part 1.4).

AGE 104 la-NET | ONLINE LEARNING VIDEO PLATFORM FOR POST-SECONDARY & HIGHER INSTITUTION STUDENTS 1.1 Concepts and Definitions of Forests 1.1.1 Definition and characteristics of a forest A forest is a land area dominated by trees, with a canopy cover generally exceeding 10 percent (FAO definition) or 25 percent (some national definitions), in which trees reach a minimum height of 5 m at maturity. Forests are distinguished from woodlands (lower canopy cover, more open structure), savannas (grass-dominated with scattered trees), and plantations (artificially established monocultures of trees). Key characteristics of a natural forest include: a multilayered canopy structure (emergent, main canopy, understorey, and ground layers); high biodiversity of plants, animals, fungi, and microorganisms; complex nutrient cycling; and a continuous process of stand development from seedling to mature and senescent phases. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations defines forest as land spanning more than 0.5 ha with trees higher than 5 m and a canopy cover of more than 10 percent, or trees able to reach these thresholds in situ, excluding land predominantly under agricultural or urban land use. Nigeria uses a national definition requiring a minimum canopy cover of 25 percent for land to be gazetted as forest reserve. Forest area globally is approximately 4.06 billion ha, representing about 31 percent of total land area (FAO Global Forest Resources Assessment 2020). Fill in the blank: The FAO definition of forest requires a minimum canopy cover of ________ percent and trees able to reach a height of at least 5 metres; land predominantly under agricultural or urban use is excluded. 1.1.2 Types of forests in Nigeria Nigeria’s forests are classified by their ecological zone and origin. Tropical rainforest (lowland rainforest): found in the humid forest zone of southern Nigeria (Cross River, Edo, Ondo, Ogun, Lagos, Rivers, Bayelsa, and Delta states); the most species-rich and structurally complex forest type; receives more than 1,500 mm annual rainfall; supports valuable timbers including Khaya (African mahogany), Entandrophragma (sapele, utile), Milicia excelsa (iroko), and Terminalia

AGE 104 la-NET | ONLINE LEARNING VIDEO PLATFORM FOR POST-SECONDARY & HIGHER INSTITUTION STUDENTS superba (afara). Fresh water swamp forest: found along river floodplains and deltas; seasonally or permanently waterlogged; dominants include Mitragyna ciliata (abura) and Anthocleista species. Mangrove forest: coastal and estuarine; dominated by Rhizophora racemosa, Avicennia germinans, and Laguncularia racemosa; Nigeria has the largest mangrove forest in Africa (approximately 1.0 million ha). Guinea savanna woodland: covers the large central belt of Nigeria; dominated by Isoberlinia doka, Burkea africana, Daniellia oliveri, and Vitellaria paradoxa (shea butter tree); receives 1,000 to 1,500 mm rainfall; the most extensive vegetation zone in Nigeria. Sudan savanna: northern Nigeria; more arid; trees fewer and shorter; dominated by Acacia species, Balanites aegyptiaca, and Combretum species. Sahel savanna: far north (Sokoto, Katsina, Borno); semi-arid; sparse tree cover; Acacia senegal (gum arabic), Baobab (Adansonia digitata). Montane forest: plateau areas (Jos Plateau, Obudu Plateau, Mambilla Plateau); cooler temperatures; species include Podocarpus milanjianus, Syzygium species, and Hagenia abyssinica. Fill in the blank: Nigeria has the largest ________ forest in Africa, covering approximately 1.0 million ha along its coastline and estuaries; this forest type is dominated by Rhizophora racemosa and provides critical coastal protection functions. 1.1.3 Functions and values of forests Forests provide a wide range of goods and services that can be classified as: (1) Productive functions: timber (construction, furniture, paper); fuelwood and charcoal (approximately 70 percent of Nigerian households depend on wood energy); non-timber forest products (NTFPs: bushmeat, honey, medicinal plants, rattan, gum, fruits, leaves); and fodder for livestock. (2) Protective functions: watershed protection (forests maintain water quality and regulate stream flow by intercepting rainfall, reducing surface runoff, and recharging groundwater); soil conservation (tree roots bind soil and leaf litter reduces erosion); microclimate regulation (forests reduce temperature extremes and maintain humidity); and coastal protection (mangroves attenuate storm surges and wave energy).

AGE 104 la-NET | ONLINE LEARNING VIDEO PLATFORM FOR POST-SECONDARY & HIGHER INSTITUTION STUDENTS (3) Social and cultural functions: forests are sacred sites for many Nigerian communities; sources of traditional medicine; recreation and ecotourism destinations; and settings for cultural practices. (4) Environmental (ecological) functions: forests are the largest terrestrial carbon store (tropical forests store approximately 250 tonnes of carbon per ha above and below ground); they are biodiversity hotspots (Nigerian rainforests are part of the Upper Guinean Biodiversity Hotspot); they regulate the global water cycle through evapotranspiration; and they support the livelihoods of forest-dependent communities. Loss of forest cover therefore has cascading consequences for all four categories of forest function. Fill in the blank: Forests provide ________ functions (timber, fuelwood, NTFPs), protective functions (watershed, soil, microclimate), social and cultural functions, and environmental functions including carbon storage and biodiversity conservation. Pilot questions 1.1 1. Define a forest according to the FAO definition and state two characteristics that distinguish a forest from a savanna woodland. 2. Name four types of forests found in Nigeria and state one characteristic tree species of each. 3. Distinguish between lowland rainforest and mangrove forest in terms of location, dominant species, and ecological function. 4. List four productive functions and two protective functions of forests relevant to Nigeria. 5. Explain why loss of mangrove forest along the Nigerian coast has serious consequences for both biodiversity and human communities. 1.2 Forest Ecosystems and Human Interactions 1.2.1 Structure and components of forest ecosystems A forest ecosystem comprises biotic components (living organisms: trees, shrubs, herbs, epiphytes, fungi, bacteria, animals, and microorganisms) and abiotic components (climate: rainfall, temperature, solar radiation; soil: mineral nutrients, organic matter, water-holding

AGE 104 la-NET | ONLINE LEARNING VIDEO PLATFORM FOR POST-SECONDARY & HIGHER INSTITUTION STUDENTS capacity; topography; and hydrology). The biotic community is organised into vertical layers: emergent layer (tallest trees, 40 to 60 m in Nigerian rainforest, e.g. Ceiba pentandra); main canopy (25 to 40 m; Khaya, Entandrophragma, Iroko); understorey (10 to 25 m; Dracaena, Diospyros); shrub layer (2 to 10 m); herb and ground layer (0 to 2 m; ferns, seedlings, mosses). Energy flows through the ecosystem from primary producers (trees and other green plants that fix solar energy by photosynthesis) through primary consumers (herbivores: insects, rodents, deer, elephants) to secondary consumers (carnivores: snakes, eagles, leopards) and decomposers (fungi and bacteria that break down dead organic matter and return nutrients to the soil). Nutrient cycling in

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