ARPN Journal of Agricultural and Biological Science BOTANICAL INVENTORY OF SOME COMMUNITIES IN AKPABUYO LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF CROSS RIVER STATE NIGERIA

ABSTRACT The quest for a local floristic database and the alarming rate of species loss informed the need for a botanical inventory in seven communities in Akpabuyo Local Government Area of Cross River State. Field work was conducted between May 2011 and March 2012 with a view to obtaining information on species diversity, species abundance, species frequency and ethno botanical uses of the inventoried species. A three -10 x 30 m modified Whittaker plot was established in each of the seven communities for vegetation data collection while the use of standard ethno-botanical questionnaires administered to local healers, carpenters, traders and market women was used in obtaining data on Indiginous plant uses. The study indicated a total of one hundred and twenty one species spread across 40 taxonomic families with a Shannon and equitability indexes of 4.65 and 0.97, respectively. Some of the plant species include Alchornea cordifolia, Anthocleista voegelii, Anthonotha macrophyla, Berlina auriculata, Bosweillia dalzielii, Dalbergia melanoxylon, Ekerbergia senegalensis, Funtumia elastica, Klainedoxa gabunensis, Piptadeniastrum africanum, and Raphia hookeri. Some species with hitherto poor representation in Nigeria were recorded. These are Woodfordia uniflora, Englerina lecardii, Tarpinanthus pentagonia, Crateranthus talbotii, Rourea thomsonii, Santaloides afzelii, Cylicomorpha parviflora, Uvaria chamae, Saba comorensis and Strophantus senegalensis. They accounted for about 8.27% of the total species diversity and 5.18% of the total abundance. The family Euphorbiaceae was the most diverse family with eleven species while Caesalpinoidea, mimoisoidea, and rubiaceae with 9 species each and apocynaceae and meliaceae with 8 members each made up the first 6 most diverse families. On the other hand, myristicaceae, flacourtiaceae, dichapetalaceae, and celastraceae were represented by one species each. The family Mimoisoidea was the most abundant with 167 individuals, followed by rubiaceae with 135 individuals. Conversely, Bursaraceae, Melianthaceae and sapindaceae were the families with the least individuals with 10 individuals each. Correlation analysis between species abundance and species frequency indicated a weak linear coefficient of 0.54. 39.17% of the inventoried species were shown to have ethno botanical uses, with 12.40% of the species used as roof trussers, rafters and purloins while 11.57% and 10.74% of the species are used as fruits/seeds and medicine respectively while only one species are used for such economic activities as fodders, fibers and tannins. Canarium schweinfurthii and Pentaclethra macrophyla with five uses each are the most used plants while Allophylus africanus, Strombosa scheffleri, Beilschimiedia mannii, Khaya senegalensis, Uapaca togoensis Oncoba spinosa, Morelia senegalensis and Melia excelsa with one uses each are the least used plants. The inventory of alien species in this study reaffirms the need for a holistic flora study of the area