Open AccessInvestigation of Under-Utilised Wood Species for Potential Utilisations in Taraba State, Nigeria
Author(s) -
J.T.B. Riki,
A A Maiguru,
Sabo S. Zaku,
Bwaseh J. B. Auta
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
european of agriculture and food sciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 2684-1827
DOI - 10.24018/ejfood.2021.3.5.366
Subject(s) - deforestation (computer science) , systematic sampling , vegetation (pathology) , geography , grassland , endangered species , agroforestry , ecology , forestry , biology , habitat , mathematics , medicine , statistics , pathology , computer science , programming language
Under-utilsed wood species from Taraba State were studied to generate information for identification purposes and facilitate the introduction of these species into the wood working industry by assigning or widening the potential uses of these species to serve as alternative economic species. They are wood species that constitutes the bulk of wood that finds no economic use and their current commercial demand is below their forest production potentials. This study examines under-utilised wood species in the three (3) ecological zones (Northern guinea savanna, Mountain Grassland/Forest Vegetation and Southern guinea savanna) in Taraba State with a view to identifying their utilisation potentials. A total of 60 respondents comprising of wood dealers, furniture makers and chainsaw operator were selected with 20 questionnaires per region using convenient and systematic random sampling techniques. Researcher made closed ended questionnaires as instrument of data collection. Descriptive statistical tools such as frequency, percentage and charts were used, and data collected were analysed using Startsoft Statistica 12.5. Results showed that males (85%) had the highest percentage than the females (15%). Majority were between age brackets of 21-30 which constitute 46.67%. Considerable number of them were married and not well educated. The study also, revealed Fifteen (15) of the most common under-utilised and endangered wood species with six (6) currently traded species were revealed. Wood demand, durability and availability are the major reasons for choice of species traded while, over-exploitation and seasonality are the main reasons for fluctuations in species availability for trade. Assessment of deforestation in the study area was high, which shows decrease in availability of woody plant species. The produced compendium of some under-utilised wood species from Taraba State, should be distributed widely so that producers, users, and marketers of wood products are aware of the promising species as an alternative to economic species for sustainability.