IMPACT OF INDISCRIMINATE LANDUSES ON SPECIES ABUNDANCE:CASE STUDY OF SILK COTTON TREE CEIBA PETENDRA COLONY AT SOUTHERN SUBURB OF ZARIA CITY – NIGERIA (Published)
The case of silk cotton tree (Ceiba petendra ) that has colonized an area of more than 1,000 hectres at the southern suburb of Zaria city for almost 5 centuries’ is the subject of the study. It aims at documenting how indiscriminate human activities led to the gradual depletion of the vegetal cover. Landuse characterization, botanical and ecological parameters were focused and an alarming negative results were evident in such indices as species density, species ‘regeneration, surface cover, soil erosion and fertility status. This negative development is assiduously affecting not only the tree colony but also soil quality, crop yield and the water table of the entire city. Consequently, a re-reservation and the re-plantation of the colony was proposed as a panacea to the ever increasing deterioration of the fragile ecosystem
Keywords: Ecology, Flora, Silk-Cotton, Species, Zaria, land use