International Journal of Mol. Ecol. and Conserv 2015, Vol.5, No.7, 1-10
8
This study also showed a usual preponderance of stem
at lower size classes (Ojo, 1998), thus revealing a
typical inverse J-shape structure (Figure 2) of the dbh
class distribution. This is consistent with the natural
tropical forest structure (Onyekwelu et al., 2005) and
gives an indication of good regeneration of the
constituent species (Onyekwelu et al., 2005, Nath et
al., 2005). This observation reinforced the hope that
the various sacred forests if not destroyed can
sustainably produce the various indigenous species
that are threatened in other forest settings.
Though one may be prompted to question the size of
these forests and its capacity to conserve these
biodiversity, especially those ranging from a quarter
of an hectare to few hectares, the study result
collaborate the opinion of Okoji (2001) that even
when the relic of the tropical rain forests are quite
small in size, biodiversity are sufficiently stocked
within it. This is supported by Whitehouse (1991) and
Pauda (1994) that size alone, in terms of biodiversity
conservation is not a sufficient measure of the
significance of an area of tropical forest, because
Figure 2 Stem diameter class distribution of tree species
